The 1996 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team represented Western Illinois University as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season.
They were led by seventh-year head coach Randy Ball and played their home games at Hanson Field.
The Leathernecks finished the season with a 9–3 record overall and a 3–2 record in conference play.
The team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they lost to Murray State in the first round.
This college football 1990s season article is a stub.