# 1896 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season

The 1896 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season was the college football games played by the members schools of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association as part of the 1896 college football season. The season began on October 3.
Coach Pop Warner's conference champion Georgia team beat North Carolina 24–16 in a close game. "For the first time in Southern football history the football supremacy of Virginia and North Carolina was successfully challenged." Against John Heisman's Auburn team, Georgia also had the first successful onside kick in the South.
The LSU Tigers, led by coach Allen Jeardeau, went undefeated and were the SIAA co-champions.

## Season overview
### Results and team statistics

| Conf. Rank | Team | Head coach | Overall record | Conf. record |
| 1 (tie) | LSU | Allen Jeardeau | 6–0 | 3–0 |
| 1 (tie) | Georgia | Pop Warner | 4–0 | 2–0 |
| 3 | Vanderbilt | R. G. Acton | 3–2–2 | 3–0–2 |
| 4 | Auburn | John Heisman | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| 5 (tie) | Georgia Tech | J. B. West | 1–1–1 | 1–1–1 |
| 5 (tie) | Texas | Harry Orman Robinson | 4–2–1 | 1–1 |
| 5 (tie) | Alabama | Otto Wagonhurst | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| 5 (tie) | Kentucky State | Dudley Short | 3–6 | 1–1 |
| 9 | Sewanee | J. E. Blair | 3–3 | 3–3 |
| 10 | Tulane | Harry Baum | 3–2 | 1–2 |
| 11 (tie) | Southwestern Presbyterian | | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| 11 (tie) | Nashville | | 0–1–1 | 0–1–1 |
| 13 (tie) | Mercer | J. D. Winston | 0–2–1 | 0–2–1 |
| 13 (tie) | Central | H. McC. Anderson | 0–3–1 | 0–2–1 |
| 13 (tie) | Mississippi A&M | J. B. Hildebrand | 0–4 | 0–2 |
| ? | Cumberland | | | |
Key
PPG = Average of points scored per game
PAG = Average of points allowed per game

### Regular season

* Index to colors and formatting
* Non-conference matchup; SIAA member won
* Non-conference matchup; SIAA member lost
* Non-conference matchup; tie
* Conference matchup
SIAA teams in bold.

#### Week One

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| October 3 | Lexington Athletic Club | Kentucky State | Lexington, KY | L 0–10 | | |
| October 6 | Auburn | Mercer | Central City Park • Macon, GA | AUB 46–0 | | |

#### Week Two

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 10 | Kentucky State | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | VAN 22–0 | 600 |
| October 10 | Centenary | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, LA | W 46–0 | |
| October 10 | Union (TN) | Mississippi A&M | Starkville Fairgrounds • Starkville, MS | L 0–8 | |

#### Week Three

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| October 17 | Nashville | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, TN | SEW 6–0 |
| October 17 | Galveston High School | Texas | Clark Field • Austin, TX | W 42–0 |
| October 17 | Tulane Alumni | Tulane | Tulane Athletic Field • New Orleans, LA | W 12–0 |
| October 17 | Vanderbilt | Centre | Danville, KY | L 0–46 |
| October 17 | Kentucky State | Catlettsburg Athletic Club | Catlettsburg, KY | L 4–6 |
| October 22 | Williamsburg (KY) | Tennessee | Baldwin Park • Knoxville, TN | W 10–0 |

#### Week Four

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| October 24 | LSU | Tulane | Tulane Athletic Field • New Orleans, LA | LSU 6–0 |
| October 24 | Texas | Dallas | Dallas, TX | T 0–0 |
| October 24 | Birmingham Athletic Club | Alabama | The Quad • Tuscaloosa, AL | W 30–0 |
| October 24 | Kentucky University | Kentucky State | Lexington, KY | W 36–6 |
| October 24 | Central | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | T 0–0 |
| October 24 | Georgia | Wofford | Spartanburg, SC | W 26–0 |
| October 26 | Central | Sewanee | McGee Field • Sewanee, TN | SEW 6–4 |
| October 22 | Tennessee | Chattanooga Athletic Club | Chattanooga, TN | W 4–0 |

#### Week Five

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| October 31 | Kentucky State | Centre | Danville, KY | L 0–32 | |
| October 31 | North Carolina | Georgia | Brisbine Park • Atlanta, GA | W 24–16 | 3,000 |
| October 31 | Georgia Tech | Mercer | Central City Park • Macon, GA | L 4–6 | |
| October 31 | Sewanee | Alabama | The Quad • Tuscaloosa, AL | SEW 10–6 | |

#### Week Six

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result |
| November 7 | Central | Kentucky State | Lexington, KY | KEN 62–0 |
| November 7 | San Antonio | Texas | Varsity Athletic Field • Austin, TX | W 12–4 |
| November 7 | Georgia Tech | Auburn | Drill Field • Auburn, AL | W 45–0 |
| November 7 | Vanderbilt | Missouri | Fair Grounds • St. Louis, MO | L 6–26 |
| November 9 | Sewanee | Georgia | Herty Field • Athens, GA | UGA 26–0 |
| November 9 | Tulane | Vicksburg Athletic Club | Vicksburg, MS | W 48–0 |
| November 11 | Vanderbilt | SW Presbyterian | Baseball Park • Clarksville, TN | VAN 36–0 |
| November 13 | LSU | Ole Miss | Fairgrounds • Vicksburg, MS | W 12–4 |

#### Week Seven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 14 | Mississippi A&M | Alabama | The Quad • Tuscaloosa, AL | ALA 20–0 | |
| November 14 | Nashville | Vanderbilt | Dudley Field • Nashville, TN | T 0–0 | |
| November 14 | Centre | Kentucky State | Lexington, KY | L 0–44 | |
| November 14 | Texas | Tulane | Tulane Athletic Field • New Orleans, LA | TEX 12–4 | 800 |
| November 14 | VPI | Tennessee | Baldwin Park • Knoxville, TN | W 6–4 | |
| November 16 | Sewanee | Auburn | Riverside Park • Montgomery, AL | AUB 38–6 | |
| November 16 | Texas | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, LA | LSU 14–0 | |
| November 20 | Mississippi A&M | LSU | State Field • Baton Rouge, LA | LSU 52–0 | |

#### Week Eight

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance |
| November 21 | Kentucky State | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown, KY | W 16–0 | |
| November 21 | Mercer | Georgia Tech | Brisbane Park • Atlanta, GA | T 12–12 | |
| November 21 | Mississippi A&M | Southern Athletic Club | Sportsman's Park • New Orleans, LA | L 0–55 | |
| November 26 | Auburn | Georgia | Brisbine Park • Atlanta, GA | UGA 12–6 | |
| November 26 | Central | Tennessee | Baldwin Park • Knoxville, TN | UT 30–0 | |
| November 26 | Dallas | Texas | Varsity Athletic Field • Austin, TX | W 22–4 | 2,000 |
| November 26 | Ole Miss | Tulane | Tulane Athletic Field • New Orleans, LA | W 10–0 | |
| November 26 | Vanderbilt | Sewanee | Hardee Field • Sewanee, TN | VAN 10–4 | |
| November 27 | Kentucky State | Louisville Athletic Club | Louisville, KY | L 4–30 | |

#### Week Nine

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| November 28 | LSU | Southern Athletic Club | Sportsman's Park • New Orleans, LA | W 6–0 | 500 | |

#### Week Eleven

| Date | Visiting team | Home team | Site | Result | Attendance | Reference |
| December 14 | Missouri | Texas | Varsity Athletic Field • Austin, TX | L 0–10 | | |