Has an NCAA Men's Basketball game ever ended 96-86?
Yes. NCAA Men's Basketball has seen a final score of 96-86 26 times. It first happened on January 31, 2005, when Ball State Cardinals beat Eastern Michigan Eagles, and most recently on January 24, 2026, when Tennessee State Tigers beat Lindenwood Lions.
That makes 96-86 the 1115th most common final score out of 3,845 that have ever occurred in NCAA Men's Basketball. One point away, 97-86 has happened 18 times and 96-87 has happened 34 times. Nearly all of its occurrences fall between 2010 and 2039.