The 1986 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen as All-Big Ten Conference players for the 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season.
Three players were unanimously chosen as first-team players by the Associated Press media panel: quarterback Jim Harbaugh, receiver Cris Carter, and linebacker Chris Spielman.
Conference co-champions Michigan and Ohio State led the conference with seven first-team players each. Michigan's first-team selections included Harbaugh, Jumbo Elliott, Mark Messner and Andy Moeller. Ohio State's first-team selections included unanimous choices Carter and Spielman. Iowa followed with four first-team honorees, including running back Rick Bayless.
Jim Harbaugh, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)Jim Karsatos, Ohio State (AP-2)Darrell Thompson, Minnesota (AP-1; UPI-1)Rick Bayless, Iowa (AP-1)Jamie Morris, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)Larry Emery, Wisconsin (AP-2)Bob Maggs, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)Ray Hitchcock, Minnesota (AP-2)Mark Hammerstein, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)Jeff Uhlenhake, Ohio State (AP-1)Bob Kratch, Iowa (UPI-1)Troy Wolcrow, Minnesota (AP-2)Scott Kehoe, Illinois (AP-2)Dave Croston, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1)Jumbo Elliott, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)Jim Hobbins, Minnesota (AP-2)Bob Riley, Indiana (AP-2)Ed Taggert, Ohio State (AP-1)Rich Borresen, Northwestern (AP-2; UPI-1)Cris Carter, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)Andre Rison, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1)Mark Ingram, Sr., Michigan State (AP-2)Stephen Pierce, Illinois (AP-2)Jeff Drost, Iowa (AP-1; UPI-1)Eric Kumerow, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)Van Waiters, Indiana (AP-1; UPI-1)Dave Haight, Iowa (AP-1)Mark Messner, Michigan (AP-1)Bob Dirkes, Northwestern (AP-2)John Budde, Michigan State (AP-2)Kevin Holley, Purdue (AP-2)Mark Nichols, Michigan State (AP-2)Darryl Lee, Ohio State (AP-2)Andy Moeller, Michigan (AP-1; UPI-1)Chris Spielman, Ohio State (AP-1; UPI-1)Shane Bullough, Michigan State (AP-2; UPI-1)Bruce Holmes, Minnesota (AP-2; UPI-1)Michael Reid, Wisconsin (AP-1)Fred Strickland, Purdue (AP-2)Nate Odomes, Wisconsin (AP-1; UPI-1)Rod Woodson, Purdue (AP-1; UPI-1)Garland Rivers, Michigan (AP-2; UPI-1)Sonny Gordon, Ohio State (AP-1)Leonard Bell, Indiana (AP-2)Alex Green, Indiana (AP-2)John Duvic, Northwestern (AP-1)Chip Lohmiller, Minnesota (UPI-1)Rob Houghtlin, Iowa (AP-2)Greg Montgomery, Michigan State (AP-1; UPI-1)Tom Tupa, Ohio State (AP-2)AP = Associated Press, selected by a panel of 17 sports writers and broadcasters covering the Big Ten
UPI = United Press International, selected by the conference coaches
Bold = Consensus first-team selection of both the AP and UPI
