The 1986 San Francisco State Gators football team represented San Francisco State University as a member of the Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division II football season.
Led by 26th-year head coach Vic Rowen, San Francisco State finished the season with an overall record of 1–10 and a mark of 1–4 in conference play, placing fifth in the NCAC.
The Gators played home games at Cox Stadium in San Francisco.
After the season, Azusa Pacific was forced to forfeit their 1986 victories due to the use of ineligible players.
[7] No San Francisco State players were selected in the 1987 NFL draft.