The 1996 Southland Conference men's basketball tournament was held March 7–9 at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana.
[2] Northeast Louisiana defeated North Texas in the championship game, 71–60, to win their fifth Southland men's basketball tournament.
The Indians received a bid to the 1996 NCAA Tournament as the No.
Six of the ten conference members participated in the tournament field.
Tournament play began with the quarterfinal round.