| Year: | 1998 |
| Team: | Western Illinois Leathernecks |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Gateway Football Conference |
| Short Conf: | Gateway |
| Tsnrank: | 4 |
| Record: | 11–3 |
| Conf Record: | 5–1 |
| Head Coach: | Randy Ball |
| Hc Year: | 9th |
| Stadium: | Hanson Field |
| Champion: | Gateway champion |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA Semifinal |
| Bowl Result: | L 14–42 vs. Georgia Southern |
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]