1989 Illinois State Redbirds football team

The 1989 Illinois State Redbirds football team represented Illinois State University as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their second year under head coach Jim Heacock, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 5–6, with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the GCAC. Illinois State played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.

1989 Illinois State Redbirds football
Conference	Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (4–2 GCAC)
Head coach	Jim Heacock (2nd season)
Home stadium	Hancock Stadium
Seasons ← 1988 1990 →

1989 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 9 Southwest Missouri State $^	5	–	1	–	0			10	–	3	–	0
No. 15 Eastern Illinois ^	4	–	2	–	0			9	–	4	–	0
No. 20 Northern Iowa	4	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Illinois State	4	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Indiana State	2	–	4	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Western Illinois	1	–	5	–	0			4	–	7	–	0
Southern Illinois	1	–	5	–	0			2	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 2	Western Kentucky*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 12–17	4,452	[1]
September 9	Central State (OH)*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 10–9	7,489	[2]
September 23	at East Carolina*	Ficklen Memorial Stadium Greenville, NC	L 10–56	30,245	[3]
September 23	at Eastern Illinois	O'Brien Stadium Charleston, IL	L 7–21		[4]
October 7	at No. T–5 Southwest Missouri State	Briggs Stadium Springfield, MO	L 7–42	9,000	[5]
October 14	at Southern Illinois	McAndrew Stadium Carbondale, IL	W 21–17	12,000	[6]
October 21	Indiana State	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 15–13	9,275	[7]
October 28	Western Illinois	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 30–6		[8]
November 4	No. 17 Northern Iowa	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	W 31–13	7,295	[9]
November 11	Arkansas State*	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	L 12–21	10,851	[10]
November 18	at Nicholls State*	John L. Guidry Stadium Thibodaux, LA	L 28–32		[11]
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game