| Year: | 1898 |
| Team: | Northwestern Purple |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Western Conference |
| Short Conf: | Western |
| Record: | 9–4–1 |
| Conf Record: | 0–4 |
| Head Coach: | W. H. Bannard |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Captain: | Clarence Thorne |
| Stadium: | Sheppard Field |
The 1898 Northwestern Purple team represented Northwestern University during the 1898 Western Conference football season. In their first and only year under head coach W. H. Bannard, the Purple compiled a 9–4–1 record (0–4 against Western Conference opponents) and finished in last place in the Western Conference.[1] [2] The team lost all four of its games against Western Conference opponents (Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin) by a combined total of 104 to 16.