1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season

1991 NCAA Division I-AA season
Duration	August – November 1991
Playoff
Duration	November 30 – December 21, 1991
Championship site	Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, GA
Champion	Youngstown State Penguins
Payton Award	Jamie Martin – QB (Weber State)
Division I-AA football season
«1990 1992»

The 1991 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, began in August 1991, and concluded with the National Championship Game of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on December 21, 1991, at Paulson Stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. The Youngstown State Penguins won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd by a final score of 25−17.

Notable changes

Conference changes

School	1990 Conference	1991 Conference
Southeast Missouri State	MIAA (D-II)	Ohio Valley (I-AA)

Conference standings

Template:1991 Big Sky football standings	Template:1991 Ivy League football standings	Template:1991 Gateway football standings
Template:1991 MEAC football standings	1991 Ohio Valley football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #2 Eastern Kentucky $^ 7 – 0 – 0     12 – 2 – 0 #9 Middle Tennessee State ^ 6 – 1 – 0     9 – 4 – 0 Austin Peay 3 – 4 – 0     5 – 6 – 0 Morehead State 3 – 4 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Southeast Missouri State 3 – 4 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Tennessee State 2 – 5 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Tennessee Tech 2 – 5 – 0     2 – 9 – 0 Murray State 1 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll	Template:1991 Patriot League football standings
1991 Southern Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team   W   L         W   L   Appalachian State $^   6 – 1         8 – 4   Marshall ^   5 – 2         11 – 4   The Citadel   5 – 2         7 – 4   Furman   4 – 3         7 – 4   Chattanooga   4 – 3         7 – 4   VMI   2 – 5         4 – 7   Western Carolina   2 – 5         2 – 9   East Tennessee State   0 – 7         1 – 10   $ – Conference champion ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant	1991 Southland Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #19 McNeese State $^ 4 – 1 – 2     6 – 4 – 2 #12 Sam Houston State ^ 5 – 2 – 0     8 – 3 – 1 #18 Northeast Louisiana 4 – 2 – 1     7 – 3 – 1 Southwest Texas State 4 – 3 – 0     7 – 4 – 0 Northwestern State 4 – 3 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 Nicholls State 2 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 North Texas 2 – 5 – 0     3 – 7 – 1 Stephen F. Austin 1 – 5 – 1     2 – 8 – 1 $ – Conference champion ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant Ranking is from the Sports Network Poll	Template:1991 SWAC football standings
1991 Yankee Conference football standings Conf     Overall Team W   L   T     W   L   T #6 Delaware +^ 7 – 1 – 0     10 – 2 – 0 #7 Villanova +^ 7 – 1 – 0     10 – 2 – 0 #17 New Hampshire +^ 7 – 1 – 0     9 – 3 – 0 Rhode Island 3 – 5 – 0     6 – 5 – 0 UMass 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Boston University 3 – 5 – 0     4 – 7 – 0 Maine 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Connecticut 2 – 6 – 0     3 – 8 – 0 Richmond 2 – 6 – 0     2 – 9 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA I-AA Poll	Template:1991 Division I-AA independent football standings

Conference champions

See also: List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons

Conference Champions

Big Sky Conference – Nevada Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Dartmouth Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – North Carolina A&T Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Patriot League – Holy Cross Southern Conference – Appalachian State Southland Conference – McNeese State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Alabama State Yankee Conference – Delaware, New Hampshire, and Villanova

Postseason

NCAA Division I-AA Playoff bracket

	First Round November 30 Campus Sites				Quarterfinals December 7 Campus Sites				Semifinals December 14 Campus Sites				National Championship Game December 21 Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA
	McNeese State	16
	Nevada*	22
					Nevada*	28
					Youngstown State	30
	Villanova	16
	Youngstown State*	17
									Youngstown State*	10
									Samford	0
	James Madison	42**
	Delaware*	38
					James Madison*	21
					Samford	24
	Samford	29
	New Hampshire*	13
													Youngstown State	25
													Marshall	17
	Appalachian State	3
	Eastern Kentucky*	14
					Eastern Kentucky*	23
					Middle Tennessee State	13
	Sam Houston State	19
	Middle Tennessee State*	20*
									Eastern Kentucky	7
									Marshall*	14
	Weber State	21
	Northern Iowa*	38
					Northern Iowa	13
					Marshall*	41
	Western Illinois	17
	Marshall*	20*

* Next to team name denotes host institution

* Next to score denotes host overtime period