| Year: | 1996 |
| Team: | Tennessee State Tigers |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Short Conf: | OVC |
| Record: | 4–7 |
| Conf Record: | 3–5 |
| Head Coach: | L. C. Cole |
| Hc Year: | 1st |
| Stadium: | Hale Stadium Vanderbilt Stadium |
The 1996 Tennessee State Tigers football team represented Tennessee State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach L. C. Cole, the Tigers compiled an overall record of 4–7, with a conference record of 3–5, and finished tied for sixth in the OVC.