1986 NCAA Division III football season

The 1986 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1986, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1986 at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama. The Augustana (IL) Vikings won the fourth of their four consecutive Division III championships by defeating the Salisbury State Sea Gulls by a final score of 31Ã¢ÂÂ3.

Conference Changes

Loras College, which had cut its varsity program following the 1954 season and had fielded a club team since then, returned to varsity status in 1986.

Wesley College and Menlo College, both former junior colleges who competed in the NJCAA, began sponsoring four year football in 1986.

UC Santa Barbara, a former Division I program which had dropped football in 1971, revived their program at the Division III level in 1986.

Conference standings

Conference champions

Postseason

The 1986 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 14th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Garrett-Harrison Stadium in Phenix City, Alabama for the twelfth time and for the second consecutive year. Like the previous tournament, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.

Playoff bracket

References