The 1988 Alabama State Hornets football team represented Alabama State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by second-year head coach Houston Markham, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 7âÂÂ3, with a mark of 4âÂÂ3 in conference play, and finished tied for third in the SWAC.