1996 Kansas Jayhawks football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1996
| team = Kansas Jayhawks
| sport = football
| image =
| image_size =
| conference = Big 12 Conference
| division = North Division
| short_conf = Big 12
| record = 4–7
| conf_record = 2–6
| head_coach = Glen Mason
| hc_year = 9th
| off_coach = Pat Ruel
| oc_year = 9th
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Mike Hankwitz
| dc_year = 2nd
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Memorial Stadium
}}
{{1996 Big 12 Conference football standings}}
The 1996 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas as a member of the North Division of the newly-=formed Big 12 Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by Glen Mason in his ninth and final season as head coach, the Jayhawks compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing fifth in the Big 12's North Division. The team played home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.
1996 was the Jayhawks' first season in the newly formed Big 12, which was formed from the eight schools from Big Eight Conference and four schools from Southwest Conference (SWC); both conferences dissolved following the 1995–96 academic year. Mason resigned at the end of the season to become the head football coach at the University of Minnesota.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1996
| poll = AP
| timezone = Central
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = August 29
| time = 7:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 25
| opponent = Ball State
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| tv =
| score = 35–10
| attend = 36,200
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 14
| time = 8:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 24
| opponent = TCU
| site_stadium = Amon G. Carter Stadium
| site_cityst = Fort Worth, TX
| tv = ESPN2
| score = 52–17
| attend = 37,512
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 28
| time = 8:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 20
| opponent = Utah
| site_stadium = Robert Rice Stadium
| site_cityst = Salt Lake City, UT
| tv = ESPN2
| score = 42–45
| attend = 32,519
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 5
| time = 11:30 a.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Oklahoma
| site_stadium = Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Norman, OK
| tv = FSN
| score = 52–24
| attend = 64,333
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 12
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| opponent = Texas Tech
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| tv =
| score = 17–30
| attend = 46,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 19
| time = 11:30 a.m.
| w/l = l
| homecoming = y
| opponent = Colorado
| opprank = 9
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| tv = FSN
| score = 7–20
| attend = 48,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 26
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Nebraska
| opprank = 5
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lincoln, NE
| gamename = rivalry
| tv = FSN
| score = 7–63
| attend = 75,158
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 2
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Iowa State
| site_stadium = Cyclone Stadium
| site_cityst = Ames, IA
| tv =
| score = 34–31
| attend = 37,850
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 9
| time = 1:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| opponent = Kansas State
| opprank = 13
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| gamename = rivalry
| tv =
| score = 12–38
| attend = 48,800
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 16
| time = 11:30 a.m.
| w/l = l
| opponent = Texas
| site_stadium = Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Lawrence, KS
| tv = FSN
| score = 17–38
| attend = 30,500
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 23
| time = 11:30 a.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| opponent = Missouri
| site_stadium = Faurot Field
| site_cityst = Columbia, MO
| gamename = Border War
| tv = FSN
| score = 25–42
| attend = 36,821
}}
}}
{{cite web|last=DeLassus|first=David|title=Kansas Yearly Results: 1995–1999|publisher=College Football Data Warehouse|url=http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/kansas/yearly_results.php?year=1995|access-date=March 17, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930091357/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/kansas/yearly_results.php?year=1995|archive-date=September 30, 2012|url-status=dead}}
Roster
| class="toccolours" style="font-size:90%;" |
| style="text-align:center;"
!colspan="5" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Kansas Jayhawks|border=2|color=white}}"| 1996 Kansas Jayhawks football roster |
| colspan="5" align="center"| (starters in bold) |
| valign="top"|
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|width="25"| |valign="top"| Offensive line Defensive line |width="25"| |valign="top"| Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties Punters
Kickers
|
Coaching staff
| class="wikitable" | |
| {{CollegePrimaryHeader|team=Kansas Jayhawks|Name|Position}} | |
| Glen Mason | Head coach |
| Golden Pat Ruel | Offensive coordinator and offensive line |
| Mike Hankwitz | Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers |
| Dave Warner | Quarterbacks |
| Vic Adamle | Wide receivers |
| Mitch Browning | Tight ends |
| Reggie Mitchell | Running backs |
| David Gibbs | Defensive secondary |
| Dave Gillespie | Defensive line |
| Tim Phillips | Outside linebackers |
Rankings
{{See also|1996 NCAA Division I-A football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 0
| poll1lastweek = 17
| poll1_0=24
| poll1_1=25
| poll1_2=RV
| poll1_3=24
| poll1_4=22
| poll1_5=20
| poll1_6=RV
| poll1_7=RV
| poll1_8=NR
| poll1_9=NR
| poll1_10=NR
| poll1_11=NR
| poll1_12=NR
| poll1_13=NR
| poll1_14=NR
| poll1_15=NR
| poll1_16=NR
| poll1_17=NR
| poll2title = Coaches Poll
| poll2firstweek = 0
| poll2lastweek =17
| poll2_0=RV
| poll2_1=RV
| poll2_2=24
| poll2_3=22
| poll2_4=20
| poll2_5=20
| poll2_6=RV
| poll2_7=RV
| poll2_8=NR
| poll2_9=NR
| poll2_10=NR
| poll2_11=NR
| poll2_12=NR
| poll2_13=NR
| poll2_14=NR
| poll2_15=NR
| poll2_16=NR
| poll2_17=NR
}}