1996 Akron Zips football team

The 1996 Akron Zips football team represented Akron University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season as members of the Mid-American Conference. They were led by second–year head coach Lee Owens. The Zips played their home games at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio. They finished the season with a record of 4–7, 3–5 in MAC play to finish in a three-way tie for sixth place.

1996 Akron Zips football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Record	4–7 (3–5 MAC)
Head coach	Lee Owens (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Paul Winters (2nd season)
Home stadium	Rubber Bowl

1996 Mid-American Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Ball State $		7	–	1					8	–	4
Toledo		6	–	2					7	–	4
Miami (OH)		6	–	2					6	–	5
Ohio		5	–	3					6	–	6
Central Michigan		4	–	4					5	–	6
Akron		3	–	5					4	–	7
Bowling Green		3	–	5					4	–	7
Eastern Michigan		3	–	5					3	–	8
Western Michigan		2	–	6					2	–	9
Kent State		1	–	7					2	–	9
$ – Conference champion

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 29	at Ohio	Peden Stadium Athens, OH	L 14–44
September 7	No. 15 Virginia Tech*	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 18–21	12,293
September 14	Toledo	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	L 10–27
September 21	at Illinois*	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	L 7–38	48,285
September 28	Western Michigan	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 27–7
October 5	at Kent State	Dix Stadium Kent, OH (Wagon Wheel)	L 17–32
October 12	at Central Michigan	Kelly/Shorts Stadium Mount Pleasant, MI	L 0–42
October 19	Miami (OH)	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 10–7
October 26	at Northern Illinois*	Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL	W 34–17	10,465
November 2	Bowling Green	Rubber Bowl Akron, OH	W 21–14
November 9	at Eastern Michigan	Rynearson Stadium Ypsilanti, MI	L 17–20
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game