# 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.
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 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.

## Conference standings

1988 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings :
| 1988 Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Central Arkansas $^ 6 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 7 Arkansas–Monticello ^ 5 –1 –010 –2 –0 No. 17 Arkansas Tech 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Henderson State 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Ouachita Baptist 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Harding 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Southern Arkansas 1 –5 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1988 Central States Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Pittsburg State $^ 7 –0 –011 –1 –0 No. 11 Emporia State ^ 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 No. 14 Washburn ^ 5 –2 –07 –4 –0 No. 24 Kearney State 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Fort Hays State 3 –4 –03 –6 –1 Missouri Western 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 Missouri Southern 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Wayne State (NE) 0 –7 –00 –11 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1988 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Hillsdale $^ 5 –0 –010 –2 –0 No. 19 Northern Michigan 4 –1 –08 –3 –0 Grand Valley State 3 –2 –00 –7 –4 No. 25 Saginaw Valley State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Ferris State 1 –4 –04 –7 –0 Wayne State (MI) 0 –5 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings 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 vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Texas A&I $^ 6 –1 –010 –3 –0 No. 15 East Texas State 5 –2 –08 –3 –0 Angelo State 5 –2 –06 –4 –0 No. 18 Cameron 4 –3 –05 –3 –1 Central State (OK) 4 –3 –04 –5 –0 Abilene Christian 3 –4 –03 –7 –0 West Texas State 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Eastern New Mexico 0 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings 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 vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 12 Moorhead State $^ 6 –0 –09 –3 –0 No. 15 Northern State ^ 5 –1 –08 –4 –0 Minnesota Duluth 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Minnesota Morris 3 –3 –04 –6 –0 Southwest State (MN) 2 –4 –04 –6 –0 Winona State 1 –5 –03 –8 –0 Bemidji State 0 –6 –01 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1988 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 4 SE Oklahoma State $^ 4 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 21 SW Oklahoma State 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 East Central 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Northeastern State 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I pol |
| 1988 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 3 Mesa State $^ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 16 Adams State ^ 3 –1 –110 –3 –1 No. 23 Western New Mexico 2 –2 –14 –4 –1 Western State (CO) 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Colorado Mines 2 –3 –03 –7 –0 Fort Lewis 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1988 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 8 Carson–Newman +^ 5 –2 –012 –2 –0 No. 13 Catawba +^ 5 –2 –08 –4 –0 No. 20 Lenoir–Rhyne + 5 –2 –06 –5 –0 No. 22 Elon 4 –3 –06 –5 –0 Mars Hill 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Gardner–Webb 2 –5 –04 –6 –1 Newberry 2 –5 –03 –8 –0 Presbyterian 1 –6 –03 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll | 1988 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 10 Fairmont State +^ 5 –0 –27 –2 –2 No. 19 Shepherd + 6 –1 –06 –4 –0 No. 9 Concord ^ 5 –1 –17 –2 –1 West Virginia State 3 –3 –14 –5 –1 West Liberty State 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 Glenville State 2 –5 –03 –7 –0 Salem 2 –5 –02 –8 –0 West Virginia Tech 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions^ – NAIA Division I playoff participantRankings from NAIA Division I poll |
| 1988 NAIA Division I independents football records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW 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 participantRankings 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 |

## Postseason

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