| Competition: | 1. Liga |
| Season: | 1986–87 |
| Winners: | Group 1: FC Montreux-Sports Group 2: BSC Old Boys Group 3: FC Solothurn Group 4: FC Altstätten |
| Promoted: | FC Montreux-Sports Yverdon-Sport FC FC Solothurn FC Chur BSC Old Boys |
| Relegated: | Group 1: FC Saint-Jean GE FC Savièse Group 2: FC Lengnau FC Nordstern Basel Group 3: FC Ibach FC Langenthal Group 4: FC Gossau FC Rüti |
| Matches: | 4 times 182 and 1 decider plus 16 play-offs |
| Prevseason: | 1985–86 |
| Nextseason: | 1987–88 |
The 1986–87 Swiss 1. Liga was the 55th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga, divided into four regional groups, each with 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. Due to a modification in the Nationalliga B (second tier), an increase in the number of teams in the following season, there were to be four direct promotions from the 1. Liga. In the first stage of the play-offs, the four group winners contested a play-off final against one of the four runners-up for the four direct promotion slots. Then in the second stage, the four defeated teams would contest a play-off final against the four last placed teams teams from the Nationalliga B to decide the last four places in the second tier in the next year. At the other end of the league table the situation was much clearer, the two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier).
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Aigle[1] | Vaud | Les Glariers | ||
| FC Châtel-Saint-Denis[2] | Fribourg | Stade du Lussy - Châtel-St-Denis | ||
| FC Echallens | Vaud | Sportplatz 3 Sapins | ||
| Folgore Lausanne[3] | Vaud | Centre Sportif de la Tuilière | ||
| FC Fribourg | Fribourg | Stade Universitaire | ||
| Grand-Lancy FC | Geneva | Stade de Marignac | ||
| FC Leytron[4] | Valais | Stade Saint-Martin | ||
| FC Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | ||
| FC Montreux-Sports | Vaud | Stade de Chailly | ||
| FC Saint-Jean GE | Geneva | Centre sportif de Varembé[5] | ||
| FC Savièse[6] | Valais | Stade St-Germain | ||
| FC Stade Lausanne | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | ||
| FC Vernier[7] | Geneva | Stade municipal de Vernier | ||
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Vaud | Stade Municipal | ||
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC Baudepartement Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | |
| FC Breitenbach[8] | Solothurn | Grien | |
| FC Colombier | Neuchâtel | Stade des Chézards | |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | |
| FC Dürrenast[9] | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| FC Köniz[10] | Bern | Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut | |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | |
| FC Le Locle[11] | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | |
| FC Lengnau[12] | Bern | Moos Lengnau BE | |
| FC Moutier[13] | Bern | Stade de Chalière | |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | |
| BSC Old Boys | Basel-Stadt | Stadion Schützenmatte | |
| FC Thun | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Altdorf[14] | Uri | Gemeindesportplatz | |
| FC Ascona[15] | Ticino | Stadio Comunale Ascona | |
| SC Burgdorf[16] | canton of Bern | Stadion Neumatt | |
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | |
| FC Ibach | Schwyz | Gerbihof | |
| FC Klus-Balsthal |