1988 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

The 1988 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Collegiate Athletic Conference (GCAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by Earle Bruce in his first and only season as head coach, Panthers compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the GCAC. Northern Iowa played home games at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.