The 1996 NCAA Division II football season, part of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division II level, began on September 7, 1996, and concluded with the NCAA Division II Football Championship on December 14, 1996, at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, hosted by the University of North Alabama. The Northern Colorado Bears defeated the Carson–Newman, 23–14, to win their first Division II national title.[2]

1996 NCAA Division II football season
Regular seasonSeptember 7 – November 16, 1996
PlayoffsNovember 23 – December 14, 1996[1]
National ChampionshipBraly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL
ChampionNorthern Colorado
Harlon Hill TrophyJarrett Anderson, Truman

The Harlon Hill Trophy was awarded to Jarrett Anderson, running back from Truman.

Conference and program changes

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Conference changes

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Team 1995 conference 1996 conference
Jacksonville State NCAA Division II independent NCAA I-AA independent
Mississippi College Gulf South Conference NCAA Division II independent
Portland State NCAA Division II independent Big Sky Conference (I-AA)
Saint Joseph's (IN) Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference NCAA Division II independent

Program changes

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Conference standings

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1996 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Virginia State $   7 1     8 3  
Livingstone   7 1     8 2  
Norfolk State   6 2     7 4  
North Carolina Central   5 3     8 3  
Johnson C. Smith   5 3     7 3  
Elizabeth City State   4 4     4 6  
Winston-Salem State   3 5     4 7  
Bowie State   2 6     3 7  
Fayetteville State   1 7     2 8  
Virginia Union   1 7     2 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Salve Regina $   8 0     9 0  
Bentley   7 1     7 3  
Stonehill   7 2     8 2  
Sacred Heart   4 3     4 6  
Merrimack   5 4     5 4  
UMass Lowell   4 4     6 4  
MIT   3 5     4 5  
Nichols   2 5     2 8  
Western New England   2 6     2 7  
Curry   1 7     3 7  
Assumption   1 8     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Gulf South Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. T–4 Valdosta State $^   6 2     10 3  
No. 12 West Georgia ^   5 2     9 3  
Delta State   6 3     6 4  
Central Arkansas   5 3     6 5  
North Alabama   4 4     6 5  
Henderson State   4 4     5 6  
Arkansas Tech   3 5     5 6  
Arkansas–Monticello   3 5     5 6  
Southern Arkansas   2 5     4 6  
West Alabama   1 6     3 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Lone Star Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Texas A&M–Kingsville $^   7 0     8 3  
No. 9 Central Oklahoma ^   5 2     9 3  
Texas A&M–Commerce   4 3     7 3  
Angelo State   4 3     6 4  
Abilene Christian   4 3     6 4  
Tarleton State   2 5     5 5  
Eastern New Mexico   2 5     3 8  
West Texas A&M   0 7     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 2 Northwest Missouri State +^   8 1     11 2  
No. 7 Pittsburg State +^   8 1     8 3  
Truman State   7 2     7 4  
Missouri Western State   5 4     7 4  
Missouri Southern State   5 4     6 4  
Emporia State   5 4     5 6  
Washburn   4 5     4 6  
Central Missouri State   2 7     4 7  
Missouri–Rolla   1 8     3 8  
Southwest Baptist   0 9     0 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Ferris State $^   9 1     10 2  
Grand Valley State   8 2     8 3  
Northern Michigan   7 3     7 3  
Saginaw Valley State   7 3     7 3  
Hillsdale   6 4     6 5  
Northwood   5 5     6 5  
Ashland   4 6     4 7  
Indianapolis   3 7     4 7  
St. Francis (IL)   2 8     3 8  
Michigan Tech   2 8     2 8  
Wayne State (MI)   2 8     2 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
1996 North Central Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. T–4 Nebraska–Omaha $^   8 1     10 2  
No. 15 Northern Colorado ^   6 3     12 3  
No. 19 North Dakota   6 3     7 3  
South Dakota State   6 3     7 4  
North Dakota State   5 4     6 4  
South Dakota   4 5     6 5  
Mankato State   4 5     5 6  
St. Cloud State   4 5     5 6  
Augustana (SD)   2 7     3 8  
Morningside   0 9     1 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Northern California Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Chico State $   3 1     5 5  
Sonoma State   2 2     2 8  
Humboldt State   1 3     3 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Minnesota Duluth $   6 0     8 3  
Moorhead State   5 1     7 3  
Northern State   4 2     7 4  
Winona State   3 3     4 7  
Southwest State (MN)   2 4     2 9  
Bemidji State   1 5     2 8  
Minnesota Morris   0 6     1 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 13 Bloomsburg x^   6 0     10 2  
West Chester   4 2     7 3  
East Stroudsburg   4 2     6 4  
Millersville   4 2     6 4  
Kutztown   2 4     4 6  
Mansfield   1 5     3 8  
Cheyney   0 6     0 11  
West Division
No. 8 Clarion x^   5 1     11 3  
No. 10 IUP x^   5 1     8 3  
Slippery Rock   4 2     7 4  
Edinboro   4 2     6 4  
Shippensburg   2 4     3 8  
Lock Haven   1 5     1 10  
California (PA)   0 6     2 9  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Chadron State $^   7 1     10 2  
Western State (CO)   6 2     6 5  
New Mexico Highlands   5 3     8 3  
Fort Hays State   5 3     7 3  
Fort Lewis   4 4     5 5  
Nebraska–Kearney   4 4     4 7  
Adams State   2 6     4 7  
Mesa State   2 6     2 8  
Colorado Mines   1 7     3 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
1996 South Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 6 Carson–Newman +^   6 1     12 2  
No. 18 Catawba +   6 1     9 2  
Presbyterian   4 3     5 6  
Elon   4 3     4 7  
Mars Hill   3 4     5 5  
Wingate   2 5     4 6  
Gardner–Webb   2 5     2 9  
Lenoir–Rhyne   1 6     1 9  
Newberry   0 0     7 4  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 14 Albany State $^   5 1     8 3  
Miles   3 3     6 4  
Alabama A&M   3 3     6 5  
Fort Valley State   3 3     6 5  
Savannah State   3 3     6 5  
Kentucky State   3 3     5 6  
Clark Atlanta   3 3     5 6  
Tuskegee   2 4     5 6  
Morris Brown   2 4     3 8  
Morehouse   0 6     2 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll
1996 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Glenville State +   6 1     6 4  
Fairmont State +   6 1     6 4  
Shepherd   5 2     7 3  
West Virginia State   3 4     4 7  
Concord   2 5     4 7  
West Liberty State   2 5     2 8  
West Virginia Wesleyan   2 5     2 8  
West Virginia Tech   2 5     2 9  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • West Virginia Wesleyan forfeited two victories including a conference win over West Virginia Tech.
1996 NCAA Division II independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Saint Joseph's (IN)       9 2  
No. 17 UC Davis ^       8 5  
Albany       7 3  
New Haven       7 3  
Southern Connecticut State       7 4  
American International       6 4  
Pace       6 4  
Mercyhurst       4 5  
Mississippi College       4 6  
Western New Mexico       3 6  
Wayne State (NE)       3 7  
Quincy       1 8  
  • ^ – NCAA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

Conference summaries

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Conference Champions

Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association – Virginia State
Eastern Collegiate Football Conference – Salve Regina
Gulf South Conference – Valdosta State
Lone Star Conference – Texas A&M–Kingsville
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association – Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State
Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference – Ferris State
North Central Conference – Nebraska–Omaha
Northern California Athletic Conference‡ – Cal State Chico
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference – Minnesota–Duluth
Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – Bloomsburg (East), Clarion (West)
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference – Chadron State
South Atlantic Conference – Carson-Newman and Catawba
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Albany State
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – Fairmont State and Glenville State

Postseason

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1996 NCAA Division II Football Championship
Teams16
Finals Site
Champion
Runner-up
Semifinalists
Winning coach
  • championship

The 1996 NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs were the 23rd single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division II college football. The championship game was held at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Alabama, for the tenth time.

Playoff bracket

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First round
Campus sites
Quarterfinals
Campus sites
Semifinals
Campus sites
Championship
Braly Municipal Stadium
Florence, AL
        
Clarion 42
Bloomsburg 29
Clarion 23
Ferris State 21
Ferris State 24
IUP 23
Clarion 18
Northern Colorado 19
Northern Colorado 24
Pittsburg State 21
Northern Colorado 27
Northwest Missouri State 26
Northwest Missouri State 22
Nebraska–Omaha 21
Northern Colorado 23
Carson–Newman 14
Valdosta State 38
Albany State 28
Valdosta State 19
Carson–Newman 24
Carson–Newman 41
West Georgia 7
Carson–Newman 29
UC Davis 26
Central Oklahoma 23
Chadron State 21
Central Oklahoma 7
UC Davis 26
UC Davis 17
Texas A&M–Kingsville14

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "1995-1999 Northern Colorado Schedules". College Football Warehouse. cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  2. ^ "1996 NCAA Division II National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  3. ^ "Texas A&M University-Commerce History & Traditions". Texas A&M-Commerce. tamuc.edu. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  4. ^ "History of Truman State University". Truman State. truman.edu. Retrieved January 7, 2014.