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 North Dakota State Bison defeated the South Dakota Coyotes, 27–7, to win their third Division II national title.
[1] The first Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the best player in Division II, was awarded to Jeff Bentrim, quarterback for North Dakota State.
[2] 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 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.