| Year: | 1996 |
| Team: | East Tennessee State Buccaneers |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Southern Conference |
| Short Conf: | SoCon |
| Tsnrank: | T–8 |
| Record: | 10–3 |
| Conf Record: | 7–1 |
| Head Coach: | Mike Cavan |
| Hc Year: | 5th |
| Off Coach: | David McKnight |
| Oc Year: | 5th |
| Def Coach: | Eric Schumann |
| Dc Year: | 5th |
| Stadium: | Memorial Center |
| Bowl: | NCAA Division I-AA Quarterfinal |
| Bowl Result: | L 14–44 vs. Montana |
The 1996 East Tennessee State Buccaneers football team represented East Tennessee State University as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by Mike Cavan in his fifth and final season as head coach, the Buccaneers compiled an overall record of 10–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the SoCon behind Marshall. East Tennessee State advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where they beat Villanova in the first round before falling to Montana in the quarterfinals.[1]