1986 NAIA Division I football season

The 1986 NAIA Division I football season was the 31st season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 17th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

1986 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1986
Postseason	December 6–20, 1986
National Championship	Burke–Tarr Stadium Jefferson City, TN
Champions	Carson–Newman (3)
← 1985 NAIA Division I football season 1987 →

The season was played from August to November 1986 and culminated in the 1986 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 20, 1986 at Burke–Tarr Stadium in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on the campus of Carson–Newman College.^[1]

Carson–Newman defeated Cameron in the Champion Bowl, 17–0, to win their third NAIA national title.^[2]

Conference standings

1986 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 Central Arkansas $^ 7 – 0 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 No. 20 Arkansas–Monticello 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Arkansas Tech 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Ouachita Baptist 3 – 3 – 1 5 – 4 – 1 Harding 3 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 1 Henderson State 2 – 4 – 1 2 – 7 – 1 Southern Arkansas 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff 0 – 7 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1986 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Pittsburg State $^ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 6 Emporia State 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 8 Washburn ^ 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Kearney State 5 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Fort Hays State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Missouri Western 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Missouri Southern 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 0 – 7 – 0 2 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1986 Columbia Football League standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T Northern Division No. 5 Pacific Lutheran x^ 6 – 0 – 0 8 – 1 – 0 No. 19 Central Washington 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Puget Sound 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 No. 18 Simon Fraser 4 – 2 – 0 6 – 3 – 0 Whitworth 1 – 4 – 1 2 – 6 – 1 Western Washington 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Eastern Oregon 0 – 5 – 1 0 – 8 – 1 Southern Division No. 1 Linfield x^ 6 – 0 – 0 12 – 0 – 0 No. 13 Western Oregon 5 – 1 – 0 7 – 2 – 0 Oregon Tech 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Southern Oregon 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Willamette 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Pacific (OR) 1 – 5 – 0 2 – 7 – 0 Lewis & Clark 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll for Central Washington, Simon Fraser, and Western Oregon and NAIA Division II poll for Pacific Lutheran and Linfield
1986 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Hillsdale $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 No. 17 Grand Valley State 4 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Saginaw Valley State 3 – 2 – 0 5 – 4 – 0 Ferris State 2 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Northwood 1 – 4 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 Wayne State (MI) 0 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll for Hillsdale and NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Grand Valley State	1986 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 11 Minnesota Morris $ 5 – 0 – 1 7 – 1 – 2 No. 17 Northern State 5 – 1 – 0 9 – 2 – 0 Bemidji State 3 – 2 – 1 6 – 4 – 1 Winona State 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 7 – 1 Moorhead State 2 – 4 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Minnesota Duluth 0 – 6 – 0 0 – 11 – 0 $ – Conference champion Minnesota Duluth forfeited 8 wins and 2 ties including 4 conference wins—over Northern State, Winona State; Moorhead State, and Southwest State—and 2 conference ties—with Minnesota Morris and Bemidji State. Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1986 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 9 East Central + 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 No. 16 NW Oklahoma State + 3 – 1 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 No. 14 SE Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 7 – 3 – 0 Northeastern State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 SW Oklahoma State 0 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 + – Conference co-champions Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1986 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 10 Mesa $^ 6 – 0 – 0 7 – 3 – 1 New Mexico Highlands 4 – 2 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Fort Lewis 4 – 2 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Western State (CO) 2 – 3 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Adams State 2 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Colorado Mines 1 – 4 – 1 3 – 5 – 1 Western New Mexico 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1986 South Atlantic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Carson–Newman $^ 6 – 1 – 0 12 – 1 – 0 No. 12 Elon 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 15 Mars Hill 4 – 3 – 0 7 – 3 – 1 Gardner–Webb 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Catawba 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Presbyterian 3 – 4 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Newberry 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Lenoir–Rhyne 1 – 6 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1986 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 7 Shepherd $^ 7 – 0 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Fairmont State 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 West Virginia Tech 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Salem 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Concord 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 West Liberty State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Glenville State 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 West Virginia State 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1986 NAIA Division I independents football records v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 Cameron ^   –   11 – 2 – 1 Guilford   –   6 – 4 – 0 Wofford   –   4 – 6 – 1 West Virginia Wesleyan   –   4 – 6 – 0 Central State (OK)   –   3 – 5 – 1 Langston   –   2 – 7 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate	Central Arkansas	7–0
Central States	Pittsburg State	7–0
NIC	Minnesota–Morris	5–0–1
Oklahoma	East Central State Northwestern Oklahoma State	3–1
RMAC	Mesa	6–0
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman	6–1
WVIAC	Shepherd	7–0

Postseason

	Quarterfinals December 6, 1986 Campus sites					Semifinals December 13, 1986 Campus sites					1986 Champion Bowl December 20, 1986 Jefferson City, TN
	Washburn		24
	Pittsburg State*		58
						Pittsburg State		6
						Cameron*		17
	Central Arkansas		34
	Cameron* (OT)		35
											Cameron		0
											Carson–Newman*		17
	Hillsdale		27
	Mesa*		17
						Hillsdale		16
						Carson–Newman* (OT)		19
	Shepherd		10
	Carson–Newman*		30

See also

• 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1986 NCAA Division II football season
• 1986 NCAA Division III football season