1986 playoffs

Champion

ND North Dakota State beat UO South Dakota 27-7 in Florence, Alabama.

Championship 1

• ND North Dakota State 27
  UO South Dakota 7

Semifinals 2

• ND North Dakota State 35
  CS Central State 12
• UO South Dakota 42
  TU Troy 28

First round 4

• CS Central State 31
  TU Towson 0
• ND North Dakota State 50
  AU Ashland 0
• TU Troy 31
  VU Virginia Union 7
• UO South Dakota 26
  UD UC Davis 23

The field 8 teams

School	Finish
ND North Dakota State	Won the championship
UO South Dakota	Lost in the championship
CS Central State	Lost in the semifinals
TU Troy	Lost in the semifinals
AU Ashland	Lost in the first round
TU Towson	Lost in the first round
UD UC Davis	Lost in the first round
VU Virginia Union	Lost in the first round

Source: NCAA Division II championship records (D2champs.pdf), through 2025. Loaded Sep 25, 5:21 PM CT. Checked for a newer edition Oct 27, 7:15 AM CT.