The participants of the Championship Game were the finalists of the 1999 I-AA Playoffs, which began with a 16-team bracket.[4]
Youngstown State Penguins
Youngstown State finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (5–1 in conference); one of their losses had been to Western Michigan of Division I-A.[5] Seeded ninth in the playoffs, the Penguins defeated eight-seed Montana, 16-seed North Carolina A&T, and 13-seed Florida A&M to reach the final. This was the sixth appearance for Youngstown State in a Division I-AA championship game, having won four titles (1991, 1993, 1994, and 1997) against one loss (1992).
Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern finished their regular season with a 9–2 record (7–1 in conference); one of their losses had been to Oregon State of Division I-A. The Eagles, seeded second, defeated 15-seed Northern Arizona, 10-seed UMass, and sixth-seed Illinois State to reach the final. This was the seventh appearance for Georgia Southern in a Division I-AA championship game, having four prior wins (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990) and two prior losses (1988, 1998).
^ ab"1999 I-AA National Championship - Georgia Southern vs Youngstown State". August 21, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2019 – via YouTube.
^ ab"Division I-AA Championship". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. December 19, 1999. p. E9. Retrieved February 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.
^Walker, Teresa M. (December 19, 1999). "Eagles win one for the thumb". The Anniston Star. Anniston, Alabama. AP. Retrieved February 16, 2019 – via newspapers.com.