The 1986 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1986 season.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
(#–#)
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Win–loss record | |
(Italics)
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Number of first place votes | |
т
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Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
| Week 1 Sept 17[1] | Week 2 Sept 24[2] | Week 3 Oct 1[3] | Week 4 Oct 8[4] | Week 5 Oct 15[5] | Week 6 Oct 22[6] | Week 7 Oct 29[7] | Week 8 Nov 5[8] | Week 9 Nov 12[9] | Week 10 Nov 19[10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | North Dakota State (1–0) (3) | North Dakota State (2–0) (4) | North Dakota State (3–0) (4) | North Dakota State (4–0) (4) | North Dakota State (5–0) (4) | North Dakota State (6–0) | North Dakota State (7–0) (4) | North Dakota State (8–0) (4) | North Dakota State (9–0) (4) | North Dakota State (10–0) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Texas A&I (2–0) (1) | Texas A&I (3–0) | Texas A&I (3–0) | Texas A&I (4–0) | Texas A&I (5–0) | Texas A&I (6–0) | Texas A&I (6–0) | UC Davis (7–0) | UC Davis (8–0) | UC Davis (9–0) | 2. |
| 3. | Towson State (2–0) | Towson State (2–0) | Towson State (3–0) | UC Davis (3–0) | UC Davis (4–0) | UC Davis (5–0) | UC Davis (7–0) | Central State (OH) (8–0) | Troy State (8–1) | Troy State (9–1) | 3. |
| 4. | UC Davis (0–0) [note 1] | UC Davis (1–0) | UC Davis (2–0) | Towson State (4–0) | Towson State (5–0) | Towson State (6–0) | Central State (OH) (6–1) | Troy State (7–1) | Central State (OH) (8–0–1) | Central State (OH) (9–0–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Mississippi College (1–1) | Mississippi College (2–1) | Central State (OH) (3–0) т | Central State (OH) (4–0) | Central State (OH) (5–0) | Central State (OH) (6–0) | Troy State (6–1) | Texas A&I (7–1) т | Virginia Union (9–0) | Virginia Union (10–0) | 5. |
| 6. | Central State (OH) (1–0) | Central State (OH) (2–0) | Mississippi College (3–1) т | Mississippi College (4–1) | Mississippi College (5–1) | Troy State (5–1) | Towson State (8–0) | Virginia Union (9–0) т | Millersville (9–0) | South Dakota (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Grand Valley State (1–0) | Albany State (2–0) т | Albany State (3–0) | Albany State (4–0) | Albany State (5–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–0–1) | Virginia Union (6–1) т | West Chester (7–1) | Abilene Christian (7–1) | Towson State (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Albany State (1–0) | Grand Valley State (2–0) т | Grand Valley State (3–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | West Chester (5–1) | West Chester (7–0) т | Millersville (8–0) т | South Dakota (8–2) | Texas A&I (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Bloomsburg (1–0) | Bloomsburg (2–0) | New Haven (3–0) | New Haven (4–0) | New Haven (5–0) | Virginia Union (7–0) | Millersville (6–1) | Cal State Northridge (7–1) т | IUP (8–1) | Cal State Northridge (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Santa Clara (1–0) | Norfolk State (3–0) | Troy State (2–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (5–0) | Troy State (4–1) | Millersville (6–0) | Cal State Northridge (7–1) | Abilene Christian (6–1) т | Ashland (9–1) | Abilene Christian (7–2) т | 10. |
| 11. | Clarion (1–0) | New Haven (2–0) т | Minnesota–Duluth (4–0) | Troy State (3–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (5–0–1) | Grand Valley State (6–1) | Ashland (5–1) | Ashland (8–1) т | Texas A&I (7–2) | West Chester (8–2) т | 11. |
| 12. | Norfolk State (2–0) | Troy State (1–0) т | Cal State Northridge (3–0) | West Chester (3–1) | West Chester (4–1) | Cal State Northridge (5–1) | Abilene Christian (6–1) | IUP (7–1) т | Albany State (8–1) | Ashland (9–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Troy State (1–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (3–0) | North Alabama (2–1) | Eastern New Mexico (5–0) | Millersville (5–0) | Ashland (6–1) | IUP (6–2) т | South Dakota (7–2) т | Towson State (7–2) | Valdosta State (8–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Ashland (2–0) | Northeast Missouri State (2–1) | Eastern New Mexico (4–0) | Millersville (4–0) | Ashland (5–1) | Abilene Christian (4–1) | South Dakota (6–1) т | Albany State (7–1) | West Chester (7–2) | IUP (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | New Haven (1–0) т | Cal State Northridge (2–0) [note 3] | West Chester (2–1) | Southern Utah State (5–1) | Abilene Christian (4–1) | IUP (5–1) т | Albany State (6–2) | Mississippi College (7–2) | Cal State Northridge (7–2) | Fort Valley State (7–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Minnesota–Duluth (2–0) т | North Alabama (2–1) | Millersville (3–0) | Valdosta State (3–1) | Cal State Northridge (4–1) | South Dakota (5–2) т | Mississippi College (6–2) | Towson State (6–2) | Valdosta State (7–2) | Millersville (9–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Abilene Christian (2–0) | Millersville (2–0) | Virginia Union (4–0) | Ashland (4–1) | Fort Valley State (4–1) | Delta State (4–1–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–0–2) | Valdosta State (6–2) | Eastern New Mexico (8–2) | Grand Valley State (9–2) | 17. |
| 18. | UCF (2–0) | South Dakota (2–1) т | Ashland (3–1) | Virginia Union (5–0) | Virginia Union (6–0) | Albany State (5–1) | Central Missouri State (7–2) | Central Missouri State (8–2) | Fort Valley State (7–2) | Albany State (8–2) т | 18. |
| 19. | Cal State Hayward (1–0) т [note 2] | Virginia Union (3–0) т | Southern Utah State (4–1) | Cal State Northridge (3–1) | UCF (4–2) | Mississippi College (5–2) | Valdosta State (5–2) | Sacramento State (5–2–1) | Cal State Hayward (6–2) | Minnesota–Duluth (7–1–2) т | 19. |
| 20. | Valdosta State (1–0) т | Ferris State (2–1) | Valdosta State (2–1) | Abilene Christian (3–1) т | IUP (4–1) [note 4] | Cal State Hayward (5–1) | New Haven (6–1) | New Haven (7–1) | Grand Valley State (8–2) | New Haven (8–2) т | 20. |
| 21. | Fort Valley State (3–1) т | 21. | |||||||||
| Week 1 Sept 17[1] | Week 2 Sept 24[2] | Week 3 Oct 1[3] | Week 4 Oct 8[4] | Week 5 Oct 15[5] | Week 6 Oct 22[6] | Week 7 Oct 29[7] | Week 8 Nov 5[8] | Week 9 Nov 12[9] | Week 10 Nov 19[10] | ||
Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 13 North Alabama | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 17 Minnesota–Duluth | Dropped:
| Dropped:
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| Pre-divisional |
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| NCAA University Division |
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| NCAA Division I |
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| NCAA Division I-A/FBS |
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| NCAA Division I-AA/FCS |
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| Small college |
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| NCAA Division II |
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| NCAA Division III |
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| Polls |
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