The 1988 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. In their first season under head coach Dick Crum, the Golden Flashes compiled a 5–6 record (3–5 against MAC opponents), finished in seventh place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 256 to 250.