1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game

This article is about the Division I-AA (now FCS) championship game. For the Division I-A (now FBS) champions, see 1986 Penn State Nittany Lions football team.

1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
I-AA National Championship Game
Diamond Bowl II
Georgia Southern Eagles Arkansas State Indians
(12–2) (12–1–1)
Independent Southland
48 21
Head coach: 
Erk Russell		 Head coach: 
Larry Lacewell
NCAASeed
44
NCAASeed
22
1234 Total
Georgia Southern 1016157 48
Arkansas State 7086 21
DateDecember 19, 1986
Season1986
StadiumTacoma Dome
LocationTacoma, Washington
RefereeGary Peters[1]
Attendance4,419[1]
United States TV coverage
NetworkESPN[2]
AnnouncersTim Brando and Kevin Kiley
NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship
 < 1985 1987 > 

The 1986 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game was a postseason college football game between the Arkansas State Indians (now the Arkansas State Red Wolves) and the Georgia Southern Eagles. The game was played on December 19, 1986, at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.[1] The culminating game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 48–21.[3] Georgia Southern, the defending champion from 1985, became the first program to win consecutive Division I-AA titles.

Contemporary news reports also referred to this game as Diamond Bowl II,[4] as the NCAA had introduced Diamond Bowl branding for the Division I-AA championship game in 1985.[5] The on-field logo at midfield included "1986 Diamond Bowl" wording.[6] NCAA records list the game date as Saturday, December 20, 1986;[7] however, contemporary news reports are clear that the game was played on the evening of Friday, December 19, 1986.[4][3]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference NCAAbox was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Quarterbacks duel in Division I-AA title game". The San Bernardino Sun. San Bernardino, California. AP. December 19, 1986. p. C2. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b "Georgia Southern wins I-AA football crown". Reno Gazette-Journal. Reno, Nevada. December 20, 1986. p. 1B. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Georgia Southern goes for 2nd-straight title". The News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. AP. December 19, 1986. p. 5C. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "I-AA championship moved to Tacoma". Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. AP. January 5, 1985. p. 2-C. Retrieved May 1, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "1986 I-AA National Championship - Georgia Southern vs Arkansas State". Lewis Sports Network. August 7, 2013. Retrieved May 2, 2019 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "1986 NCAA Division I Football Championship" (PDF). NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved December 29, 2013.