The 1948 NCAA Track and Field Championships were held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in June 1948. The University of Minnesota won the team title. Two NCAA meet records were broken, and one American record was tied, at the event. Fortune Gordien was the high point scorer for Minnesota as he won the discus thrown and finished second in the shot put, accounting for 18 of Minnesota's points. Clyde "Smackover" Scott tied the world record in the 110-meter high hurdles with a time of 13.7 seconds. Mel Patton was the only athlete to win two events at the meet. Patton won both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Charlie Fonville of the University of Michigan won the shot put competition with a distance of 54 feet, defending his 1947 NCAA title.

Team scoring

1. Minnesota – 46
2. University of Southern California – 411/2
3. Texas – 40
4. Illinois – 341/4
5. California – 191/4

Track events

100-meter dash

1. Mel Patton, Univ. South. Calif. 2. Don Anderson, California
2. Charles Parker, Texas 110-meter high hurdles
3. Clyde Scott, Arkansas
4. W.F. Porter, Northwestern
5. Craig Dixon, UCLA 200-meter dash
6. Mel Patton, Univ. South. Calif. 2. Charles Parker, Texas
7. Paul Bienz, Tulane 400-meter dash
8. Norman Rucks, South Carolina
9. Arthur Harnden, Texas A&M
10. John Hammack, U.S. Military Academy 400-meter hurdles
11. George Walker, Illinois
12. Jeffrey Kirk, Penn
13. Ron Frazier, Univ. South. Calif. 800-meter run
14. Mal Whitfield, Ohio State
15. Jack Dianetti, Michigan State
16. Bob Chambers, Univ. South. Calif. 1,500-meter run
17. Don Gehrman, Wisconsin
18. Herbert Barten, Michigan
19. Roland Sink, Univ. South. Calif. 3,000-meter steeplechase
20. Browning Ross, Villanova
21. W.O. Overton, Alabama Polytechnic Inst.
22. James Kittell, Notre Dame 5,000-meter run
23. Jerry Thompson, Texas
24. Horace A. Shenfelter, Penn State
25. Quentin Briesford, Ohio Wesleyan

Field events

Broad jump

1. Willie Steele, San Diego State – 24 feet, 111/2 inches
2. James Holland, Northwestern - 24 feet, 61/2 inches
3. Lorenzo Wright, Wayne – 24 feet, 51/4 inches High jump
4. Dwight Eddleman, Illinois – 6 feet, 7 inches
5. Irving Mondschein, NYU – 6 feet, 7 inches
6. Charles Hangar, California – 6 feet, 6 inches
7. Vern McGrew, Rice – 6 feet, 6 inches
8. Lou Irons, Illinois – 6 feet, 6 inches
9. Tom Scofield, Kansas – 6 feet, 6 inches Pole vault
10. Warren Bateman, Colorado – 14 feet
11. George Rasmussen, Oregon – 14 feet
12. Harry Cooper, Minnesota – 13 feet, 10 inches Discus throw
13. Fortune Gordien, Minnesota – 164 feet, 61/2 inches
14. Victor Frank, Yale – 164 feet, 32/3 inches
15. George Kadera, Texas A&M – 155 feet, 11/2 inches Javelin
16. Frank Held, Stanford – 209 feet, 8 inches
17. Francis Friedenbach – 204 feet, 51/2 inches
18. Frank Guess, Texas – 199 feet Shot put
19. Charlie Fonville, Michigan – 54 feet, 7 inches
20. Fortune Gordien, Minnesota – 52 feet, 73/8 inches
21. Rollin Prather, Kansas State – 52 feet, 37/8 inch Hammer throw
22. Samuel H. Felton, Jr. – 170 feet, 91/4 inches
23. George Marsanskis, Maine – 170 feet, 5 inches
24. Jim Burnham, Dartmouth – 168 feet Hop, step and jump
25. Lloyd Lamois, Minnesota – 45 feet, 10 inches
26. John Gough, Oklahoma – 45 feet, 71/2 inches
27. John Robertson, Texas – 44 feet, 91/2 inches