It was a slow season in terms of movement with only a few changes.
1991 I-AA (FCS) Over I-A (FBS) Victories (8)
- Louisiana-Monroe @ Louisiana, 21-10
- UNLV @ Nevada, 50-8
- Long Beach State @ Boise State, 48-14
- Illinois State @ Akron, 25-3
- William & Mary @ Navy, 26-21
- Appalachian State @ Army, 20-14
- The Citadel @ Army, 20-14
- Delaware @ Navy, 29-25
There were no ties between I-A and I-AA teams in the 1991 season.
Playoff Bracket, Notes, and National Champion
The I-AA Playoffs continued along with the same format for the sixth straight season. 16 teams, the top four teams were seeded, and campus sites were used through the semifinals. The title game was played on December 21 at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia for the third consecutive season (and final time to date).
The home team is listed on the bottom of each matchup in the bracket below while an asterisk (*) denotes the number of overtime periods played if a game went to overtime. Jim Tressel and the Youngstown State Penguins (12-3 Overall as I-AA Independent) began their ’90s dominance with their first title when they defeated Marshall (11-4 Overall, 5-2 Southern Conference) 25-17 in the championship game.
Conference Changes
There were no conference changes for the 1991 I-AA season.
Team Changes
Southeast Missouri State joined the I-AA level and moved to the Ohio Valley Conference. Nicholls left I-AA independent status to join the Southland Conference. Hofstra and Tennessee-Martin moved up from Division III and Division II independent status, respectively, and became I-AA independents.
Hofstra moved up to the I-AA level from Division III, but the NCAA Handbook did not recognize its move until 1993. Tennessee-Martin was not listed as I-AA until 1992, but they played a mixed schedule in 1991. We include both teams, but it is a moot point as neither team faced any I-A/FBS opponents in 1991 or 1992.
Troy began their transition from the Division II Gulf South Conference to I-AA as they faced 8 I-AA opponents in 1991. The NCAA had them starting as an I-AA school in 1993, however, we opted to include them as an I-AA team due to the transition.
| Team | Old Conference | New Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Hofstra | Division III Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Nicholls | I-AA Independent | Southland (I-AA) |
| Southeast Missouri State | MIAA (Division II) | Ohio Valley (I-AA) |
| Tennessee Martin | Division II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| Troy | Gulf South (Division II) | I-AA Independent |
1990 Season ———————————————————————————————————————————————————- 1992 Season