| 1980 NCAA Division I-AA season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Regular season | |
| Number of teams | 45 |
| Duration | August–November |
| Playoff | |
| Duration | December 13–December 20 |
| Championship date | December 20, 1980 |
| Championship site | Hughes Stadium, Sacramento, California |
| Champion | Boise State |
| NCAA Division I-AA football seasons | |
«1979 1981» | |
The 1980 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. The third season of I-AA football began in August 1980 and four teams were selected for the postseason, with the national semifinals played on December 13. The 1980 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was the Camellia Bowl played on December 20 at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, California.[1][2]
In a game with multiple lead changes, the Boise State Broncos won their first (and only) I-AA championship, defeating the defending national champion Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 31−29.[3] With less than a minute to play, the Broncos drove eighty yards for the winning touchdown, a 14-yard pass from quarterback Joe Aliotti to tight end Duane Dlouhy with twelve seconds remaining.[4]
- ^ "Boise State moves into I-AA finals". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. December 14, 1980. p. 7B.
- ^ "Camellia: Who vs. who?". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 20, 1980. p. 24.
- ^ "1980 NCAA Division I Football Championship" (PDF). NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ^ "Broncos squeak by Colonels, take title". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 21, 1980. p. B2.