# 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1988 season.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 20 | Week 2 Sept 27 | Week 3 Oct 4 | Week 4 Oct 11 | Week 5 Oct 18 | Week 6 Oct 25 | Week 7 Nov 1 | Week 8 Nov 8 | Week 9 Nov 15 | Week 10 Nov 22 | |
| 1. | Holy Cross (3) | North Texas (2–0) (4) | North Texas (2–1) (3) | North Texas (3–1) (4) | North Texas (4–1) (4) | North Texas (5–1) (4) | North Texas (6–1) (4) | Marshall (8–0) (4) | Stephen F. Austin (8–1) (4) | Stephen F. Austin (9–1) (4) | Idaho (9–1) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Northeast Louisiana (1) | Appalachian State (2–0) | Appalachian State (3–0) (1) | Western Illinois (5–0) | Western Illinois (6–0) | Western Illinois (7–0) | Marshall (7–0) | Western Illinois (9–0) | Idaho (7–1) | Idaho (8–1) | Georgia Southern (9–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Appalachian State т | Marshall (3–0) | Marshall (4–0) | Appalachian State (3–1) | Appalachian State (4–1) | Marshall (6–0) | Western Illinois (8–0) | Stephen F. Austin (7–1) | Georgia Southern (7–2) | Georgia Southern (8–2) | Western Illinois (10–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Eastern Kentucky т | Western Illinois (3–0) | Western Illinois (4–0) т | Marshall (4–0) | Marshall (5–0) | Idaho (5–1) | Idaho (6–1) | Idaho (6–1) | Western Illinois (9–1) | Western Illinois (10–1) | Furman (9–2) | 4. |
| 5. | North Texas | Idaho (2–0) | New Hampshire (3–0) т | Nevada (4–0) | Lafayette (5–0) т | Western Kentucky (5–1) | Western Kentucky (6–1) | Western Kentucky (7–1) | Furman (7–2) | Furman (8–2) | Jackson State (8–0–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern (3–0) т | Montana (4–0) | Lafayette (4–0) | Nevada (5–0) т | Georgia Southern (4–2) | Georgia Southern (5–2) | Georgia Southern (6–2) | Marshall (8–1) | Jackson State (7–0–2) | Marshall (10–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Richmond | New Hampshire (2–0) т | Middle Tennessee State (3–1) | Georgia Southern (3–1) т | Idaho (4–1) | Lafayette (5–1) | Lafayette (6–1) | North Texas (6–2) | Northwestern State (8–1) | Marshall (9–1) | Eastern Kentucky (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Northern Iowa | Eastern Kentucky (1–1) | Lafayette (3–0) | Idaho (3–1) т | Western Kentucky (4–1) | Nevada (5–1) | Middle Tennessee State (6–2) | Middle Tennessee State (6–2) | Eastern Kentucky (7–2) | Eastern Kentucky (8–2) | Northwestern State (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Idaho | McNeese State (3–0) | Northeast Louisiana (3–1) | William & Mary (3–1) | UMass (4–1) | Middle Tennessee State (5–2) | Stephen F. Austin (6–1) | Delaware (6–2) | Connecticut (7–2) | The Citadel (8–2) | Stephen F. Austin (9–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Marshall | Northern Iowa (1–1) | Nevada (3–0) | Western Kentucky (3–1) | Georgia Southern (3–2) | Furman (5–2) | Furman (5–2) | Furman (6–2) | Jackson State (6–0–2) | Northwestern State (8–2) | UMass (8–3) т | 10. |
| 11. | Jackson State | Boise State (3–0) | Georgia Southern (3–1) | Furman (4–1) т | Montana (5–1) | Stephen F. Austin (5–1) | Appalachian State (5–2) | Northwestern State (7–1) | Western Kentucky (7–2) | UMass (7–3) | North Texas (8–3) т | 11. |
| 12. | Western Illinois | Lafayette (2–0) | Idaho (2–1) т | UMass (3–1) т | Middle Tennessee State (4–2) | Montana (6–1) | Delaware (5–2) | Eastern Kentucky (6–2) | The Citadel (7–2) | North Texas (7–3) | Boise State (8–3) | 12. |
| 13. | Nicholls State | Eastern Illinois (3–0) т | William & Mary (3–1) т | Montana (4–1) | Boise State (4–1) | Appalachian State (4–2) | Northwestern State (6–1) | Jackson State (5–0–2) | Delaware (6–3) | Boise State (8–2) | Western Kentucky (8–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Maine | Howard (3–0) т | Western Kentucky (2–1) | Connecticut (3–1) | Stephen F. Austin (4–1) | Delaware (4–2) | Eastern Kentucky (5–2) | Connecticut (6–2) | North Texas (6–3) | Florida A&M (7–1–1) т | The Citadel (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Middle Tennessee State | Northeast Louisiana (2–1) | Furman (3–1) | Boise State (4–1) | Villanova (4–1) | Eastern Kentucky (4–2) | Jackson State (5–0–2) | Villanova (5–2–1) | Boise State (7–2) | Penn (9–0) т | Delaware (7–4) | 15. |
| 16. | James Madison | Montana (3–0) | Connecticut (2–1) | Middle Tennessee State (3–2) | Eastern Kentucky (3–2) т | Northwestern State (5–1) | Connecticut (5–2) | Appalachian State (5–3) | Appalachian State (6–3) | Western Kentucky (7–3) | Montana (8–3) | 16. |
| 17. | Western Kentucky | William & Mary (2–1) | McNeese State (3–1) | Stephen F. Austin (4–1) | Jackson State (3–0–2) т | Jackson State (4–0–2) т | Nevada (5–2) | Boise State (6–2) | Middle Tennessee State (7–2) | Connecticut (7–3) | Middle Tennessee State (7–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Northwestern State т | Furman (2–1) | Jackson State (2–0–1) | Eastern Kentucky (2–2) | Northwestern State (4–1) | William & Mary (4–2) т | The Citadel (5–2) | Lafayette (6–1–1) | Montana (8–2) | Grambling State (8–2) | Florida A&M (7–2–1) | 18. |
| 19. | Nevada т | Maine (1–1) | Boise State (3–1) | New Hampshire (3–1) т | Delaware (3–2) | Grambling (5–1) | Villanova (4–2–1) | The Citadel (6–2) | Florida A&M (7–1–1) т | Montana (8–3) | Holy Cross (9–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Connecticut | Middle Tennessee State (2–1) | Eastern Kentucky (1–2) | Northwestern State (3–1) т | Furman (4–2) | Villanova (4–2) | William & Mary (4–2–1) | Montana (7–2) | Penn (8–0) т | New Hampshire (6–4) | Grambling State (8–2) | 20. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 20 | Week 2 Sept 27 | Week 3 Oct 4 | Week 4 Oct 11 | Week 5 Oct 18 | Week 6 Oct 25 | Week 7 Nov 1 | Week 8 Nov 8 | Week 9 Nov 15 | Week 10 Nov 22 | |
| | | Dropped: 1 Holy Cross7 Richmond11 Jackson State13 Nicholls State16 James Madison17 Western Kentucky18 Northwestern State19 Nevada20 Connecticut | Dropped: 10 Northern Iowa13 Eastern Illinois14 Howard19 Maine | Dropped: 9 Northeast Louisiana17 McNeese State18 Jackson State | Dropped: 9 William & Mary14 Connecticut19 New Hampshire | Dropped: 9 UMass13 Boise State | Dropped: 12 Montana19 Grambling | Dropped: 17 Nevada20 William & Mary | Dropped: 15 Villanova18 Lafayette | Dropped: 13 Delaware16 Appalachian State17 Middle Tennessee State | Dropped: 15 Penn17 Connecticut20 New Hampshire | |