# 1996 Tampa Bay Storm season

The 1996 Tampa Bay Storm season was the tenth season for the Tampa Bay Storm. They finished the 1996 Arena Football League season 12–2 and finished the season with the franchise's second consecutive, and fourth overall, ArenaBowl championship.

## Schedule
### Regular season

| Week | Date | Opponent | Results | Results | Game site (attendance) |
| Week | Date | Opponent | Final score | Team record | Game site (attendance) |
| 1 | April 26 | at St. Louis Stampede | W 57–38 | 1–0 | Kiel Center (6,335) |
| 2 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 3 | May 11 | Texas Terror | W 62–27 | 2–0 | ThunderDome (14,178) |
| 4 | May 18 | Orlando Predators | W 63–42 | 3–0 | ThunderDome (16,444) |
| 5 | May 24 | at Minnesota Fighting Pike | W 41–16 | 4–0 | Target Center (7,781) |
| 6 | June 1 | San Jose SaberCats | W 36–22 | 5–0 | ThunderDome (14,663) |
| 7 | June 8 | Florida Bobcats | W 55–47 | 6–0 | ThunderDome (14,117) |
| 8 | June 15 | at Anaheim Piranhas | W 34–28 | 7–0 | Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (14,102) |
| 9 | June 22 | at Memphis Pharaohs | W 43–12 | 8–0 | Pyramid Arena (3,363) |
| 10 | June 29 | Charlotte Rage | L 53–66 | 8–1 | ThunderDome (15,492) |
| 11 | July 6 | at Florida Bobcats | W 39–36 | 9–1 | West Palm Beach Auditorium (3,363) |
| 12 | July 12 | Albany Firebirds | W 65–52 (OT) | 10–1 | ThunderDome (13,202) |
| 13 | July 19 | at Orlando Predators | L 39–40 | 10–2 | Orlando Arena (16,236) |
| 14 | July 27 | Arizona Rattlers | W 69–48 | 11–2 | ThunderDome (12,345) |
| 15 | August 2 | at Texas Terror | W 42–30 | 12–2 | Compaq Center (9,750) |

### Playoffs

The Storm were awarded the No. 2 seed in the AFL playoffs.
| Round | Date | Opponent | Results | Results | Game site (attendance) |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Final score | Playoff record | Game site (attendance) |
| Quarterfinals | August 9 | (7) Anaheim Piranhas | W 30–16 | 1–0 | ThunderDome (13,021) |
| Semifinals | August 17 | (3) Arizona Rattlers | W 55–54 | 2–0 | ThunderDome (13,572) |
| ArenaBowl | August 26 | at (1) Iowa Barnstormers | W 42–38 | 3–0 | Veterans Memorial Auditorium (11,411) |

## Standings

| Team | Overall | Overall | Overall | Division | Division | Division |
| Team | Wins | Losses | Percentage | Wins | Losses | Percentage |
| National Conference |||||||
| Eastern Division |||||||
| Albany Firebirds | 10 | 4 | 0.714 | 4 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Charlotte Rage | 5 | 9 | 0.357 | 2 | 2 | 0.500 |
| Connecticut Coyotes | 2 | 12 | 0.143 | 0 | 4 | 0.000 |
| Southern Division |||||||
| Tampa Bay Storm | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Orlando Predators | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| Florida Bobcats | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 2 | 4 | 0.333 |
| Texas Terror | 1 | 13 | 0.071 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 |
| American Conference |||||||
| Central Division |||||||
| Iowa Barnstormers | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | 4 | 2 | 0.667 |
| Milwaukee Mustangs | 10 | 4 | 0.714 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 |
| St. Louis Stampede | 8 | 6 | 0.571 | 3 | 3 | 0.500 |
| Memphis Pharaohs | 0 | 14 | 0.000 | 0 | 6 | 0.000 |
| Western Division |||||||
| Arizona Rattlers | 11 | 3 | 0.786 | 3 | 2 | 0.600 |
| Anaheim Piranhas | 9 | 5 | 0.643 | 4 | 1 | 0.800 |
| San Jose SaberCats | 6 | 8 | 0.429 | 1 | 4 | 0.200 |
| Minnesota Fighting Pike | 4 | 10 | 0.286 | 1 | 2 | 0.333 |
* Green indicates clinched playoff berth
* Blue indicates division champion
* Grey indicates best regular season record

## Awards

| Position | Player | Award | All-Arena team |
| Offensive/defensive lineman | Kent Wells | Lineman of the Year | 1st |
| Wide receiver/linebacker | Stevie Thomas | - | 2nd |
| Offensive/defensive lineman | Sylvester Bembery | - | 2nd |
| Defensive specialist | Tracey Perkins | - | 2nd |