The 1996 Northern Iowa Panthers football team represented the University of Northern Iowa as a member of the Gateway Football Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Terry Allen, the Panthers compiled an overall record of 12âÂÂ2 with a mark of 5âÂÂ0 in conference play, and won the Gateway title for the seventh consecutive season. Northern Iowa advanced to the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs, where the Panthers defeated Eastern Illinois in the first round and William & Mary in the quarterfinals before losing to the eventual national champiom, Marshall, in the semifinals.