| Year: | 1896 |
| Team: | Harvard Crimson |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 7–4 |
| Head Coach: | Bert Waters |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Captain: | Edgar Wrightington |
| Stadium: | Soldiers' Field |
The 1896 Harvard Crimson football team represented Harvard University in the 1896 college football season. The Crimson finished with a 7–4 record under first-year head coach Bert Waters. The team won its first six games, but lost four of the final five games, including losses to rivals Princeton and Penn.[1] [2]