1981 NCAA Division I-AA football season

American college football season August 2023 December 2025 1981 File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg 51http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/standings.php?season=1981&class=FCS Standings for the 1981 FCS Season February 25, 2025 September 5–November 28, 1981http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1981&att=FCS 1981 (Admin) 2025-02-25 December 5–December 19, 1981http://cfbscores.infinityfreeapp.com/file.php?season=1981&att=FCS 1981 (Admin) 2025-02-25 December 19, 1981 Memorial StadiumWichita Falls, Texas Idaho State The 1981 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, began in August 1981 and concluded with the 1981 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game in the Pioneer Bowl on December 19, at Memorial Stadium in Wichita Falls, Texas. The Idaho State Bengals won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 34−23.1981 NCAA Division I Football Championship http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf NCAA.org December 29, 2013 14https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EPVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WuIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4961%2C5321360 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press Bengals win I-AA crown December 20, 1981 6Dhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HMxeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4991%2C1997189 Lewiston Morning Tribune Idaho Associated Press Bengals ride like the wind December 20, 1981 2D Conference changes and new programs Prior to the 1981 season, the Mid-Continent Conference reclassified from Division II to Division I-AA with its four members, Eastern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, and Southwest Missouri State (now Missouri State). Northern Michigan and Youngstown State, which had been members of the Mid-Continent in the 1980 season, departed the league before the shift; Northern Michigan remained in Division II, and Youngstown State transitioned to I-AA as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. School 1980 Conference 1981 Conference Eastern Illinois Mid-Continent (D-II) Mid-Continent (I-AA) Northern Iowa Mid-Continent (D-II) Mid-Continent (I-AA) Portland State I-AA Independent D-II Independent Southwest Missouri State Mid-Continent (D-II) Mid-Continent (I-AA) Tennessee State I-A Independent I-AA Independent Western Illinois Mid-Continent (D-II) Mid-Continent (I-AA) Youngstown State Mid-Continent (D-II) Ohio Valley (I-AA) Conference standings Conference champions List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons Conference championsBig Sky Conference – Idaho State Mid-Continent Conference – Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – South Carolina State Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Massachusetts and Rhode Island Postseason After holding four-team playoffs after the first three I-AA seasons, the NCAA increased the bracket size to eight this postseason. It grew to twelve in 1982 and sixteen in 1986. The eight-team field was determined via automatic bids to five conference champions (Idaho State, South Carolina State, Eastern Kentucky, Jackson State, and Rhode Island), a bid to the top-ranked independent team (Tennessee State), and two at-large bids (Boise State and Delaware).https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28229079/meac_gets_berth_in_iaa_football/ MEAC gets berth in I-AA football playoffs Barry Cooper Tallahassee Democrat 23 May 1, 1981 February 9, 2019 newspapers.com NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket First RoundDecember 5Campus sites SemifinalsDecember 12Campus sites National Championship GamePioneer BowlDecember 19 Memorial Stadium—Wichita Falls, TX  7 Delaware 28 1 Eastern Kentucky* 35 4 Boise State 19 5 Jackson State* 7 8 Rhode Island 0 2 Idaho State* 51 6 Tennessee State 25 3 South Carolina State* 26* 1 Eastern Kentucky 23 4 Boise State* 17 2 Idaho State* 41 3 South Carolina State 12 1 Eastern Kentucky 23 2 Idaho State 34 * Next to team name denotes host institution * Next to score denotes overtime Source:https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28228318/ncaa_sets_playoffs_for_iaa_teams/ NCAA sets playoffs for I-AA teams UPI Fort Lauderdale News Fort Lauderdale, Florida 29 November 29, 1981 February 9, 2019 newspapers.com References