The Panthers played their home games at the FIU Stadium in Miami, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA).

They were led by fourth-year head coach Ron Turner until he was fired on September 25, 2016.

[1] Defensive coordinator Ron Cooper was promoted to interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

The 2016 schedule consists of 7 home and 5 away games in the regular season.

The Panthers will host C–USA foes Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, and Middle Tennessee, and will travel to Charlotte, Old Dominion, UTEP, and Western Kentucky (WKU).