The 1988 Delaware State Hornets football team represented Delaware State College (now known as Delaware State University) as a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Bill Collick, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 5–5, with a mark of 4–2 in conference play, and finished as MEAC co-champion.

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 3	Florida A&M	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	L 31–35	7,500	[2]
September 10	at No. T–3 Eastern Kentucky*	Hanger Field Richmond, KY	L 7–48	21,700	[3]
September 24	Towson State*	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	L 3–24	3,200	[4]
October 1	at Bethune–Cookman	Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, FL	L 9–10	4,700	[5]
October 15	Arkansas–Pine Bluff*	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	W 58–7	3,205	[6]
October 22	at Morgan State	Hughes Stadium Baltimore, MD	W 21–8	10,365	[7]
October 29	South Carolina State	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	W 28–7	7,800	[8]
November 5	at North Carolina A&T	Aggie Stadium Greensboro, NC	W 37–7	3,500	[9]
November 12	No. 4 Western Illinois*	Alumni Stadium Dover, DE	L 13–22	3,000	[10]
November 19	at Howard	William H. Greene Stadium Washington, D.C.	W 28–21	3,857	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee Poll released prior to the game