| Year: | 1983 |
| Team: | Idaho State Bengals |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Sky Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Sky |
| Record: | 8–4 |
| Conf Record: | 5–2 |
| Head Coach: | Jim Koetter |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Stadium: | ASISU Minidome |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA First Round |
| Bowl Result: | L 20–27 vs. Nevada |
The 1983 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University as member of the Big Sky Conference during the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Bengals were led by first-year head coach Jim Koetter and played home games at the ASISU MiniDome (now Holt Arena), an indoor venue on campus in Pocatello, Idaho.
After a disappointing season as defending national champions in 1982, the Bengals regrouped and went 8–3 overall in the regular season (5–2 in Big Sky, second). Led by senior quarterback Paul Peterson, Idaho State hosted the first round of the 12-team I-AA playoffs,[1] [2] but lost to conference champion Nevada by seven points and finished
Koetter was promoted to head coach in early June after Dave Kragthorpe left to become athletic director at his alma mater, Utah State in Logan.[3] [4] [5] [6] Later that month, quarterback Peterson had knee surgery.[7]