The 1896 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1896 Western Conference football season. In its first and only season under head coach William Ward, the team compiled a 9–1 record (2–1 against conference opponents), tied for second place in the Western Conference, and outscored opponents by a total of 262 to 11.
The team started the season with nine consecutive wins in which the Wolverines shut out eight opponents and outscored their opponents by a total of 256 to 4. In the final game of the season, played on Thanksgiving Day at the Chicago Coliseum, the team lost a close game to Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons by a score of 7–6.