1988 NAIA Division I football season

The 1988 NAIA Division I football season was the 33rd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 19th season of play of the NAIA's top division for football.

1988 NAIA Division I football season
Regular season	August–November 1988
Postseason	November 26–December 17, 1988
National Championship	Burke–Tarr Stadium Jefferson City, TN
Champions	Carson–Newman (4)
← 1987 NAIA Division I football season 1989 →

The season was played from August to November 1988 and culminated in the 1988 NAIA Champion Bowl playoffs and the 1988 NAIA Champion Bowl, played this year on December 17, 1988 at Burke–Tarr Stadium in Jefferson City, Tennessee, on the campus of Carson–Newman College.^[1]

Carson–Newman defeated Adams State in the Champion Bowl, 56–21, to win their fourth NAIA national title. It was the Eagles' third straight appearance in the Champion Bowl, going 1–1 in the previous two.^[2]

Conference standings

1988 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 No. 7 Arkansas–Monticello ^ 5 – 1 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 No. 17 Arkansas Tech 3 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 Henderson State 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Ouachita Baptist 2 – 3 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 Harding 1 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Southern Arkansas 1 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1988 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 2 Pittsburg State $^ 7 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0 No. 11 Emporia State ^ 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 No. 14 Washburn ^ 5 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 No. 24 Kearney State 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Fort Hays State 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 6 – 1 Missouri Western 2 – 5 – 0 5 – 6 – 0 Missouri Southern 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Wayne State (NE) 0 – 7 – 0 0 – 11 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1988 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 5 Hillsdale $^ 5 – 0 – 0 10 – 2 – 0 No. 19 Northern Michigan 4 – 1 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Grand Valley State 3 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 No. 25 Saginaw Valley State 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Ferris State 1 – 4 – 0 4 – 7 – 0 Wayne State (MI) 0 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Northern Michigan and NAIA Division I poll for Hillsdale and Saginaw Valley State
1988 Lone Star Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Texas A&I $^ 6 – 1 – 0 10 – 3 – 0 No. 15 East Texas State 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 3 – 0 Angelo State 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 No. 18 Cameron 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 3 – 1 Central State (OK) 4 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Abilene Christian 3 – 4 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 West Texas State 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 Eastern New Mexico 0 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll for Texas A&I and East Texas State and NAIA Division I poll for Cameron	1988 Northern Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 12 Moorhead State $^ 6 – 0 – 0 9 – 3 – 0 No. 15 Northern State ^ 5 – 1 – 0 8 – 4 – 0 Minnesota Duluth 4 – 2 – 0 7 – 4 – 0 Minnesota Morris 3 – 3 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Southwest State (MN) 2 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Winona State 1 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Bemidji State 0 – 6 – 0 1 – 9 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1988 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 4 SE Oklahoma State $^ 4 – 0 – 0 10 – 1 – 0 No. 21 SW Oklahoma State 2 – 2 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 East Central 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Northeastern State 2 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 NW Oklahoma State 0 – 4 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I pol
1988 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 3 Mesa State $^ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0 No. 16 Adams State ^ 3 – 1 – 1 10 – 3 – 1 No. 23 Western New Mexico 2 – 2 – 1 4 – 4 – 1 Western State (CO) 2 – 3 – 0 4 – 5 – 0 Colorado Mines 2 – 3 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Fort Lewis 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 8 – 0 $ – Conference champion ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1988 South Atlantic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 8 Carson–Newman +^ 5 – 2 – 0 12 – 2 – 0 No. 13 Catawba +^ 5 – 2 – 0 8 – 4 – 0 No. 20 Lenoir–Rhyne + 5 – 2 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 No. 22 Elon 4 – 3 – 0 6 – 5 – 0 Mars Hill 4 – 3 – 0 5 – 5 – 0 Gardner–Webb 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 1 Newberry 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 Presbyterian 1 – 6 – 0 3 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll	1988 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 10 Fairmont State +^ 5 – 0 – 2 7 – 2 – 2 No. 19 Shepherd + 6 – 1 – 0 6 – 4 – 0 No. 9 Concord ^ 5 – 1 – 1 7 – 2 – 1 West Virginia State 3 – 3 – 1 4 – 5 – 1 West Liberty State 2 – 5 – 0 4 – 6 – 0 Glenville State 2 – 5 – 0 3 – 7 – 0 Salem 2 – 5 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 West Virginia Tech 1 – 6 – 0 2 – 8 – 0 + – Conference co-champions ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll
1988 NAIA Division I independents football records v t e Conf. Overall Team W   L   T W   L   T No. 6 Central State (OH) ^   –   11 – 2 – 0 West Virginia Wesleyan   –   6 – 4 – 0 Arkansas–Pine Bluff   –   4 – 6 – 1 Langston   –   2 – 7 – 0 Guilford   –   2 – 8 – 0 ^ – NAIA Division I playoff participant Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

Conference champions

Conference	Champion	Record
Arkansas Intercollegiate	Central Arkansas	6–0
NIC	Moorhead State (MN)	6–0
Oklahoma	Southeastern Oklahoma State	4–0
RMAC	Mesa State	5–0
South Atlantic	Carson–Newman Catawba	5–2
WVIAC	Fairmont State	5–0–2

Rankings

Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:

Rank	Team (first place votes)	Record (thru Nov. 19)	Points
1	Central Arkansas (15)	10–0	375
2	Pittsburg State	9–0	350
3	Mesa State	8–1	343
4	Southeastern Oklahoma State	9–0	324
5	Hillsdale	9–1	313
6	Central State (OH)	9–1	306
7	Arkansas–Monticello	9–1	287
8	Carson–Newman	8–2	259
9	Concord	7–1–1	248
10	Fairmont State	7–1–2	238
11	Emporia State	8–2	218
12	Moorhead State	8–2	206
13	Catawba	8–3	200
14	Washburn	7–3	179
15	Northern State	8–3	162
16	Adams State	7–2–1	153
17	Arkansas Tech	6–4	126
18	Cameron	5–3–1	122
19	Shepherd	6–4	98
20	Lenoir–Rhyne	6–5	93
21	Southwestern Oklahoma State	6–4	84
22	Elon	6–5	55
23	Western New Mexico	7–2–1	79
24	Kearney State	4–4–1	43
25	Saginaw Valley State	4–5	15

^[3]

Postseason

	First Round November 26, 1988 Campus sites					Quarterfinals December 3, 1988 Campus sites					Semifinals December 10, 1988 Campus sites					1988 Champion Bowl December 17, 1988 Jefferson City, TN
		Washburn	13
		Arkansas–Monticello*	20
							Arkansas–Monticello	7
							Pittsburg State*	23
		Northern State	14
		Pittsburg State*	38
												Pittsburg State	10
												Adams State*	13
		Adams State	14
		Emporia State*	10
							Adams State	38
							SE Oklahoma State*	7
		Central Arkansas	14
		SE Oklahoma State* (OT)	21
																	Adams State	21
																	Carson–Newman*	56
		Mesa State	16
		Moorhead State*	26
							Moorhead State	6
							Carson–Newman*	42
		Concord	29
		Carson–Newman*	62
												Carson–Newman	13
												Central State (OH)*	0
		Catawba	10
		Central State (OH)*	24
							Central State (OH)	14
							Hillsdale*	7
		Fairmont State	7
		Hillsdale*	24

See also

• 1988 NAIA Division II football season
• 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season
• 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season
• 1988 NCAA Division II football season
• 1988 NCAA Division III football season