| Year Game Played: | 1986 |
| Game Name: | NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship |
| Subheader: | I-AA National Championship Game Diamond Bowl II |
| Visitor Name Short: | Georgia Southern |
| Visitor Nickname: | Eagles |
| Home Nickname: | Indians |
| Visitor School: | Georgia Southern College |
| Home Name Short: | Arkansas State |
| Football Season: | 1986 |
| Home School: | Arkansas State University |
| Visitor Record: | 12–2 |
| Home Record: | 12–1–1 |
| Visitor Conference: | Independent |
| Home Conference: | Southland |
| Visitor 1Q: | 10 |
| Home 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 16 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 15 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 7 |
| Home 2Q: | 0 |
| Home 3Q: | 8 |
| Home 4Q: | 6 |
| Visitor Coach: | Erk Russell |
| Home Coach: | Larry Lacewell |
| Visitor Rank Ncaa: | 4 |
| Visitor Seed: | 4 |
| Home Rank Ncaa: | 2 |
| Home Seed: | 2 |
| Date Game Played: | December 19 |
| Stadium: | Tacoma Dome |
| City: | Tacoma, Washington |
| Referee: | Gary Peters |
| Attendance: | 4,419 |
| Us Network: | ESPN[1] |
| Us Announcers: | Tim Brando and Kevin Kiley |
| Different Previous: | 1985 |
| Different Next: | 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. The culminating game of the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season, it was won by Georgia Southern, 48–21. 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, as the NCAA had introduced Diamond Bowl branding for the Division I-AA championship game in 1985.[2] The on-field logo at midfield included "1986 Diamond Bowl" wording.[3] NCAA records list the game date as Saturday, December 20, 1986;[4] however, contemporary news reports are clear that the game was played on the evening of Friday, December 19, 1986.[5] [6]
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1986 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.[7]
See main article: 1986 Georgia Southern Eagles football team. Georgia Southern finished their regular season with a 9–2 record; they played two Division I-A programs, losing to both Florida and East Carolina.[8] Ranked fourth in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[9] and seeded fourth in the tournament, the Eagles defeated North Carolina A&T, Nicholls State, and top-seed Nevada to reach the final. This was the second appearance for Georgia Southern in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1985.
See also: 1986 Arkansas State Indians football team. Arkansas State finished their regular season with a 9–1–1 record (5–0 in conference); they played three games against Division I-A programs, resulting in one win (Memphis), one loss (Mississippi State), and a tie (Ole Miss).[10] Ranked second in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[9] and seeded second in the tournament, the Indians defeated Sam Houston State, Delaware, and Eastern Kentucky to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Arkansas State in a Division I-AA championship game.