1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season

American college football season August 2023 December 2025 1985 File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg 87http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/standings.php?season=1985&class=FCS&i=1 Standings for the 1985 FCS Season 2025-06-26 August–November November 30–December 21 December 21, 1985 Tacoma DomeTacoma, Washington Georgia Southern The 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, commenced in August 1985, and concluded with the 1985 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 21, 1985, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington. The Georgia Southern Eagles won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Furman Paladins by a score of 44–42.1985 NCAA Division I Football Championship http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf NCAA.org December 29, 2013 14 Conference changes and new programs The Mid-Continent Conference stopped sponsoring football after the 1984 season. In 1985, all four members of the Mid-Continent moved their football programs to the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference, which otherwise sponsored only women's sports. The Missouri Valley Conference, a hybrid I-A/I-AA conference since 1982, played its last season of football in 1985. (+ Illinois State and Southern Illinois competed in both the Missouri Valley and the Gateway during the 1985 season). School 1984 Conference 1985 Conference Eastern Illinois Mid-Continent Gateway Illinois State Missouri Valley Gateway+ Northern Iowa Mid-Continent Gateway Southern Illinois Missouri Valley Gateway+ Southwest Missouri State Mid-Continent Gateway Western Illinois Mid-Continent Gateway Conference standings Conference champions List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons Conference ChampionsBig Sky Conference – Idaho Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa Gulf Star Conference – Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State Ivy League – Penn Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Delaware State Ohio Valley Conference – Middle Tennessee State Southern Conference – Furman Paladins Southland Conference – Arkansas State Southwestern Athletic Conference –Grambling and Jackson State Yankee Conference – Rhode Island Postseason NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket The top four teams were seeded, and received first-round byes.https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31193180/furman_in_iaa_playoffs/ Furman in I-AA playoffs Abe Hardesty The Greenville News Greenville, South Carolina 1C November 25, 1985 May 3, 2019 newspapers.com First RoundNovember 30Campus sites QuarterfinalsDecember 7Campus sites SemifinalsDecember 14Campus sites National Championship GameDecember 21Neutral Site Georgia Southern 27 Jackson State 0 Idaho 38 Eastern Washington 42 Rhode Island 35 Akron 27 Arkansas State 10 Grambling State 7 (1) Middle Tennessee 21 Georgia Southern 28 (4) Northern Iowa 17 Eastern Washington 14 (3) Furman 59 Rhode Island 15 (2) Nevada 24 Arkansas State 23 Georgia Southern 40 (4) Northern Iowa 33 (3) Furman 35 (2) Nevada 12 Georgia Southern 44 (3) Furman 42 References