1997 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team

The 1997 Sam Houston State Bearkats football team represented Sam Houston State University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by 16th-year head coach Ron Randleman, the Bearkats compiled an overall record of 5–6 with a mark of 3–4 in conference play, and finished tied for fourth in the Southland.