Led by fourth-year head coach Todd Berry, the Redbirds compiled an overall record of 11–3 with a mark of 6–0 in conference play, winning the Gateway Football Conference title.
Illinois State received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Redbirds defeated Colgate in the first round and Hofstra in the quarterfinals before losing to Georgia Southern in the semifinals.
3 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of NCAA Division I-AA teams.
[2] The team played home games at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois.
This college football 1990s season article is a stub.