1996 Cornell Big Red football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1996
| team = Cornell Big Red
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Ivy League
| short_conf = Ivy
| record = 4–6
| conf_record = 4–3
| head_coach = Jim Hofher
| hc_year = 7th
| off_coach =
| oc_year =
| off_scheme =
| def_coach =
| dc_year =
| def_scheme =
| captain = Steve Busch
| captain2 = Chad Levitt
| captain3 = Seth Payne
| captain4 = Brian Weidel
| stadium = Schoellkopf Field
}}
{{1996 Ivy League football standings}}
The 1996 Cornell Big Red football team was an American football team that represented Cornell University during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Cornell tied for third in the Ivy League.
In its seventh season under head coach Jim Hofher, the team compiled a 4–6 record and was outscored 280 to 221. Steve Busch, Chad Levitt, Seth Payne and Brian Weidel were team captains.{{cite web |title=Football Record Book |publisher=Cornell University |location=Ithaca, N.Y. |access-date=July 3, 2020 |url=https://cornellbigred.com/documents/2011/10/27/RecordBook_2011.pdf?id=4170}}
Cornell's 4–3 conference record tied for third place in the Ivy League standings. The Big Red were outscored 178 to 157 by Ivy opponents.{{cite book|url=https://ivyleague.com/documents/2017/8/23/3_Year_By_Year_History_2017.pdf?id=2998|title=Ivy League Football Media Guide|chapter=Year-by-Year History|publisher=Ivy League|location=Princeton, N.J.|date=2017|access-date=July 10, 2020|pages=36–37}}
Cornell played its home games at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, New York.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| attend = y
| source = y
| rankyear = 1996
| rankdivision = NCAA Division I-AA
| poll = The Sports Network
| September 21 | | Princeton
| Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, NY | W 33-27 <2OT>
| 14,120 | {{cite news |title=Princeton Bows to Cornell in Ivy's First Overtime Game |agency=Associated Press |date=September 22, 1996 |page=C14 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59165679/1996-cornell-princeton/ }}
| September 28 | @ | Lafayette
| Fisher Field | Easton, PA | L 19-30
| 5,828 | {{cite news |title=Lafayette's Moore, Quincy Solve Cornell |first=Ted |last=Meixell |date=September 29, 1996 |page=C1 |newspaper=The Morning Call |location=Allentown, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59167686/1996-cornell-lafayette/ }}
| October 5 | @ | Buffalo
| University at Buffalo Stadium | Amherst, NY | L 24-41
| 9,177 | {{cite news |title=Bulls Turn Back Big Red, 41-24 |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 7, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59178920/1996-cornell-buffalo/ }}
| October 12 | @ | Harvard
| Harvard Stadium | Boston, MA | W 20-13
| 8,700 | {{cite news |title=Levitt, CU Top Harvard |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 14, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59179286/1996-cornell-harvard/ }}
| October 19 | | Colgate
| Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, NY | L 21-31
| 5,943 | {{cite news |title='New' Red Raiders Overtake Cornell |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 21, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59181883/1996-colgate-cornell/ }}
| October 26 | | Dartmouth
| Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, NY (rivalry) | L 21-38
| 8,226 | {{cite news |title=Big Red Falls Back with Loss |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=October 28, 1996 |page=4B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59183412/1996-cornell-dartmouth/ }}
| November 2 | | Brown
| Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, NY | L 21-35
| 8,202 | {{cite news |title=CU's Ivy Title Hopes Take a Severe Hit |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=November 4, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59184108/1996-brown-cornell/ }}
| November 9 | @ | Yale
| Yale Bowl | New Haven, CT | W 28-20
| 7,655 | {{cite news |title=Turnovers Ruin Yale's Turnaround |first=Bruce |last=Berlet |date=November 10, 1996 |page=E11 |newspaper=The Hartford Courant |location=Hartford, Conn.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59185219/1996-cornell-yale/ }}
| November 16 | @ | Columbia
| Wien Stadium | New York, NY (rivalry) | L 10-24
| 7,055 | {{cite news |title=A Heartbreaker: Injury Stops Levitt Short of Goal; CU Falls |first=Keith |last=McShea |date=November 18, 1996 |page=3B |newspaper=The Ithaca Journal |location=Ithaca, N.Y.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59187623/1996-columbia-cornell/ }}
| November 23 | | Penn
| Schoellkopf Field | Ithaca, NY (rivalry) | W 24-21
| 5,223 | {{cite news |title=Cornell Ends Penn's Season on Sour Note |first=Joe |last=Juliano |date=November 24, 1996 |page=C15 |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |location=Philadelphia, Pa.|via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/30125410/cornell-ends-penns-season-on-sour-note/ }}
}}