2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season


The 2005 NCAA Division I-AA football season, the 2005 season of college football for teams in Division I-AA, began on September 1, 2005, and concluded on December 16, 2005. In the 2005 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game, played in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the Appalachian State Mountaineers defeated the Northern Iowa Panthers.

Rule changes for 2005

There are several rules that have changed for the 2005 season. Following are some highlights:

I-AA team wins over I-A teams

Conference champions

Automatic berths

Invitation

Abstains

Postseason

NCAA I-AA Playoff bracket

* Host institution

[SWAC Championship Game]

DateLocationVenueWest Div. ChampionEast Div. ChampionResult
December 10Birmingham, AlabamaLegion FieldGrambling StateAlabama A&MGrambling State, 45–6

Final poll standings

Standings are from The Sports Network final 2005 poll.
RankTeamRecord
1Appalachian State Mountaineers12–3
2Northern Iowa Panthers11–4
3Furman Paladins11–3
4Texas State Bobcats11–3
5New Hampshire Wildcats11–2
6Cal Poly Mustangs9–4
7Southern Illinois Salukis9–4
8Richmond Spiders9–4
9Georgia Southern Eagles8–4
10Hampton Pirates11–1
11Grambling State Tigers11–1
12Montana Grizzlies8–4
13Eastern Washington Eagles7–5
14Youngstown State Penguins8–3
15Brown Bears9–1
16Eastern Illinois Panthers9–3
17Nicholls State Colonels6–4
18Montana State Bobcats7–4
19Massachusetts Minutemen7–4
20South Carolina State Bulldogs9–2
21Lafayette Leopards8–4
22Illinois State Redbirds7–4
23Colgate Raiders8–4
24Coastal Carolina Chanticleers9–2
25James Madison Dukes7–4