1986 NCAA Division II football season#Postseason
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division II season
| year = 1986
| image =
| image_caption =
| regular_season = August – November 1986
| playoffs = November 29 – December 13, 1986
| nc_date = December 13, 1986
| championship = Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL
| champion = North Dakota State (3)
| hill = Jeff Bentrim, North Dakota State
}}
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.{{cite web|title=1986 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket|url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d2/2012DIIfbchamp.pdf|work=NCAA|publisher=NCAA.org|access-date=January 4, 2014|pages=13}}
The first Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the best player in Division II, was awarded to Jeff Bentrim, quarterback for North Dakota State.
Conference changes and new programs
Indiana Central University changed its name to the University of Indianapolis.{{cite web |title=University of Indianapolis Complete Catalog 2017-2019 |url=https://www.uindy.edu/registrar/files/17_19_complete_catalog.pdf |website=University of Indianapolis}}
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| School | 1985 Conference | 1986 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;" | RMAC | Western |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Gulf South Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Heartland Collegiate Conference standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Lone Star Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 North Central Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 Western Football Conference standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1986 NCAA Division II independents football records}} |
Conference summaries
{{see also|List of NCAA Division II football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference Champions |
|---|
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia Union Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hillsdale Gulf South Conference – Troy State Heartland Collegiate Conference – Ashland 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 Western Football Conference - Sacramento State |
Postseason
{{Infobox NCAA Football Tournament |
| Division=II
| Year=1986
| Image=
| ImageSize=
| Caption=
| Teams=8
| Stadium=Braly Municipal Stadium
| Location=Florence, AL
| Champions= North Dakota State
| TitleCount=3rd
| ChampGameCount = 5th
| ChampCount = 8
| RunnerUp=South Dakota
| GameCount=1st
| RunnerCount = 3
| Semifinal1=Central State (OH)
| SemisCount = 4
| Semifinal2=Troy State
| SemisCount2 = 2
| Coach = Earle Solomonson
| CoachCount = 2nd
| Attendance=
}}
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=
{{8TeamBracket-NoSeeds
| RD1=First round
Campus sites
| RD2=Semifinals
Campus sites
| RD3=Championship
Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL
| RD1-team1=North Dakota State
| RD1-score1=50
| RD1-team2={{cfb link|year=1986|team=Ashland Eagles|title=Ashland}}
| RD1-score2= 0
| RD1-team3=Central State (OH)
| RD1-score3=31
| RD1-team4={{cfb link|year=1986|team=Towson State Tigers|title=Towson State}}
| RD1-score4=0
| RD1-team5=Troy State
| RD1-score5=31
| RD1-team6={{cfb link|year=1986|team=Virginia Union Panthers|title=Virginia Union}}
| RD1-score6=7
| RD1-team7={{cfb link|year=1986|team=South Dakota Coyotes|title=South Dakota}}
| RD1-score7=26
| RD1-team8=UC Davis
| RD1-score8=23
| RD2-team1=North Dakota State
| RD2-score1=35
| RD2-team2=Central State (OH)
| RD2-score2=12
| RD2-team3=Troy State
| RD2-score3=28
| RD2-team4=South Dakota
| RD2-score4=42
| RD3-team1=North Dakota State
| RD3-score1=27
| RD3-team2=South Dakota
| RD3-score2=7
}}