1987 in football

American football

 * Super Bowl XXI – New York Giants won 39-20 over the Denver Broncos
 * January 2 – Fiesta Bowl (1986 season):
 * The Penn State Nittany Lions won 14-10 over the Miami Hurricanes to win the national championship
 * Arena football has its demonstration season—its first season— played with four teams.
 * February 25 – The Southern Methodist University Mustangs football team becomes the first college football program to be given the Death Penalty by the NCAA Committee on Rules Infractions