The final season of the 1980s saw a recurring theme: change with teams entering and leaving the subdivision.
1989 I-AA (FCS) Over I-A (FBS) Victories (13)
- Appalachian State @ Wake Forest, 15-10
- Arkansas State @ Memphis, 17-13
- Lamar @ UTEP, 21-19
- Northern Iowa @ Kansas State, 10-8
- The Citadel @ Navy, 14-10
- Akron @ Youngstown State, 20-17
- Akron @ Eastern Illinois, 21-17
- Liberty @ Eastern Michigan, 25-24
- Youngstown State @ Central Michigan, 30-3
- James Madison @ Navy, 24-20
- Morehead State @ Cincinnati, 13-10
- UNLV @ Nevada, 45-7
- Navy @ Delaware, 10-9
There was one tie between I-A and I-AA teams in 1989:
- Akron @ Murray State, 31-31
Playoff Bracket, Notes, and National Champion
For the fourth consecutive season, the I-AA Playoff format remained unchanged with a field of 16, the top four teams being seeded, and campus sites used through the semifinal round. The title game was played on December 16 at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia for the first time.
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. Georgia Southern (15-0 Overall as I-AA Independent) ended the decade with their 3rd I-AA/FCS title. It was their third national title win and fourth title game appearance in five seasons. They defeated Stephen F. Austin (12-2-1 Overall, 5-0-1 Southland Conference) in a 37-34 contest.
Conference Changes
There were no conference changes at the I-AA level in 1989.
Team Changes
Louisiana Tech left I-AA to become I-A independent status while three other teams made the move to I-AA independent status. Davidson left the Colonial (now Patriot League), Fordham moved up from the Division III Liberty Conference, and Samford went from being a Division III independent to the same at the I-AA level.
| Team | Old Conference | New Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Davidson | Colonial League (I-AA) | I-AA Independent |
| Fordham | Liberty Conference (Division III) | I-AA Independent |
| Louisiana Tech | I-AA Independent | I-A Independent |
| Samford | Division III Independent | I-AA Independent |
1988 Season ———————————————————————————————————————————————————- 1990 Season