1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I-AA season
| year = 1984
| image = File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg
| image_caption =
| number_of_teams = 89
| regular_season = August–November
| playoffs = November 24–December 15
| nc_date = December 15, 1984
| championship = Johnson Hagood Stadium
Charleston, South Carolina
| champions = Montana State
}}
The 1984 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1984, and concluded with the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 15, 1984, at Johnson Hagood Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina. The Montana State Bobcats won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs by a score of 19−6.{{cite web |title=1984 NCAA Division I Football Championship |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf |website=NCAA.org |access-date=December 29, 2013 |page=14}}
Conference changes and new programs
- Prior to the season, the Gulf Star Conference was formed by three I-AA Independents and three reclassifying Division II institutions from Louisiana and Texas.
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| School | 1983 Conference | 1984 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | MEAC | I-AA Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | Revived Program | I-AA Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | D-II Independent | MEAC (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | Gulf Star |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | Gulf Star |
| style="text-align:center;" | Lone Star (D-II) | Gulf Star (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | Gulf Star |
| style="text-align:center;" | Lone Star (D-II) | Gulf Star (I-AA) |
| style="text-align:center;" | Lone Star (D-II) | Gulf Star (I-AA) |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Association of Mid-Continent Universities football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Gulf Star Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Ivy League football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Missouri Valley Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Southern Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Southland Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 Yankee Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1984 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings}} |
Conference champions
{{see also|List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference champions |
|---|
| Big Sky Conference – Montana State Gulf Star Conference – Nicholls State and Northwestern State Ivy League – Penn Mid-Continent Conference – Eastern Illinois and Northern Iowa Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Bethune-Cookman Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Chattanooga Southland Conference – Louisiana Tech Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alcorn State Yankee Conference – Boston University and Rhode Island |
Postseason
The top four teams were seeded, and received first-round byes.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31284293/isu_gets_first_round_bye/ |title=ISU gets first round bye |agency=AP |newspaper=Palladium-Item |location=Richmond, Indiana |page=A7 |date=November 19, 1984 |access-date=May 5, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}} Undefeated Tennessee State was disqualified from the postseason due to the use of ineligible players.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31284376/toprated_tennessee_state_finds_14/ |title=Top-rated Tennessee State finds 14 players ineligible |newspaper=Alabama Journal |location=Montgomery, Alabama |page=17 |date=November 19, 1984 |access-date=May 5, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}
=NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket=
{{12TeamBracket
| RD1=First Round
November 24
Campus sites
| RD2=Quarterfinals
December 1
Campus sites
| RD3=Semifinals
December 8
Campus sites
| RD4=National Championship Game
December 15
Neutral Site
| team-width=
| score-width=
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = Louisiana Tech
| RD1-score1 = 66
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 = Mississippi Valley State
| RD1-score2 =19
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 = Eastern Kentucky
| RD1-score3 =10
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 = Middle Tennessee
| RD1-score4 = 27
| RD1-seed5 =
| RD1-team5 = Richmond
| RD1-score5 = 35
| RD1-seed6 =
| RD1-team6 = Boston University
| RD1-score6 =33
| RD1-seed7 =
| RD1-team7 = Arkansas State
| RD1-score7 = 37
| RD1-seed8 =
| RD1-team8 = Chattanooga
| RD1-score8 =10
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 = (1) Alcorn State
| RD2-score1 =21
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 = Louisiana Tech
| RD2-score2 = 44
| RD2-seed3 =
| RD2-team3 = (4) Indiana State
| RD2-score3 =41
| RD2-seed4 =
| RD2-team4 = Middle Tennessee
| RD2-score4 = 42***
| RD2-seed5 =
| RD2-team5 = (2) Rhode Island
| RD2-score5 = 23
| RD2-seed6 =
| RD2-team6 = Richmond
| RD2-score6 =17
| RD2-seed7 =
| RD2-team7 = (3) Montana State
| RD2-score7 = 31
| RD2-seed8 =
| RD2-team8 = Arkansas State
| RD2-score8 =14
| RD3-seed1 =
| RD3-team1 = Louisiana Tech
| RD3-score1 = 21
| RD3-seed2 =
| RD3-team2 = Middle Tennessee
| RD3-score2 =13
| RD3-seed3 =
| RD3-team3 = (2) Rhode Island
| RD3-score3 =20
| RD3-seed4 =
| RD3-team4 = (3) Montana State
| RD3-score4 = 32
| RD4-seed1 =
| RD4-team1 = Louisiana Tech
| RD4-score1 =6
| RD4-seed2 =
| RD4-team2 = (3) Montana State
| RD4-score2 = 19
}}