1996 Cal Poly Mustangs football team

The 1996 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as an independent during the 1996 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by Andre Patterson in his third and final season as head coach, Cal Poly compiled a record of 5–6. The team was outscored by its opponents 356 to 308 for the season. The Mustangs played home games at Mustang Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California.
Patterson finished his three-year tenure as head coach with a record of 17–16, for a.515 winning percentage.