American college football season
1996 NCAA Division I-AA season Duration August–November Payton Award Archie Amerson (RB, Northern Arizona)Buchanan Award Dexter Coakley (LB, Appalachian State)Duration November 30–December 21 Championship date December 21, 1996 Championship site Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia Champion Marshall
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]
Conference changes and new programs [ ]
The American West Conference disbanded following the 1995 season and its four remaining members either became independents (Cal Poly, Sacramento State, and Southern Utah) or joined the Big Sky (Cal State Northridge).
Prior to the season, the Northeast Conference , a preexisting Division I conference, announced it would add football for its five members that sponsored the sport.
Conference standings [ ]
1996 Big Sky Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 2 Montana $^
7
–
0
14
–
1
No. 6 Northern Arizona ^
6
–
1
9
–
3
Cal State Northridge
4
–
3
7
–
4
Weber State
4
–
3
7
–
4
Eastern Washington
3
–
4
6
–
5
Montana State
3
–
4
6
–
5
Idaho State
1
–
6
4
–
7
Sacramento State
0
–
7
1
–
10
Portland State
0
–
0
3
–
8
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Portland State games did not count in conference standings Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Ivy League football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 17 Dartmouth $
7
–
0
10
–
0
Columbia
5
–
2
8
–
2
Brown
4
–
3
5
–
5
Cornell
4
–
3
4
–
6
Penn
3
–
4
5
–
5
Harvard
2
–
5
4
–
6
Princeton
2
–
5
3
–
7
Yale
1
–
6
2
–
8
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Duquesne $
8
–
0
10
–
1
Georgetown
7
–
1
7
–
3
Marist
6
–
2
7
–
3
St. John's
5
–
3
6
–
4
Canisius
4
–
4
5
–
4
Saint Peter's
2
–
6
2
–
7
Siena
2
–
6
2
–
7
Fairfield
1
–
7
1
–
8
Iona
1
–
7
1
–
9
1996 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 12 Florida A&M $^
7
–
0
9
–
3
No. 20 Howard
6
–
1
10
–
2
North Carolina A&T
4
–
3
8
–
3
South Carolina State
4
���
3
4
–
6
Hampton
3
–
4
5
–
6
Morgan State
2
–
5
4
–
7
Delaware State
2
–
5
3
–
8
Bethune–Cookman
0
–
7
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Northeast Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Robert Morris +
3
–
1
9
–
2
Monmouth +
3
–
1
7
–
3
Central Connecticut
2
–
2
3
–
7
Wagner
2
–
2
5
–
5
Saint Francis (PA)
0
–
4
3
–
7
+ – Conference co-champions
1996 Ohio Valley Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 4 Murray State $^
8
–
0
11
–
2
No. 16 Eastern Illinois ^
6
–
2
8
–
4
Eastern Kentucky
6
–
2
6
–
5
Middle Tennessee
4
–
4
6
–
5
Tennessee Tech
4
–
4
5
–
6
Tennessee State
3
–
5
4
–
7
Southeast Missouri State
3
–
5
3
–
8
Austin Peay
1
–
7
1
–
10
Tennessee–Martin
1
–
7
1
–
10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Patriot League football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
Bucknell $
4
–
1
6
–
5
Colgate
3
–
2
6
–
5
Lehigh
3
–
2
5
–
6
Lafayette
2
–
2
5
–
5
Fordham
1
–
3
2
–
8
Holy Cross
1
–
4
2
–
9
1996 Pioneer Football League standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 24 Dayton $
5
–
0
11
–
0
Drake
4
–
1
8
–
3
Evansville
2
–
3
5
–
5
Butler
2
–
3
3
–
7
San Diego
1
–
4
4
–
6
Valparaiso
1
–
4
4
–
6
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Southern Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 1 Marshall $^
8
–
0
15
–
0
No. T–8 East Tennessee State ^
7
–
1
10
–
3
No. 13 Furman ^
6
–
2
9
–
4
No. 25 Appalachian State
5
–
3
7
–
4
The Citadel
3
–
5
4
–
7
Georgia Southern
2
–
6
4
–
7
VMI
2
–
6
3
–
8
Chattanooga
2
–
6
3
–
8
Western Carolina
1
–
7
4
–
7
Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Southland Football League standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. 5 Troy State $^
5
–
1
12
–
2
No. 19 Nicholls State ^
4
–
2
8
–
4
No. 22 Stephen F. Austin
3
–
3
7
–
4
Northwestern State
3
–
3
6
–
5
Sam Houston State
3
–
3
4
–
7
Southwest Texas State
2
–
4
5
–
6
McNeese State
1
–
5
3
–
8
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
1996 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
No. T–8 Jackson State $^
6
–
1
10
–
2
Southern
5
–
2
7
–
5
Mississippi Valley State
5
–
2
7
–
4
Texas Southern
5
–
2
7
–
4
Alcorn State
3
–
4
4
–
7
Grambling State
2
–
5
3
–
8
Alabama State
2
–
5
3
–
8
Prairie View A&M
0
–
7
0
–
11
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant
1996 Yankee Conference football standings
Conf
Overall
Team
W
L
W
L
New England
No. 18 New Hampshire x
6
–
2
8
–
3
Maine
5
–
3
7
–
4
UMass
4
–
4
6
–
5
Connecticut
3
–
5
4
–
6
Rhode Island
2
–
6
4
–
6
Boston University
0
–
8
1
–
10
Mid-Atlantic
No. 7 William & Mary x$^
7
–
1
10
–
3
No. 14 Villanova ^
6
–
2
8
–
4
No. 11 Delaware ^
6
–
2
8
–
4
No. 23 James Madison
5
–
3
7
–
4
Northeastern
3
–
5
6
–
5
Richmond
1
–
7
2
–
9
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll
Conference champions [ ]
See also: List of NCAA Division I-AA/FCS football seasons
Conference Champions
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
Postseason [ ]
The location of the title game, Marshall University Stadium , was determined before the playoffs started.[2]
NCAA Division I-AA playoff bracket [ ]
First Round November 30 Campus sites
Quarterfinals December 7 Campus sites
Semifinals December 14 Campus sites
National Championship Game December 21 Marshall University Stadium Huntington, West Virginia
16
Nicholls State
3
1
Montana *
48
1
Montana *
44
6
East Tennessee State
14
11
Villanova
29
6
East Tennessee State *
35
1
Montana *
70
4
Troy State
7
13
Florida A&M
25
4
Troy State *
29
4
Troy State *
31
5
Murray State
3
12
Western Illinois
6
5
Murray State *
34
1
Montana
29
2
Marshall
49
15
Delaware
14
2
Marshall *
59
2
Marshall *
54
10
Furman
0
10
Furman
42
7
Northern Arizona *
31
2
Marshall *
31
3
Northern Iowa
14
14
Eastern Illinois
14
3
Northern Iowa *
21
3
Northern Iowa *
38
8
William & Mary
35
9
Jackson State
6
8
William & Mary *
45
* Denotes host institution
Source:[3]
References [ ]
Champion – Marshall Thundering Herd
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NCAA Division I NCAA Division I-A/FBS NCAA Division I-AA/FCS NCAA College Division NCAA Division II NCAA Division III