1998 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

1998 Western Illinois Leathernecks football
Gateway champion
ConferenceGateway Football Conference
Ranking
Sports NetworkNo. 4
Record11–3 (5–1 Gateway)
Head coach
Home stadiumHanson Field
Seasons
← 1997
1999 →
1998 Gateway Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Western Illinois $^   5 1     11 3  
No. 16 Illinois State ^   4 2     8 4  
Northern Iowa   3 3     7 4  
Youngstown State   3 3     6 5  
Southwest Missouri State   3 3     5 6  
Indiana State   2 4     5 6  
Southern Illinois   1 5     3 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
Rankings from The Sports Network poll

The 1998 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 1998 NCAA Division I-AA football season. They were led by ninth-year head coach Randy Ball and played their home games at Hanson Field. The Leathernecks finished the season with an 11–3 record overall and a 5–1 record in conference play, making them conference champions. The team received an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Montana and Florida A&M before losing to Georgia Southern in the semifinals.[1] The team was ranked No. 4 in The Sports Network's postseason ranking of Division I-AA.[2]

  1. ^ "Western Illinois Football Record Book" (PDF). Western Illinois University Athletics. p. 72. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "Final Div. I-AA poll". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. December 22, 1998. p. 7C. Retrieved October 31, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.