1988–89 NCAA football bowl games

{{short description|College football postseason game series}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox College football bowl games

| season = 1988

| image =

| image_caption =

| regular_season =

| number_of_bowls = 17

| all_star_games =

| bowl_start = December 10, 1988

| bowl_end =
January 2, 1989

| championship_bowl = 1989 Fiesta Bowl

| championship_location = Sun Devil Stadium,
Tempe, Arizona

| champions = Notre Dame Fighting Irish

| conference1 = Independents

| conference1_teams = 8

| conference1_wins = 5

| conference1_losses = 3

| conference1_ap_poll = 5

| conference2 = SEC

| conference2_teams = 5

| conference2_wins = 3

| conference2_losses = 2

| conference2_ties =

| conference2_ap_poll = 4

| conference3 = Big Ten

| conference3_teams = 5

| conference3_wins = 2

| conference3_losses = 3

| conference3_ties =

| conference3_ap_poll = 2

| conference4 = Big Eight

| conference4_teams = 4

| conference4_wins = 1

| conference4_losses = 3

| conference4_ap_poll = 3

| conference5 = Pac-10

| conference5_teams = 3

| conference5_wins = 2

| conference5_losses = 1

| conference5_ap_poll = 3

| conference6 = WAC

| conference6_teams = 3

| conference6_wins = 1

| conference6_losses = 2

| conference6_ap_poll = 0

| conference7 = ACC

| conference7_teams = 2

| conference7_wins = 2

| conference7_losses = 0

| conference7_ap_poll = 1

| conference8 = SWC

| conference8_teams = 2

| conference8_wins = 0

| conference8_losses = 2

| conference8_ap_poll = 2

| conference9 = Big West

| conference9_teams = 1

| conference9_wins = 1

| conference9_losses = 0

| conference9_ap_poll = 0

| conference10 = MAC

| conference10_teams = 1

| conference10_wins = 0

| conference10_losses = 1

| conference10_ap_poll = 0

}}

The 1988–89 NCAA football bowl games were a series of post-season games played in December 1988 and January 1989 to end the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. A total of 17 team-competitive games,{{cite web | url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/years/1988-bowls.html | title=1988 College Football Bowl Games | access-date=December 22, 2018 | work=Sports Reference }} and two all-star games, were played. The post-season began with the California Bowl on December 10, 1988, and concluded on January 21, 1989, with the season-ending Senior Bowl.

Schedule

class="wikitable"
Date

!Game

!Site

!Time
(US EST)

!TV

!Matchup
(pre-game record)

!AP
pre-game
rank

!UPI (Coaches)
pre-game
rank

12/10

|California Bowl

|Bulldog Stadium
Fresno, California

|Fresno State 35 (9–2) (Big West Champion),
Western Michigan 30 (9–2) (MAC Champion)

|NR
NR

|NR
NR

12/23

|Independence Bowl

|Independence Stadium
Shreveport, Louisiana

|Mizlou

|Southern Miss 38 (9–2) (Independent),
UTEP 18 (10–2) (WAC)

|NR
NR

|NR
NR

12/24

|Sun Bowl

|Sun Bowl
El Paso, Texas

|CBS

|Alabama 29 (8–3) (SEC),
Army 28 (9–2) (Independent)

|#20
NR

|#20
NR

12/25

|Aloha Bowl

|Aloha Stadium
Honolulu, Hawaii

|ABC

|Washington State 24 (8–3) (Pac-10),
Houston 22 (9–2) (SWC)

|#18
#14

|#18
#14

12/28

|Liberty Bowl

|Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, Tennessee

|Raycom

|Indiana 34 (7–3–1) (Big Ten),
South Carolina 10 (8–3) (Independent)

|NR
NR

|NR
NR

12/29

|Freedom Bowl

|Anaheim Stadium
Anaheim, California

|Mizlou

|BYU 20 (8–4) (WAC),
Colorado 17 (8–3) (Big Eight)

|NR
NR

|NR
#20

12/29

|All-American Bowl

|Legion Field
Birmingham, Alabama

|ESPN

|Florida 14 (6–5) (SEC),
Illinois 10 (6–4–1) (Big Ten)

|NR
NR

|NR
NR

12/30

|Holiday Bowl

|Jack Murphy Stadium
San Diego, California

|ESPN

|Oklahoma State 62 (9–2) (Big Eight),
Wyoming 14 (11–1) (WAC Champion)

|#12
#15

|#12
#15

12/31

|Peach Bowl{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/01/sports/college-football-nc-state-tops-iowa.html|title=N.C. State Tops Iowa|newspaper=New York Times|date=January 1, 1989|accessdate=December 23, 2018}}

|Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta

|Mizlou

|NC State 28 (7–3–1) (ACC),
Iowa 23 (6–3–3) (Big Ten)

|NR
NR

|NR
NR

1/1

|Gator Bowl

|Gator Bowl Stadium
Jacksonville, Florida

|ESPN

|Georgia 34 (8–3) (SEC),
Michigan State 27 (6–4–1) (Big Ten)

|#19
NR

|#19
NR

1/2

|Hall of Fame Bowl

|Tampa Stadium
Tampa, Florida

|1 PM

|NBC

|Syracuse 23 (9–2) (Independent),
LSU 10 (8–3) (SEC)

|#17
#16

|#16
#17

1/2

|Florida Citrus Bowl{{cite news | title=THE OTHER BOWL GAMES : Citrus Bowl : Sooners Beaten at Pass by Clemson | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-03-sp-179-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 23, 2018 }}

|Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando, Florida

|1:30 PM

|ABC

|Clemson 13 (9–2) (ACC Champion),
Oklahoma 6 (9–2) (Big Eight)

|#13
#10

|#13
#10

1/2

|Cotton Bowl Classic{{cite news | title=COTTON BOWL: UCLA 17, ARKANSAS 3 : Aikman Throws a Coming-Out Party in Dallas | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-03-sp-175-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 23, 2018 }}

|Cotton Bowl
Dallas, Texas

|1:30 PM

|CBS

|UCLA 17 (9–2) (Pac-10),
Arkansas 3 (10–1) (SWC Champion)

|#9
#8

|#9
#8

1/2

|Fiesta Bowl{{cite news | title=FIESTA BOWL: NOTRE DAME 34, WEST VIRGINIA 21 : DREAM IS SHATTERED : Lackluster Play, Harris' Injury Keep Mountaineers From Realizing Their Goal | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-03-sp-172-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 22, 2018 }}

|Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe, Arizona

|4:30 PM

|NBC

|Notre Dame 34 (11–0) (Independent),
West Virginia 21 (11–0) (Independent)

|#1
#3

|#1
#3

1/2

|Rose Bowl{{cite news | title=ROSE BOWL: MICHIGAN 22, USC 14 : PEETE AT A LOSS : Quarterback Can't Find Words to Explain Trojans' Demise in Second Half | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-03-sp-167-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 22, 2018 }}

|Rose Bowl
Pasadena, California

|5 PM

|ABC

|Michigan 22 (8–2–1) (Big Ten Champion),
USC 14 (10–1) (Pac-10 Champion)

|#11
#5

|#11
#5

1/2

|Orange Bowl{{cite news | title=MIAMI'S DEFENSE DESTROYS NEBRASKA | newspaper=Chicago Tribune | url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-01-03-8902220775-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 22, 2018 }}

|Miami Orange Bowl
Miami

|8:00 PM

|NBC

|Miami (FL) 23 (10–1) (Independent),
Nebraska 3 (11–1) (Big Eight Champion)

|#2
#6

|#2
#6

1/2

|Sugar Bowl{{cite news | title=SUGAR BOWL: FLORIDA STATE 13, AUBURN 7 : In Prime Time, Sanders and Florida State Stop Auburn Short | newspaper=Los Angeles Times | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-01-03-sp-164-story.html | date=January 3, 1989 | access-date=December 22, 2018 }}

|Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans, Louisiana

|8:30 PM

|ABC

|Florida State 13 (10–1) (Independent),
Auburn 7 (10–1) (SEC co-Champion)

|#4
#7

|#4
#7

References

{{Reflist}}

{{1988 bowl game navbox}}

{{NCAA football bowl season navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1988-89 NCAA Football Bowl Games}}