1986 Carson–Newman Eagles football team

1986 Carson–Newman Eagles football
NAIA Division I national co-champion
SAC champion
Champion Bowl, W 17–0 vs. Cameron
ConferenceSouth Atlantic Conference
Record12–1 (6–1 SAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumBurke–Tarr Stadium
1986 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L TW L T
No. 2 Carson–Newman $^ 6 1 012 1 0
No. 12 Elon 5 2 08 2 0
No. 15 Mars Hill 4 3 07 3 1
Gardner–Webb 4 3 06 5 0
Catawba 3 4 05 6 0
Presbyterian 3 4 05 6 0
Newberry 2 5 04 7 0
Lenoir–Rhyne 1 6 04 7 0
  • $ Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1986 Carson–Newman Eagles football team was an American football team that represented Carson–Newman College (renamed Carson–Newman University in 2012) as a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) during the 1986 NAIA Division I football season. In its seventh year under head coach Ken Sparks, the team compiled a 12–1 record (6–1 against conference opponents), won the SAC championship, and defeated Cameron in the Champion Bowl to win the NAIA national championship.

It was the third of five national championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, and 1989) won by Carson–Newman during the 1980s.