| Year: | 1988 |
| Regular Season: | August–November 1988 |
| Playoffs: | November–December 1988 |
| Championship: | Memorial Stadium New Wilmington, PA |
| Champions: | Westminster (PA) (4) |
The 1988 NAIA Division II football season, as part of the 1988 college football season in the United States and the 33rd season of college football sponsored by the NAIA, was the 19th season of play of the NAIA division II for football.
The season was played from August to November 1988 and culminated in the 1988 NAIA Division II Football National Championship, played at the Memorial Stadium on the campus of Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.[1]
The Westminster Titans defeated the in the championship game, 21–14, to win their fourth NAIA national title.
| Conference | Champion | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | Mount Rainier League: Central Washington Mount Hood League: Oregon Tech | 6–0 6–0 | |
| Frontier | Carroll (MT) | 6–0 | |
| Heart of America | Evangel | 7–0 | |
| Illini-Badger | Concordia–Wisconsin | 8–1 | |
| Kansas | Bethany | 9–0 | |
| Mid-South | Cumberland (KY) | 5–0 | |
| Nebraska | Nebraska Wesleyan | 5–0 | |
| North Dakota | Valley City State | 6–0 | |
| South Dakota | Sioux Falls | 5–0 | |
| Tri-State | Northwestern (IA) | 3–0 | |
| WSUC | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 7–1 |
Final NAIA Division II poll rankings:
| Rank | Team (first place votes) | Record (thru Nov. 12) | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westminster (PA) (16) | 10–0 | 518 |
| 2 | 9–0 | 486 | |
| 3 | (3) | 9–0 | 474 |
| 4 | (1) | 9–0 | 466 |
| 5 | (1) | 10–0 | 452 |
| 6 | 9–0 | 418 | |
| 7 | 10–0 | 404 | |
| 8 | 9–0–1 | 370 | |
| 9 | 9–1 | 340 | |
| 10 | 8–1 | 332 | |
| 11 | 7–2 | 332 | |
| 12 | 7–2 | 270 | |
| 13 | 8–1 | 254 | |
| 14 | 8–2 | 241 | |
| 15 | 7–3 | 211 | |
| 16 | 7–1 | 200 | |
| 17 | 7–2 | 187 | |
| 18 | 8–1 | 162 | |
| 19 | 7–1 | 130 | |
| 20 | 7–2 | 129 | |
| 21 | 7–2 | 118 | |
| 22 | 8–1 | 117 | |
| 23 | 7–2–1 | 79 | |
| 24 | 7–3 | 77 | |
| 25 | 7–4 | 29 | |