1996 Tennessee State Tigers football team

1996 Tennessee State Tigers football
Conference	Ohio Valley Conference
Record	4–7 (3–5 OVC)
Head coach	L. C. Cole (1st season)
Home stadium	Hale Stadium Vanderbilt Stadium

1996 Ohio Valley Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Murray State $^		8	–	0					11	–	2
No. 16 Eastern Illinois ^		6	–	2					8	–	4
Eastern Kentucky		6	–	2					6	–	5
Middle Tennessee		4	–	4					6	–	5
Tennessee Tech		4	–	4					5	–	6
Tennessee State		3	–	5					4	–	7
Southeast Missouri State		3	–	5					3	–	8
Austin Peay		1	–	7					1	–	10
Tennessee–Martin		1	–	7					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network poll

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.

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 31	Florida A&M*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	L 20–35	31,782	[1]
September 7	No. 18 Middle Tennessee	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 24–14		[2]
September 14	vs. No. 10 Jackson State*	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN (Southern Heritage Classic)	L 14–21	55,212	[3]
September 28	vs. Southern*	Georgia Dome Atlanta, GA (Atlanta Football Classic)	L 18–19	45,894	[4]
October 5	Lane*	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 43–26		[5]
October 19	Tennessee–Martin	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 37–14	21,331	[6]
October 26	Austin Peay	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	W 38–14		[7]
November 2	at Eastern Kentucky	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	L 10–30	9,300	[8]
November 9	at Tennessee Tech	Tucker Stadium Cookeville, TN	L 19–21		[9]
November 16	at No. 4 Murray State	Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY	L 14–50		[10]
November 23	Southeast Missouri State	Hale Stadium Nashville, TN	L 21–24	3,718	[11]
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

References

1. "Showing strength of Sampson". Tallahassee Democrat. September 1, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Enthusiastic TSU claws rival MTSU". The Daily News-Journal. September 8, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "JSU lays claim to Classic". The Commercial Appeal. September 15, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Southern U. still at home in Dome". The Atlanta Constitution. September 29, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "TSU stops Lane, 43–26". The Jackson Sun. October 6, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "A reason to party; TSU romps past UT–Martin 37–14". The Tennessean. October 20, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Govs fall again; Good start not enough vs. TSU". The Leaf-Chronicle. October 27, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Vintage Eastern play yields 30–10 win". The Courier-Journal. November 3, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Tech holds on to defeat short-handed Tennessee St". The Tennessean. November 10, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Quick-striking Racers perfect again". The Paducah Sun. November 17, 1994. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "TSU closes with fourth loss in row". The Tennessean. November 24, 1996. Retrieved March 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.