1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season

1996 NCAA Division I-AA season
Regular season
Duration	August – November 1996
Payton Award	Archie Amerson – RB (Northern Arizona)
Buchanan Award	Dexter Coakley – LB (Appalachian State)
Playoff
Duration	November 30 – December 21, 1996
Championship date	December 21, 1996
Championship site	Joan C. Edwards Stadium, Huntington, WV
Champion	Marshall Thundering Herd
NCAA Division I-AA football seasons
«1995 1997»

The 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level, began in August 1996, and concluded with the National Championship Game of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on December 21, 1996, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Marshall Thundering Herd won their second I-AA championship, defeating the defending national champion Montana Grizzlies by a final score of 49−29

Conference changes and new programs

• The American West Conference disbanded following the 1995 season and its four remaining members either became independents (Cal Poly, Sacramento State, and Southern Utah) or joined the Big Sky (Cal State Northridge).
• Prior to the season, the Northeast Conference, a preexisting Division I conference, announced it would add a football for its five members that sponsored the sport.

School	1995 Conference	1996 Conference
Boise State	Big Sky	Big West (I-A)
Cal State Northridge	American West	Big Sky
Cal Poly	American West	I-AA Independent
Central Connecticut State	I-AA Independent	Northeast
Central Florida	I-AA Independent	I-A Independent
Eastern Illinois	Gateway	Ohio Valley
Fairfield	New Program	MAAC
Idaho	Big Sky	Big West (I-A)
Jacksonville State	D-II Independent	Southland (I-AA)
Northeast Louisiana	Southland	I-AA Independent
Monmouth	I-AA Independent	Northeast
Morehead State	Ohio Valley	I-AA Independent
Portland State	D-II Independent	Big Sky (I-AA)
Robert Morris	I-AA Independent	Northeast
Sacramento State	American West	I-AA Independent
St. Francis (PA)	I-AA Independent	Northeast
Southern Utah	American West	I-AA Independent
Troy State	I-AA Independent	Southland
UAB	I-AA Independent	I-A Independent
Wagner	I-AA Independent	Northeast

Conference standings

1996 Southern Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 1 Marshall $^   8 – 0     15 – 0   No. T–8 East Tennessee State ^   7 – 1     10 – 3   No. 13 Furman ^   6 – 2     9 – 4   No. 25 Appalachian State   5 – 3     7 – 4   The Citadel   3 – 5     4 – 7   Georgia Southern   2 – 6     4 – 7   VMI   2 – 6     3 – 8   Chattanooga   2 – 6     3 – 8   Western Carolina   1 – 7     4 – 7   $ – Conference champion Rankings from The Sports Network poll

1996 Southland Football League standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 5 Troy State $^   5 – 1     12 – 2   No. 19 Nicholls State ^   4 – 2     8 – 4   No. 22 Stephen F. Austin   3 – 3     7 – 4   Northwestern State   3 – 3     6 – 5   Sam Houston State   3 – 3     4 – 7   Southwest Texas State   2 – 4     5 – 6   McNeese State   1 – 5     3 – 8   $ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

1996 Yankee Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   New England Division No. 18 New Hampshire x   6 – 2     8 – 3   Maine   5 – 3     7 – 4   UMass   4 – 4     6 – 5   Connecticut   3 – 5     4 – 6   Rhode Island   2 – 6     4 – 6   Boston University   0 – 8     1 – 10   Mid-Atlantic Division No. 7 William & Mary x$^   7 – 1     10 – 3   No. 14 Villanova ^   6 – 2     8 – 4   No. 11 Delaware ^   6 – 2     8 – 4   No. 23 James Madison   5 – 3     7 – 4   Northeastern   3 – 5     6 – 5   Richmond   1 – 7     2 – 9   $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

Conference champions

See also: List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons

Conference Champions

Big Sky Conference – Montana Gateway Football Conference – Northern Iowa Ivy League – Dartmouth Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference – Duquesne Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference – Florida A&M Northeast Conference – Monmouth and Robert Morris Ohio Valley Conference – Murray State Patriot League – Bucknell Pioneer Football League – Dayton Southern Conference – Marshall Southland Conference – Troy State Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State Yankee Conference – William & Mary

Postseason

NCAA Division I-AA Playoff bracket

	First Round November 30 Campus Sites				Quarterfinals December 7 Campus Sites				Semifinals December 14 Campus Sites				National Championship Game December 21 Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV
	Nicholls State	3
	Montana*	48
					Montana*	44
					East Tennessee State	14
	Villanova	29
	East Tennessee State*	35
									Montana*	70
									Troy State	7
	Florida A&M	25
	Troy State*	29
					Troy State*	31
					Murray State	3
	Western Illinois	6
	Murray State*	34
													Montana	29
													Marshall	49
	Delaware	14
	Marshall*	59
					Marshall*	54
					Furman	0
	Furman	42
	Northern Arizona*	31
									Marshall*	31
									Northern Iowa	14
	Eastern Illinois	14
	Northern Iowa*	21
					Northern Iowa*	38
					William & Mary	35
	Jackson State	6
	William & Mary*	45

* Denotes host institution