Players could play an entire 11-game season (or shorter if desired) as any of the 108 selectable Division I-A teams before advancing to one of the bowl games. College Football USA 96 would mark the first and only time that the Southwest Conference would appear in a video game because it would merge with the Big 8 to form the Big 12 the following year.[1] It also marked the only time that the University of Pacific Tigers football team would appear in a video game, as they dropped their football program after the 1995 season to save money.
There were 400 plays from which to choose, and a new passing mode allowed players to select from five receivers on every play. Other new features and options included the following: four-player mode, three different game lengths, substitutions, injuries, audibles, fake snaps, spins, hurdles, dives, blocked kicks, interceptions, and laterals.