Columbia ended a five-year losing streak with two wins, and tied for next-to-last in the Ivy League.
In their third and final season under head coach Larry McElreavy, the Lions compiled a 2–8 record and were outscored 303 to 140.
[1] The Lions' 2–5 conference record tied for sixth in the Ivy League standings.
By registering a victory over Princeton in the fourth week of the 1988 season, Columbia ended the streak at 44 straight losses and 47 games without a win.
[3] Columbia played its homes games at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium in Upper Manhattan, in New York City.