1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season

American college football season

1996 NCAA Division I-AA season

Regular season
Number of teams| 117
Duration| August–November
Payton Award| Archie Amerson (RB, Northern Arizona)
Buchanan Award| Dexter Coakley (LB, Appalachian State)
Playoff
Duration| November 30–December 21
Championship date| December 21, 1996
Championship site| Marshall University Stadium
Huntington, West Virginia
Champion| Marshall
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-AA level, began in August 1996, and concluded with the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game on December 21, 1996, at Marshall University Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The Marshall Thundering Herd won their second I-AA championship, defeating the defending national champion Montana Grizzlies by a score of 49–29.[1]

## Conference changes and new programs

[edit]

* 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 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)
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 | Big Sky
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

[edit]

1996 Big Sky Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 2 Montana $^  |  | 7  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 14  | - | 1  |
No. 6 Northern Arizona ^  |  | 6  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 3  |
Cal State Northridge |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Weber State |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Eastern Washington |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Montana State |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Idaho State |  | 1  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Sacramento State |  | 0  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  |
Portland State |  | 0  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
* Portland State games did not count in conference standings

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Gateway Football Conference standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 3 Northern Iowa $^  |  | 5  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 12  | - | 2  |
No. 10 Western Illinois ^  |  | 3  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 3  |
No. 21 Southwest Missouri State |  | 3  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Indiana State |  | 3  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Southern Illinois |  | 1  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Illinois State |  | 0  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Ivy League football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 17 Dartmouth $  |  | 7  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 10  | - | 0  |
Columbia |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 2  |
Brown |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  |
Cornell |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  |
Penn |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  |
Harvard |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  |
Princeton |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  |
Yale |  | 1  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 8  |

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
Duquesne $  |  | 8  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 10  | - | 1  |
Georgetown |  | 7  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  |
Marist |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  |
St. John's |  | 5  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 4  |
Canisius |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 4  |
Saint Peter's |  | 2  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 7  |
Siena |  | 2  | - | 6  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 7  |
Fairfield |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 8  |
Iona |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 9  |

* $ - Conference champion

1996 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 12 Florida A&M $^  |  | 7  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 3  |
No. 20 Howard |  | 6  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 10  | - | 2  |
North Carolina A&T |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 3  |
South Carolina State |  | 4  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  |
Hampton |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Morgan State |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Delaware State |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Bethune–Cookman |  | 0  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 9  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Northeast Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
Robert Morris \+  |  | 3  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 9  | - | 2  |
Monmouth \+  |  | 3  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  |
Central Connecticut State |  | 2  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  |
Wagner |  | 2  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  |
Saint Francis (PA) |  | 0  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  |

* \+ - Conference co-champions

1996 Ohio Valley Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 4 Murray State $^  |  | 8  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 2  |
No. 16 Eastern Illinois ^  |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 4  |
Eastern Kentucky |  | 6  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Middle Tennessee |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Tennessee Tech |  | 4  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Tennessee State |  | 3  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Southeast Missouri State |  | 3  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Austin Peay |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  |
Tennessee–Martin |  | 1  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 10  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Patriot League football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
Bucknell $  |  | 4  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Colgate |  | 3  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Lehigh |  | 3  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Lafayette |  | 2  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  |
Fordham |  | 1  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 8  |
Holy Cross |  | 1  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 9  |

* $ - Conference champion

1996 Pioneer Football League standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. 24 Dayton $  |  | 5  | - | 0  |  |  |  |  | 11  | - | 0  |
Drake |  | 4  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 3  |
Evansville |  | 2  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 5  |
Butler |  | 2  | - | 3  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 7  |
San Diego |  | 1  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  |
Valparaiso |  | 1  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 6  |

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Southern Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| 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 |

* v
* t
* e

| 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 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
No. T–8 Jackson State $^  |  | 6  | - | 1  |  |  |  |  | 10  | - | 2  |
Southern |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 5  |
Mississippi Valley State |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Texas Southern |  | 5  | - | 2  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Alcorn State |  | 3  | - | 4  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Grambling State |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Alabama State |  | 2  | - | 5  |  |  |  |  | 3  | - | 8  |
Prairie View A&M |  | 0  | - | 7  |  |  |  |  | 0  | - | 11  |

* $ - Conference champion
* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network Poll
1996 Yankee Conference football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| 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
1996 NCAA Division I-AA independents football standings |

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

|
|
|
|

Team |  | W |  | L |  |  |  |  | W |  | L |
Buffalo |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 3  |
No. 15 Youngstown State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 8  | - | 3  |
Saint Mary's |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 3  |
Western Kentucky |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 7  | - | 4  |
Davidson |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 4  |
Towson |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 4  |
Samford |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Wofford |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 6  | - | 5  |
Cal Poly |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Hofstra |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Liberty |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 5  | - | 6  |
Southern Utah |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 4  | - | 7  |
Charleston Southern |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 8  |
Morehead State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 2  | - | 8  |
Jacksonville State |  |  | - |  |  |  |  |  | 1  | - | 9  |

* ^ - NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant

Rankings from The Sports Network poll

## Conference champions

[edit]

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 Football League – Troy State
Southwestern Athletic Conference – Jackson State
Yankee Conference – William & Mary

## Postseason

[edit]

The location of the title game, Marshall University Stadium, was determined before the playoffs started.[2]

### NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket

[edit]

| First Round
November 30
Campus sites | | | Quarterfinals
December 7
Campus sites | | | Semifinals
December 14
Campus sites | | | National Championship Game
December 21
Marshall University Stadium
Huntington, West Virginia |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| 16 | Nicholls State | 3 | | | |
| 1 | Montana* | 48 |
| | 1 | Montana* | 44 |
|  |
| | | 6 | East Tennessee State | 14 |
| 11 | Villanova | 29 |

| 6 | East Tennessee State* | 35 |
| | 1 | Montana* | 70 |
|  |
| | | 4 | Troy State | 7 |
| 13 | Florida A&M | 25 | |

| 4 | Troy State* | 29 |
| | 4 | Troy State* | 31 |
|  |
| | | 5 | Murray State | 3 |
| 12 | Western Illinois | 6 |

| 5 | Murray State* | 34 |
| | 1 | Montana | 29 |
|  |
| | | 2 | Marshall | 49 |
| 15 | Delaware | 14 | | |

| 2 | Marshall* | 59 |
| | 2 | Marshall* | 54 |
|  |
| | | 10 | Furman | 0 |
| 10 | Furman | 42 |

| 7 | Northern Arizona* | 31 |
| | 2 | Marshall* | 31 |
|  |
| | | 3 | Northern Iowa | 14 |
| 14 | Eastern Illinois | 14 | |

| 3 | Northern Iowa* | 21 |
| | 3 | Northern Iowa* | 38 |
|  |
| | | 8 | William & Mary | 35 |
| 9 | Jackson State | 6 |

| 8 | William & Mary* | 45 |

* Denotes host institution
Source:[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "1996 NCAA Division I Football Championship" (PDF). NCAA.org. p. 15. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
2. ^ "Griz No. 2 in latest I-AA poll". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. November 12, 1996. p. 1C. Retrieved April 17, 2019 - via newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Division I-AA tournament". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. November 25, 1996. p. B7. Retrieved February 9, 2019 - via newspapers.com.

* v
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*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
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*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
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*[No.]: Number