# 1985 NCAA Division III football season

The 1985 NCAA Division III football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division III level, began in August 1985, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1985 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Augustana (IL) Vikings won the third of their four consecutive Division III championships by defeating the Ithaca Bombers by a final score of 20−7.

## Conference changes and new programs

| School | 1984 Conference | 1985 Conference |
| Fordham | D-III Independent | Liberty |
| Worcester State | New program | D-III Independent |

## Conference standings

1985 Centennial Conference football standings :
| 1985 Centennial Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gettysburg $^ 6 –0 –111 –1 –1 Franklin & Marshall 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 Muhlenberg 5 –2 –07 –3 –0 Johns Hopkins 4 –3 –06 –3 –0 Ursinus 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Swarthmore 3 –4 –04 –5 –0 Dickinson 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Western Maryland 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Rhodes + 3 –1 –08 –1 –1 Centre + 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Rose–Hulman 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Sewanee 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Earlham 0 –4 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1985 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Augustana (IL) $^ 8 –0 –013 –0 –0 Elmhurst 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Millikin 6 –2 –07 –2 –0 Wheaton (IL) 6 –2 –06 –3 –0 Illinois Wesleyan 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 North Central (IL) 2 –6 –03 –6 –0 Carroll (WI) 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 North Park 2 –6 –02 –7 –0 Carthage 1 –7 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1985 Independent College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Ithaca $^ 3 –0 –011 –2 –0 St. Lawrence 3 –1 –06 –4 –0 RPI 1 –1 –03 –6 –0 Hobart 1 –3 –05 –4 –0 Alfred 0 –3 –05 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central (IA) $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 Wartburg 6 –1 –07 –3 –0 Luther 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Dubuque * 4 –3 –04 –6 –0 Buena Vista * 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 William Penn 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Simpson (IA) 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Upper Iowa 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant * – Dubuque forfeited their game against Buena Vista, but it is not reflected in the final standings. | 1985 Liberty Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Merchant Marine $ 5 –0 –08 –3 –0 C. W. Post 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Fordham 2 –3 –06 –5 –0 St. John's 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Pace 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Iona 0 –5 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1985 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Albion $^ 4 –0 –17 –2 –1 Adrian 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Hope 3 –1 –15 –3 –1 Alma 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Kalamazoo 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Olivet 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lycoming $^ 9 –0 –010 –1 –0 Juniata 7 –2 –08 –3 –0 Moravian 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Widener 6 –3 –07 –3 –0 Delaware Valley 6 –3 –06 –4 –0 Wilkes 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Susquehanna 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Albright 2 –7 –02 –7 –0 Upsala 2 –7 –03 –8 –0 Lebanon Valley 0 –9 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Division St. Norbert xy+ 6 –1 –06 –2 –1 Lawrence 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Beloit 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Chicago 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Lake Forest 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 Ripon 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 South Division Coe xy+^ 7 –0 –09 –1 –1 Cornell (IA) 6 –1 –08 –1 –0 Grinnell 3 –4 –03 –5 –0 Knox 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Monmouth (IL) 1 –6 –02 –7 –0 Illinois College 1 –6 –01 –8 –0 Championship: Coe 7, St. Norbert 7 + – Conference co-championsx – Division champion/co-championsy – Championship game participant^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1985 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Saint John's (MN) $^ 8 –1 –08 –2 –0 Concordia–Moorhead 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 7 –2 –07 –3 –0 Macalester 5 –4 –06 –4 –0 Carleton 4 –5 –05 –5 –0 Hamline 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 St. Olaf 4 –5 –04 –6 –0 Gustavus Adolphus 3 –6 –03 –7 –0 Bethel (MN) 2 –6 –12 –7 –1 Augsburg 0 –8 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 New England Football Conference standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Western Connecticut State +^ 8 –1 –010 –2 –0 Plymouth State + 8 –1 –08 –3 –0 Bridgewater State 5 –4 –05 –4 –0 Maine Maritime 4 –4 –04 –4 –0 Massachusetts Maritime 4 –4 –05 –4 –1 Curry 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Westfield State 4 –5 –04 –5 –0 Framingham State 3 –6 –03 –6 –0 Western New England 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Nichols 1 –7 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Montclair State $^ 6 –0 –010 –2 –0 Trenton State 4 –2 –06 –4 –0 Glassboro State 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 Jersey City State 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 William Paterson 3 –3 –05 –5 –0 Kean 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ramapo 0 –6 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |
| 1985 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Denison $^ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0 Case Western Reserve 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Kenyon 4 –2 –04 –6 –0 Wooster 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Oberlin 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Allegheny 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –5 –02 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Mount Union $^ 8 –0 –011 –1 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 7 –1 –08 –2 –0 Muskingum 5 –3 –07 –3 –0 Wittenberg 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Heidelberg 4 –4 –06 –4 –0 Capital 3 –5 –05 –5 –0 Marietta 3 –5 –04 –6 –0 Ohio Northern 1 –7 –01 –9 –0 Otterbein 0 –8 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Washington and Lee + 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Emory & Henry + 4 –1 –08 –3 –0 Randolph–Macon + 4 –1 –07 –3 –0 Hampden–Sydney 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Bridgewater 1 –4 –03 –7 –0 Maryville (TN) 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1985 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carnegie Mellon $^ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 Washington & Jefferson 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Hiram 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 Grove City 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 Thiel 2 –4 –04 –5 –0 John Carroll 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bethany (WV) 1 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant | 1985 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Occidental $^ 5 –0 –09 –2 –0 Whittier 3 –1 –17 –3 –0 Redlands 3 –2 –04 –6 –0 La Verne 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Pomona-Pitzer 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Claremont-Mudd 0 –4 –11 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division III playoff participantEach team played two other conference members twice. A head-to-head sweep of the two games counted as one win for the winner and one loss for the loser in the conference standings. A split of the two games counted as a tie for each team. | 1985 Wisconsin State University Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wisconsin–River Falls $ 6 –1 –18 –1 –1 No. 8 Wisconsin–La Crosse ^ 5 –1 –211 –1 –2 Wisconsin–Stevens Point 5 –2 –18 –2 –1 Wisconsin–Platteville 5 –3 –05 –5 –0 Wisconsin–Eau Claire 3 –4 –15 –4 –1 Wisconsin–Whitewater 3 –4 –13 –7 –1 Wisconsin–Oshkosh 2 –5 –14 –5 –1 Wisconsin–Stout 2 –6 –03 –7 –0 Wisconsin–Superior 1 –6 –12 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion * – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division II poll |
| 1985 NCAA Division III independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Villanova   –  5 –0 –0 Worcester State   –  5 –0 –0 Union (NY) ^   –  9 –1 –0 Millsaps   –  7 –1 –1 Salisbury State ^   –  10 –2 –0 Albany   –  9 –2 –0 Wagner   –  9 –2 –0 DePauw   –  8 –2 –0 Mercyhurst   –  8 –2 –0 Wabash   –  7 –2 –1 Canisius   –  6 –2 –1 Dayton   –  7 –3 –0 Marist   –  5 –3 –0 Frostburg State   –  6 –4 –0 Stony Brook   –  6 –4 –0 Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   –  5 –4 –0 Georgetown   –  5 –4 –0 Ferrum   –  6 –5 –0 Norwich   –  5 –5 –0 Cortland   –  4 –5 –0 Buffalo   –  4 –6 –0 Hofstra   –  4 –6 –0 San Diego   –  3 –5 –0 Duquesne   –  3 –6 –0 MacMurray   –  2 –4 –0 Saint Peter's   –  2 –5 –0 Brooklyn   –  2 –6 –0 Buffalo State   –  2 –7 –0 Rochester (NY)   –  2 –7 –0 Catholic University   –  2 –9 –0 Brockport   –  1 –9 –1 Colorado College   –  1 –8 –0 Saint Francis (PA)   –  0 –9 –0 ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant |

## Conference champions

* Conference champions
* Centennial Conference – Gettysburg
* College Athletic Conference – Centre and Rhodes
* College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin – Augustana (IL)
* Independent College Athletic Conference – Ithaca
* Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Central (IA)
* Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Albion
* Middle Atlantic Conference – Lycoming
* Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference – Coe
* Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Saint John's (MN)
* New England Football Conference – Plymouth State and Western Connecticut State
* New Jersey State Athletic Conference – Montclair State
* North Coast Athletic Conference – Denison
* Ohio Athletic Conference – Mount Union
* Old Dominion Athletic Conference – Emory & Henry, Randolph-Macon, and Washington & Lee
* Presidents' Athletic Conference – Carnegie Mellon
* Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Occidental
* Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Austin and Sul Ross
* Upper Midwest Athletic Conference – Mount Senario
* Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Wisconsin–River Falls

## Postseason

The 1985 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 13th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the eleventh year and first time since 1982. This was the first tournament to feature sixteen teams after expanding from the eight team model in place since 1975.

### Playoff bracket

| First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | First Round Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Quarterfinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | Semifinals Campus Sites | | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama | National Championship Game Garrett-Harrison Stadium Phenix City, Alabama |
| Ithaca | Ithaca | 13 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 12 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Union (NY) | Union (NY) | 12 | Ithaca | Ithaca | 50 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Montclair State | Montclair State | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Montclair State | Montclair State | 28 | Montclair State | Montclair State | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Western Connecticut State | Western Connecticut State | 0 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Western Connecticut State | Western Connecticut State | 0 | | | | Ithaca | Ithaca | 34 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | 0 | | | | |
| Salisbury State | Salisbury State | 35 | | | | | | | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | 0 | | | | |
| Carnegie Mellon | Carnegie Mellon | 22 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Carnegie Mellon | Carnegie Mellon | 22 | Salisbury State | Salisbury State | 6 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | 22 | | | | | | | |
| Gettysburg | Gettysburg | 14 | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | 22 | | | | | | | |
| Lycoming | Lycoming | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lycoming | Lycoming | 10 | | | | | | | | Ithaca | Ithaca | 7 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 20 |
| Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 26 | | | | | | | | | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 20 |
| Albion | Albion | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Albion | Albion | 10 | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 21 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Mount Union | Mount Union | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Mount Union | Mount Union | 35 | Mount Union | Mount Union | 14 | | | | | | | |
| Denison | Denison | 3 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Denison | Denison | 3 | | | | Augustana (IL) | Augustana (IL) | 14 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 7 | | | | |
| Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 27 | | | | | | | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 7 | | | | |
| Coe | Coe | 7 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Coe | Coe | 7 | Central (IA) | Central (IA) | 71 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Occidental | Occidental | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Occidental | Occidental | 28 | Occidental | Occidental | 0 | | | | | | | |
| Saint John's (MN) | Saint John's (MN) | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |