The 1988 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began in August 1988, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 10, 1988, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The North Dakota State Bison defeated the Portland State Vikings, 35–21, to win their fourth Division II national title. The tournament bracket also expanded for the first time, from 8 teams to 16 teams.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Johnny Bailey, running back from Texas A&I, for the second consecutive year.
Conference changes and new programs St. Paul's (VA) dropped their football program in July of 1988 and would not return to the gridiron until 2002. School 1987 Conference 1988 Conference Cameron NAIA Independent Lone Star Central State (OK) NAIA Independent Lone Star Evansville Heartland Mid-South (NAIA) Liberty D-II Independent I-AA Independent St. Paul's (VA) CIAA Dropped Program Southwest Baptist NAIA Independent MIAA Wofford NAIA Independent Independent
Conference standings
Conference summaries
Conference ChampionsCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Winston-Salem State Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Hillsdale Gulf South Conference – Jacksonville State, Mississippi College, and Tennessee–Martin Heartland Collegiate Conference – Butler Lone Star Conference – Texas A&I Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Central Missouri State, Southeast Missouri State, and Northeast Missouri State North Central Conference – North Dakota State Northern California Athletic Conference – UC Davis Northern Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota State–Moorhead Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Millersville (East), Shippensburg (West) Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Colorado Mesa South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman, Catawba, and Lenoir-Rhyne Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State Western Football League – Portland State
Postseason
The 1988 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 16th single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the third time.
Playoff bracket
See also 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season 1988 NCAA Division III football season 1988 NAIA Division I football season 1988 NAIA Division II football season
References