1986 Howard Bison football team

The 1986 Howard Bison football team represented Howard University as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1986 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by third-year head coach Willie Jeffries, the Bison compiled an overall record of 8–3, with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, and finished tied for second in the MEAC.

1986 Howard Bison football
Conference	Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Record	8–3 (3–2 MEAC)
Head coach	Willie Jeffries (3rd season)
Home stadium	William H. Greene Stadium

1986 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 20 North Carolina A&T $^	4	–	1	–	0			9	–	3	–	0
Howard	3	–	2	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Delaware State	3	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
South Carolina State	3	–	2	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Bethune–Cookman	2	–	3	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Morgan State	0	–	5	–	0			1	–	9	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 6	Maine*	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC	L 22–38	8,000
September 13	at Hampton*	Armstrong Stadium Hampton, VA (rivalry)	W 21–7
September 20	Bethune–Cookman	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC	L 6–30	1,000
September 27	at South Carolina State	Oliver C. Dawson Stadium Orangeburg, SC	L 23–44	7,415
October 11	Winston-Salem State*	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC	W 36–7
October 18	at Virginia State*	Rogers Stadium Ettrick, VA	W 28–13	16,000
October 25	No. 14 North Carolina A&T	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC	W 42–10	12,563
November 1	at Norfolk State*	Foreman Field Norfolk, VA	W 38–13
November 8	at Morehouse*	B. T. Harvey Stadium Atlanta, GA	W 49–14	10,000
November 15	Morgan State	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC (rivalry)	W 60–6	8,114
November 22	Delaware State	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, DC	W 27–18
*Non-conference game Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game