The 1946 Santa Barbara Gauchos football team represented Santa Barbara College—now known as University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association during the 1946 college football season.
Led by second-year head coach Stan Williamson, Santa Barbara compiled an overall record of 2–6.
with a mark of 0–4 in conference play, placing last out of five teams in the CCAA.
[1] The Gauchos played home games at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, California.
This was the first year of competition for Santa Barbara after a five-year hiatus due to World War II.