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
Seasons
← 1987
1989 →
1988 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 8 Carson–Newman +^ 5 2 0 12 2 0
No. 13 Catawba +^ 5 2 0 8 4 0
No. 20 Lenoir–Rhyne + 5 2 0 6 5 0
No. 22 Elon 4 3 0 6 5 0
Mars Hill 4 3 0 5 5 0
Gardner–Webb 2 5 0 4 6 1
Newberry 2 5 0 3 8 0
Presbyterian 1 6 0 3 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.[1]

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

Schedule[edit]

DateOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 3Fairmont State*W 17–123,642
September 10at Hillsdale*W 24–145,500
September 17Wingate*
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN
W 36–24
September 24at Elon
L 7–10
October 1CatawbaW 3–0
October 8Newberry
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN
L 13–14
October 15at Mars HillW 34–16
October 22Gardner–Webb
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN
W 22–12
October 29at Lenoir–RhyneW 28–21
November 12Presbyterian
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN
W 52–21
November 26Concord*
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN (NAIA Division I first round)
W 62–291,548
December 3Moorhead State*
  • Burke–Tarr Stadium
  • Jefferson City, TN (NAIA Division I quarterfinal)
W 42–6
December 10at Central State (OH)*
W 13–0[2]
December 17Adams State*
W 56–21
  • *Non-conference game

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2010 Carson-Newman Eagles Football Media Guide" (PDF). Carson-Newman College. 2010.
  2. ^ "It's back to the Bowl for C–N". The Knoxville News-Sentinel. December 11, 1988. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.