1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season#Postseason
{{Short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NCAA Division I-AA season
| year = 1988
| image = File:NCAA primary logo 1980.svg
| image_caption =
| number_of_teams = 88
| regular_season = August–November
| playoffs = November 26–December 17
| nc_date = December 17, 1988
| championship = Holt Arena
Pocatello, Idaho
| champions = Furman
| payton = Dave Meggett (RB, Towson State)
}}
The 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-AA level, began in August 1988, and concluded with the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 17, 1988, at Holt Arena in Pocatello, Idaho. The Furman Paladins won their first I-AA championship, defeating the Georgia Southern Eagles by a score of 17−12.{{cite web |title=1988 NCAA Division I Football Championship |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_champs_records/2012/d1/2012FCSfbchamp.pdf |website=NCAA.org |access-date=December 29, 2013 |page=14}}
Conference changes and new programs
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| School | 1987 Conference | 1988 Conference |
|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center;"
| Liberty | D-II Independent | I-AA Independent |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | Ohio Valley |
| style="text-align:center;" | I-AA Independent | Yankee |
| style="text-align:center;" | Ohio Valley | I-AA Independent |
Conference standings
| cellpadding="5"
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Big Sky Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Colonial League football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Ivy League football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Ohio Valley Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Southern Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Southland Conference football standings}} |valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings}} |
| valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 Yankee Conference football standings}}
|valign="top" width=25em|{{1988 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings}} |
Conference champions
{{see also|List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons}}
| class="wikitable" |
| Conference Champions |
|---|
| Big Sky Conference – Idaho Colonial League – Lafayette Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference – Western Illinois Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Bethune-Cookman, Delaware State, and Florida A&M Ohio Valley Conference – Eastern Kentucky Southern Conference – Furman and Marshall Southland Conference – Northwestern State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – Delaware and Massachusetts |
Postseason
The top four teams were seeded, and thus assured of home games in the first round.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30995791/citadel_furman_get_iaa_berths/ |title=Citadel, Furman get I-AA berths |first=Abe |last=Hardesty |newspaper=The Greenville News |location=Greenville, South Carolina |page=5D |date=November 21, 1988 |access-date=April 27, 2019 |via=newspapers.com}}
=NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket=
{{16TeamBracket-NoSeeds
| RD1=First Round
November 26
Campus sites
| RD2=Quarterfinals
December 3
Campus sites
| RD3=Semifinals
December 10
Campus sites
| RD4=National Championship Game
December 17
Holt Arena
Pocatello, Idaho
|RD1-team01=Montana
|RD1-score01=19
|RD1-team02=(1) Idaho*
|RD1-score02=38
|RD1-team03=Northwestern State
|RD1-score03=22
|RD1-team04=Boise State*
|RD1-score04=13
|RD1-team05=Delaware
|RD1-score05=7
|RD1-team06=(4) Furman*
|RD1-score06=21
|RD1-team07=North Texas
|RD1-score07=0
|RD1-team08=Marshall*
|RD1-score08=7
|RD1-team09=The Citadel
|RD1-score09=20
|RD1-team10=(2) Georgia Southern*
|RD1-score10=38
|RD1-team11=Jackson State
|RD1-score11=0
|RD1-team12=Stephen F. Austin*
|RD1-score12=24
|RD1-team13=Western Kentucky
|RD1-score13=35
|RD1-team14=(3) Western Illinois*
|RD1-score14=32
|RD1-team15=UMass
|RD1-score15=17
|RD1-team16=Eastern Kentucky*
|RD1-score16=28
|RD2-team01=(1) Idaho*
|RD2-score01=38
|RD2-team02=Northwestern State
|RD2-score02=30
|RD2-team03=(4) Furman
|RD2-score03=13
|RD2-team04=Marshall*
|RD2-score04=9
|RD2-team05=(2) Georgia Southern*
|RD2-score05=27
|RD2-team06=Stephen F. Austin
|RD2-score06=6
|RD2-team07=Western Kentucky
|RD2-score07=24
|RD2-team08=Eastern Kentucky*
|RD2-score08=41
|RD3-team01=(1) Idaho
|RD3-score01=7
|RD3-team02=(4) Furman*
|RD3-score02=38
|RD3-team03=(2) Georgia Southern*
|RD3-score03=21
|RD3-team04=Eastern Kentucky
|RD3-score04=17
|RD4-team01=(4) Furman
|RD4-score01=17
|RD4-team02=(2) Georgia Southern
|RD4-score02=12
}}