1986 Southwest Missouri State Bears football team

1986 Southwest Missouri State Bears football
ConferenceGateway Collegiate Athletic Conference
Record3–7 (1–5 GCAC)
Head coach
Captains
  • David Heim
  • Chris Tayrian
Home stadiumBriggs Stadium
1986 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Eastern Illinois $^ 5 1 0 11 2 0
No. 17 Southern Illinois 4 2 0 7 4 0
Northern Iowa 4 2 0 7 3 1
Illinois State 3 3 0 5 5 0
Western Illinois 2 4 0 6 5 0
SW Missouri State 1 5 0 3 7 0
Indiana State 1 5 0 3 8 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

The 1986 Southwest Missouri State Bears football team represented Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State University) as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Jesse Branch, the Bears compiled an overall record of 3–7, with a mark of 1–5 in conference play, and finished tied for sixth in the GCAC.