| Year: | 1996 |
| Team: | Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| Conference: | Southeastern Conference |
| Division: | Western Division |
| Short Conf: | SEC |
| Record: | 5–6 |
| Conf Record: | 3–5 |
| Head Coach: | Jackie Sherrill |
| Hc Year: | 6th |
| Off Coach: | Lynn Amedee |
| Oc Year: | 1st |
| Def Coach: | Joe Lee Dunn |
| Dc Year: | 1st |
| Stadium: | Scott Field |
The 1996 Mississippi State Bulldogs football team represented Mississippi State University as a member of the Western Division of the Southern Conference (SEC) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Jackie Sherrill, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–5 in conference play, placing fourth in the SEC's Western Division. Mississippi State played home games at Scott Field in Starkville, Mississippi.
On November 16, Mississippi State beat Alabama for the program's first win over the Crimson Tide since the 1980 season.