The 1956 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 (CCAA) during the 1956 college football season.
Led by first-year head coach Ed Cody, the Gauchos compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 2–1 in conference play, tying for second place in the CCAA.
[1] At the end of the regular season, the Santa Barbara accepted an invitation to play in a charity bowl game.
The game was the first and only Citricado Bowl, played at Escondido High School in Escondido, California against a military team from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
[2] The Gauchos played home games at La Playa Stadium in Santa Barbara, California.