1986 NCAA Division II football season

1986 NCAA Division II football season
Regular season	August – November 1986
Postseason	November 29 – December 13, 1986
National Championship	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
Champions	North Dakota State (3)
Harlon Hill Trophy	Jeff Bentrim, North Dakota State
Division II football season «1985 1987»

The 1986 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1986, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 13, 1986 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The championship would remain hosted in Florence for the next twenty-eight seasons through 2013 before moving to Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The North Dakota State Bison defeated the South Dakota Coyotes, 27–7, to win their third Division II national title.

The first ever Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the best player in Division II, was awarded to Jeff Bentrim, quarterback for North Dakota State.

Conference standings

1986 Lone Star Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T West Texas State $ 6 – 0 – 0     7 – 4 – 0 Texas A&I 4 – 2 – 0     9 – 2 – 0 Abilene Christian 4 – 2 – 0     7 – 3 – 0 Eastern New Mexico 3 – 3 – 0     8 – 3 – 0 Angelo State 3 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 East Texas State 1 – 5 – 0     2 – 9 – 0 Howard Payne 0 – 6 – 0     0 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division II playoff participant

1986 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T Central Missouri State $ 5 – 0 – 0     8 – 3 – 0 SE Missouri State 4 – 1 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 NE Missouri State 3 – 2 – 0     5 – 5 – 0 Missouri-Rolla 2 – 3 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 NW Missouri State 1 – 4 – 0     2 – 9 – 0 Lincoln (MO) 0 – 5 – 0     1 – 10 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division II playoff participant

Conference summaries

See also: List of NCAA Division II football seasons

Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hillsdale Gulf South Conference – Troy State Lone Star Conference – West Texas State Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Central Missouri State North Central Conference – North Dakota State Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Morris Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Indiana (PA) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State

Postseason

1986 NCAA Division II National Football Championship playoffs
Teams	8
Finals Site	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
Champions	North Dakota State (3rd title)
Runner-Up	South Dakota (1st championship game)
Semifinalists	Central State (OH) Troy State

The 1986 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 14th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama for the first time.

Playoff bracket

	First round Campus sites					Semifinals Campus sites					Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL
	North Dakota State		50
	Ashland		0
						North Dakota State		35
						Central State (OH)		12
	Central State (OH)		31
	Towson State		0
											North Dakota State		27
											South Dakota		7
	Troy State		31
	Virginia Union		7
						Troy State		28
						South Dakota		42
	South Dakota		26
	UC Davis		23