1988 Carson–Newman Eagles football team

1988 Carson–Newman Eagles football
NAIA Division I national champion
SAC champion
Champion Bowl, W 56–21 vs. Adams State
ConferenceSouth Atlantic Conference
Record12–2 (5–2 SAC)
Head coach
Home stadiumBurke–Tarr Stadium
1988 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf.Overall
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 participant
Rankings from NAIA Division I poll

The 1988 Carson–Newman Eagles football team was an American football team that represented Carson–Newman College (renamed Carson–Newman University in 2012) as a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) during the 1988 NAIA Division I football season. In its ninth year under head coach Ken Sparks, the team compiled a 12–2 record (5–2 against conference opponents), tied for the SAC championship, and defeated Adams State in the Champion Bowl to win the NAIA national championship.

It was the fourth of five national championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989) won by Carson–Newman during the 1980s.