1985 NAIA Division I football season
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NAIA Division I football season
| year = 1985
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = August–November 1985
| playoffs = December 7–21, 1985
| championship = Estes Stadium
Conway, AR
| champions = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Central Arkansas Bears|title=Central Arkansas}} (2)
Hillsdale
}}
The 1985 NAIA Division I football season was the 30th season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 16th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.
The season was played from August to November 1985 and culminated in the 1985 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 21, 1985 at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas, on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas, for the second straight year.{{cite web|title=NAIA Championship History|url=http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=640523|work=NAIA|accessdate=November 23, 2015|pages=4–11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715022933/http://www.naia.org/fls/27900/1NAIA/SportsInfo/Championships/FB_Championship.pdf?SPSID=640523|archive-date=July 15, 2015|url-status=dead}}
{{cfb link|year=1985|team=Central Arkansas Bears|title=Central Arkansas}} and Hillsdale played to a tie, 10–10, in the Champion Bowl and both teams were named co-national champions. It was Central Arkansas' second NAIA title (and second straight shared title) and Hillsdale's first.{{cite web|title=1985 Division I NAIA Football Playoffs|url=http://www.jonfmorse.com/wiki/index.php?title=1985_NAIA_Division_I_Football_Playoffs|work=JonFMorse.com|accessdate=November 23, 2015}}
Conference realignment
=Conference changes=
- The Columbia Football League began play this season, with the combined football membership of the former Evergreen (NAIA Division I) and Pacific Northwest (NAIA Division II) conferences.{{cite web|title=NAIA Football Regular Season Records|url=https://www.naia.org/sports/fball/Records/FB_RegularSeason.pdf|work=NAIA|accessdate=11 December 2021|pages=20}} The new league had fourteen members from British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington.
=Membership changes=
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Team | 1984 conference | 1985 conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;"
| Linfield | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Evergreen | Columbia |
| style="text-align:center;" | Pacific Northwest | Columbia |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Columbia Football League standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 South Atlantic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1985 NAIA Division I independents football records}} |
Conference champions
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference
! Champion ! Record |
|---|
| Arkansas
|Central Arkansas |6–1 |
| Central States
|6–1 |
| NIC
|6–0 |
| Oklahoma
|East Central State |3–1 |
| RMAC
|Mesa |7–0 |
| South Atlantic
|6–1 |
| WVIAC
|6–1 |
Postseason
{{8TeamBracket
| RD1 = Quarterfinals
December 7, 1985
Campus sites
| RD2 = Semifinals
December 14, 1985
Campus sites
| RD3 = 1985 Champion Bowl
December 21, 1985
Conway, AR
| seed-width =
| team-width = 145
| score-width =
| RD1-seed1 =
| RD1-team1 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Salem Tigers|title=Salem (WV)}}
| RD1-score1 = 15
| RD1-seed2 =
| RD1-team2 = Hillsdale*
| RD1-score2 =18
| RD1-seed3 =
| RD1-team3 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Western Oregon Wolves|title=Western Oregon}}
| RD1-score3 = 32
| RD1-seed4 =
| RD1-team4 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Mesa Mavericks|title=Mesa}}*
| RD1-score4 = 39
| RD1-seed5 =
| RD1-team5 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Central State Bronchos|title=Central State (OK)}}
| RD1-score5 =15
| RD1-seed6 =
| RD1-team6 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Henderson State Reddies|title=Henderson State}}*
| RD1-score6 =18
| RD1-seed7 =
| RD1-team7 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Central Arkansas Bears|title=Central Arkansas}}
| RD1-score7 = 32
| RD1-seed8 =
| RD1-team8 = {{cfb link|year=1985|team=Pittsburg State Gorillas|title=Pittsburg State}}*
| RD1-score8 = 22
| RD2-seed1 =
| RD2-team1 = Hillsdale (OT)
| RD2-score1 = 24
| RD2-seed2 =
| RD2-team2 = Mesa*
| RD2-score2 = 21
| RD2-seed3 =
| RD2-team3 = Henderson State
| RD2-score3 = 9
| RD2-seed4 =
| RD2-team4 = Central Arkansas*
| RD2-score4 =21
| RD3-seed1 =
| RD3-team1 = Hillsdale
| RD3-score1 = 10
| RD3-seed2 =
| RD3-team2 = Central Arkansas'*
| RD3-score2 = 10
}}