| Year: | 1986 |
| Team: | Northwestern Wildcats |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Big Ten Conference |
| Short Conf: | Big Ten |
| Record: | 4–7 |
| Conf Record: | 2–6 |
| Head Coach: | Francis Peay |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Bob Junko |
| Dc Year: | 1st |
| Captain: | Game captains[1] |
| Stadium: | Dyche Stadium |
The 1986 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first year under head coach Francis Peay, the Wildcats compiled a 4–7 record (2–6 against Big Ten Conference opponents) and finished in eighth place in the Big Ten Conference.[2]
The team's offensive leaders were quarterback Mike Greenfield with 1,653 passing yards, Stanley Davenport with 703 rushing yards, and Curtis Duncan with 437 receiving yards.[3] Kicker John Duvic was selected as a first-team All-Big Ten player by the Associated Press,[4] while tight end Rich Borresen received first-team All-Big Ten honors from the UPI.[5]