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.
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.
Carson–Newman defeated 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.
Conference standings
Conference champions Conference Champion Record Arkansas Intercollegiate Central Arkansas 6–0NICMoorhead State (MN)6–0OklahomaSoutheastern Oklahoma State4–0RMACMesa State5–0South AtlanticCarson–NewmanCatawba5–2WVIACFairmont State5–0–2
Rankings Final NAIA Division I poll rankings:
Rank Team (first place votes) Record (thru Nov. 19) Points 1 (15) 10–0 375 2 9–0 350 3 8–1 343 4 9–0 324 5 9–1 313 6 Central State (OH) 9–1 306 7 9–1 287 8 Carson–Newman 8–2 259 9 7–1–1 248 10 7–1–2 238 11 8–2 218 12 8–2 206 13 8–3 200 14 7–3 179 15 8–3 162 16 7–2–1 153 17 6–4 126 18 5–3–1 122 19 6–4 98 20 6–5 93 21 6–4 84 22 6–5 55 23 7–2–1 79 24 4–4–1 43 25 4–5 15
Postseason
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
References