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

[2] * Denotes host institution

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