# 1996 NCAA Division II football season

The 1996 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began on September 7, 1996, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 14, 1996, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Northern Colorado Bears defeated the Carson–Newman, 23–14, to win their first Division II national title.
The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Jarrett Anderson, running back from Truman.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

| Team | 1995 conference | 1996 conference |
| Jacksonville State | NCAA Division II independent | NCAA I-AA independent |
| Mississippi College | Gulf South Conference | NCAA Division II independent |
| Portland State | NCAA Division II independent | Big Sky Conference (I-AA) |
| Saint Joseph's (IN) | Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference | NCAA Division II independent |

### Program changes

* After East Texas State University joined the Texas A&M University System in 1996 and changed its name to Texas A&M University–Commerce, the East Texas State Lions became the Texas A&M–Commerce Lions.
* After Northeast Missouri State University changed its name to Truman State University in 1996, the Northeast Missouri State Bulldogs became the Truman Bulldogs.

## Conference standings

1996 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings :
| 1996 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Virginia State $  7 –1  8 –3   Livingstone  7 –1  8 –2   Norfolk State  6 –2  7 –4   North Carolina Central  5 –3  8 –3   Johnson C. Smith  5 –3  7 –3   Elizabeth City State  4 –4  4 –6   Winston-Salem State  3 –5  4 –7   Bowie State  2 –6  3 –7   Fayetteville State  1 –7  2 –8   Virginia Union  1 –7  2 –8   $ – Conference champion | 1996 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Salve Regina $  8 –0  9 –0   Bentley  7 –1  7 –3   Stonehill  7 –2  8 –2   Sacred Heart  4 –3  4 –6   Merrimack  5 –4  5 –4   UMass Lowell  4 –4  6 –4   MIT  3 –5  4 –5   Nichols  2 –5  2 –8   Western New England  2 –6  2 –7   Curry  1 –7  3 –7   Assumption  1 –8  1 –9   $ – Conference champion | 1996 Gulf South Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. T–4 Valdosta State $^  6 –2  10 –3   No. 12 West Georgia ^  5 –2  9 –3   Delta State  6 –3  6 –4   Central Arkansas  5 –3  6 –5   North Alabama  4 –4  6 –5   Henderson State  4 –4  5 –6   Arkansas Tech  3 –5  5 –6   Arkansas–Monticello  3 –5  5 –6   Southern Arkansas  2 –5  4 –6   West Alabama  1 –6  3 –7   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1996 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 1 Texas A&M–Kingsville $^  7 –0  8 –3   No. 9 Central Oklahoma ^  5 –2  9 –3   Texas A&M–Commerce  4 –3  7 –3   Angelo State  4 –3  6 –4   Abilene Christian  4 –3  6 –4   Tarleton State  2 –5  5 –5   Eastern New Mexico  2 –5  3 –8   West Texas A&M  0 –7  1 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1996 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 2 Northwest Missouri State +^  8 –1  11 –2   No. 7 Pittsburg State +^  8 –1  8 –3   Truman State  7 –2  7 –4   Missouri Western State  5 –4  7 –4   Missouri Southern State  5 –4  6 –4   Emporia State  5 –4  5 –6   Washburn  4 –5  4 –6   Central Missouri State  2 –7  4 –7   Missouri–Rolla  1 –8  3 –8   Southwest Baptist  0 –9  0 –10   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1996 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Ferris State $^  9 –1  10 –2   Grand Valley State  8 –2  8 –3   Northern Michigan  7 –3  7 –3   Saginaw Valley State  7 –3  7 –3   Hillsdale  6 –4  6 –5   Northwood  5 –5  6 –5   Ashland  4 –6  4 –7   Indianapolis  3 –7  4 –7   St. Francis (IL)  2 –8  3 –8   Michigan Tech  2 –8  2 –8   Wayne State (MI)  2 –8  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant |
| 1996 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. T–4 Nebraska–Omaha $^  8 –1  10 –2   No. 15 Northern Colorado ^  6 –3  12 –3   No. 19 North Dakota  6 –3  7 –3   South Dakota State  6 –3  7 –4   North Dakota State  5 –4  6 –4   South Dakota  4 –5  6 –5   Mankato State  4 –5  5 –6   St. Cloud State  4 –5  5 –6   Augustana (SD)  2 –7  3 –8   Morningside  0 –9  1 –10   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1996 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Chico State $  3 –1  5 –5   Sonoma State  2 –2  2 –8   Humboldt State  1 –3  3 –7   $ – Conference champion | 1996 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Minnesota Duluth $  6 –0  8 –3   Moorhead State  5 –1  7 –3   Northern State  4 –2  7 –4   Winona State  3 –3  4 –7   Southwest State (MN)  2 –4  2 –9   Bemidji State  1 –5  2 –8   Minnesota Morris  0 –6  1 –9   $ – Conference champion |
| 1996 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  East Division No. 13 Bloomsburg x^  6 –0  10 –2   West Chester  4 –2  7 –3   East Stroudsburg  4 –2  6 –4   Millersville  4 –2  6 –4   Kutztown  2 –4  4 –6   Mansfield  1 –5  3 –8   Cheyney  0 –6  0 –11   West Division No. 8 Clarion x^  5 –1  11 –3   No. 10 IUP x^  5 –1  8 –3   Slippery Rock  4 –2  7 –4   Edinboro  4 –2  6 –4   Shippensburg  2 –4  3 –8   Lock Haven  1 –5  1 –10   California (PA)  0 –6  2 –9   x – Division champion/co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1996 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Chadron State $^  7 –1  10 –2   Western State (CO)  6 –2  6 –5   New Mexico Highlands  5 –3  8 –3   Fort Hays State  5 –3  7 –3   Fort Lewis  4 –4  5 –5   Nebraska–Kearney  4 –4  4 –7   Adams State  2 –6  4 –7   Mesa State  2 –6  2 –8   Colorado Mines  1 –7  3 –8   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant | 1996 South Atlantic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 6 Carson–Newman +^  6 –1  12 –2   No. 18 Catawba +  6 –1  9 –2   Presbyterian  4 –3  5 –6   Elon  4 –3  4 –7   Mars Hill  3 –4  5 –5   Wingate  2 –5  4 –6   Gardner–Webb  2 –5  2 –9   Lenoir–Rhyne  1 –6  1 –9   Newberry  0 –0  7 –4   + – Conference co-champions^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |
| 1996 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 14 Albany State $^  5 –1  8 –3   Miles  3 –3  6 –4   Alabama A&M  3 –3  6 –5   Fort Valley State  3 –3  6 –5   Savannah State  3 –3  6 –5   Kentucky State  3 –3  5 –6   Clark Atlanta  3 –3  5 –6   Tuskegee  2 –4  5 –6   Morris Brown  2 –4  3 –8   Morehouse  0 –6  2 –9   $ – Conference champion^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll | 1996 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Glenville State +  6 –1  6 –4   Fairmont State +  6 –1  6 –4   Shepherd  5 –2  7 –3   West Virginia State  3 –4  4 –7   Concord  2 –5  4 –7   West Liberty State  2 –5  2 –8   West Virginia Wesleyan  2 –5  2 –8   West Virginia Tech  2 –5  2 –9   + – Conference co-championsWest Virginia Wesleyan forfeited two victories including a conference win over West Virginia Tech. | 1996 NCAA Division II independents football records vteConfOverall Team W L W L  Saint Joseph's (IN)   –  9 –2   No. 17 UC Davis ^   –  8 –5   Albany   –  7 –3   New Haven   –  7 –3   Southern Connecticut State   –  7 –4   American International   –  6 –4   Pace   –  6 –4   Mercyhurst   –  4 –5   Mississippi College   –  4 –6   Western New Mexico   –  3 –6   Wayne State (NE)   –  3 –7   Quincy   –  1 –8   ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participantRankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll |

## Conference summaries

* Conference Champions
* Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia State
* Eastern Collegiate Football Conference – Salve Regina
* Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State
* Lone Star Conference – Texas A&M–Kingsville
* Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State
* Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference – Ferris State
* North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha
* Northern California Athletic Conference‡ – Cal State Chico
* Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Duluth
* Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Clarion (West)
* Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State
* South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman and Catawba
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State
* West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fairmont State and Glenville State

## Postseason

The 1996 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 23rd single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the tenth time.

### Playoff bracket

| First round Campus sites | First round Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Quarterfinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | Semifinals Campus sites | | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL | Championship Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL |
| Clarion | 42 | | | | | | | |
| Bloomsburg | 29 | | | | | | | |
| Bloomsburg | 29 | Clarion | 23 | | | | | |
| | | Ferris State | 21 | | | | | |
| Ferris State | 24 | Ferris State | 21 | | | | | |
| IUP | 23 | | | | | | | |
| IUP | 23 | | | Clarion | 18 | | | |
| | | | | Northern Colorado | 19 | | | |
| Northern Colorado | 24 | | | | | Northern Colorado | 19 | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 21 | | | | | | | |
| Pittsburg State | 21 | Northern Colorado | 27 | | | | | |
| | | Northwest Missouri State | 26 | | | | | |
| Northwest Missouri State | 22 | Northwest Missouri State | 26 | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 21 | | | | | | | |
| Nebraska–Omaha | 21 | | | | | | Northern Colorado | 23 |
| | | | | | | | Carson–Newman | 14 |
| Valdosta State | 38 | | | | | | | | Carson–Newman | 14 |
| Albany State | 28 | | | | | | | |
| Albany State | 28 | Valdosta State | 19 | | | | | |
| | | Carson–Newman | 24 | | | | | |
| Carson–Newman | 41 | Carson–Newman | 24 | | | | | |
| West Georgia | 7 | | | | | | | |
| West Georgia | 7 | | | Carson–Newman | 29 | | | |
| | | | | UC Davis | 26 | | | |
| Central Oklahoma | 23 | | | | | UC Davis | 26 | | | |
| Chadron State | 21 | | | | | | | |
| Chadron State | 21 | Central Oklahoma | 7 | | | | | |
| | | UC Davis | 26 | | | | | |
| UC Davis | 17 | UC Davis | 26 | | | | | |
| Texas A&M–Kingsville† | 14 | | | | | | | |