The game was also known as the Pioneer Bowl,[4] a name that had been used starting in 1971 for various NCAA playoff games held in Wichita Falls. The Colonels were making their third consecutive appearance in the I-AA championship game.
Teams
The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1981 I-AA Playoffs, which began with an eight-team bracket.[5]
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky finished their regular season with a 10–1 record (8–0 in conference); their only loss was to Navy of Division I-A.[6] Ranked first in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[7] and seeded first in the tournament, the Colonels defeated seventh-seed Delaware and fourth-seed Boise State to reach the final. This was the third appearance for Eastern Kentucky in a Division I-AA championship game, having won in 1979 and having lost in 1980.
Idaho State Bengals
Idaho State finished their regular season with a 9–1 record (6–1 in conference); their only loss was an away game at Montana.[8] Ranked second in the final NCAA I-AA in-house poll[7] and seeded second in the tournament, the Bengals defeated eighth-seed Rhode Island and third-seed South Carolina State to reach the final. This was the first appearance for Idaho State in a Division I-AA championship game.
^ abcStroop, Joe (December 20, 1981). "Idaho State wins I-AA football title". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. AP. p. D11. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^"Highlights from the 1981 1-AA National Championship Team---the ISU Bengals". Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via YouTube.
^"Idaho State Takes Title, 34-23". The New York Times. AP. December 20, 1981. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via nytimes.com.
^"Pioneer Bowl Comeback Today". Rutland Daily Herald. Rutland, Vermont. December 19, 1981. p. 24. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^Cooper, Barry (May 1, 1981). "MEAC gets berth in I-AA football playoffs". Tallahassee Democrat. p. 23. Retrieved February 9, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^"Eastern Kentucky Colonels 1981 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
^"Idaho State Bengals 1981 Schedule". cfbinfo.com. Archived from the original on May 11, 2019. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
^Sutton, Stan (December 20, 1981). "Eastern's mistakes lead to 34-23 loss in I-AA title game". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. C 1. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^Sutton, Stan (December 20, 1981). "Eastern's mistakes lead to 34-23 loss in I-AA title game (cont'd)". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. p. C 4. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^"Pioneer Bowl". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. December 20, 1981. p. 8C. Retrieved May 11, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
Further reading
"1981 National Champions". isubengals.com. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
Glorfield, Chase (September 29, 2011). "Remembering the 1981 National Championship". Idaho State Journal. Pocatello, Idaho. Retrieved May 11, 2019.
External links
Highlights from the 1981 1-AA National Championship Team—the ISU Bengals via YouTube
EKU vs Idaho State - 1981 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 via YouTube