1996 in football

American football

 * Super Bowl XXX – Dallas Cowboys won 27-17 over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tempe, Arizona.
 * World Bowl 96 – The Scottish Claymores won 32-27 over the Frankfurt Galaxy.
 * Fiesta Bowl (1995 season):
 * The Nebraska Cornhuskers won 62-24 over the Florida Gators to win the national championship
 * Cleveland Browns deactivate and move to Baltimore where they become the Baltimore Ravens The Browns are later reactivated in Cleveland in 1999.
 * The Big 12 Conference begins with its first college football game between Texas Tech and Kansas State. Kansas State won 21–14.