1996 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

The 1996 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 15th-year head coach Ron Randleman, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 3–3 in conference play, and finished tied for third in the Southland.