The 1996 Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs football team represented Southwestern Oklahoma State University as a member of the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference (OIC) during the 1996 NAIA Division I football season. Led by 11th-year head coach Paul Sharp, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 9âÂÂ3 with a mark of 4âÂÂ1 in conference play, and sharing the OIC title with . Southwestern Oklahoma State advanced to the NAIA Division I playoffs, where the Bulldogs defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State in the semifinals and in the championship game.