The 2016 East Carolina Pirates football team represented East Carolina University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

They were led by first-year head coach Scottie Montgomery and played their home games at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium.

Note: ‡ The game vs. Navy was originally scheduled for October 13 (Thursday) but was postponed due to flooding from Hurricane Matthew; it was rescheduled to Saturday, November 19.

This game was notable for about a score of the band members taking a knee during the national anthem.

It received widespread coverage, including on CNN, Fox News, and NBC.