1996 All-America college football team

The 1996 All-America college football teamis composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1996. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recognizes seven selectors as "official" for the 1996 season. They are: (1) the Associated Press (AP), (2) the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), (3) Football News, (4) the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) selected by the nation's football writers; (5) The Sporting News (TSN); the United Press International (UPI) - in its last year as a selector - selected based on the votes of sports writers at UPI newspapers; and the Walter Camp Football Foundation (WC).

The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to such a list selected by football pioneer Walter Camp in the 1890s. The NCAA has officially recognized All-Americans selected by over a changing roster of over 20 organizations. In 1995, the official selectors were the AP, UPI, AFCA, FWAA, WCFF, TSN, and FN to determine Consensus All-Americans.

The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), the oldest All-American college football selection at the time and once an official selector, also selected a team - the last one they selected.

A player is named to the Consensus team if they are selected first team by a majority of the recognized All-America teams, in this case 4. If no player at a position meets that majority threshold, a player can still qualify by earning first-team honors from at least two of the designated selectors. Second- and third-team honors are used as tie-breakers, and if a true tie remains, all tied players are included.