1996–97 Segunda División

The 1996–97 Segunda División season saw 20 teams participate in the second flight Spanish league. CP Mérida, UD Salamanca and RCD Mallorca were promoted to Primera División. Almería CF, Real Madrid B, Barcelona B and Écija were relegated to Segunda División B.

Final table

Key to colors in league table:

Promoted to Primera División

Promotion playoff

Relegated to Segunda División B

Position	Club	Played	Points	Wins	Draws	Losses	Goals for	Goals against	Goal Difference
1	CP Mérida	38	72	21	9	8	57	35	+22
2	UD Salamanca	38	71	20	11	7	72	33	+39
3	RCD Mallorca	38	70	20	10	8	59	38	+21
4	Albacete	38	66	19	9	10	51	32	+19
5	SD Eibar	38	66	17	15	6	44	26	+18
6	CD Badajoz	38	60	15	15	8	38	26	+12
7	UD Las Palmas	38	52	13	13	12	54	46	+8
8	CD Leganés	38	52	13	13	12	43	39	+4
9	Levante UD	38	50	13	11	14	53	46	+7
10	Villarreal CF	38	48	13	9	16	38	52	-14
11	UE Lleida	38	48	12	12	14	48	41	+7
12	Atlético de Madrid B	38	47	12	11	15	57	61	-4
13	Deportivo Alavés	38	47	12	11	15	43	47	-4
14	CD Toledo	38	45	12	9	17	37	53	-16
15	CD Ourense	38	44	11	11	16	35	46	-11
16	CA Osasuna	38	44	11	11	16	34	42	-8
17	Almería CF	38	41	9	14	15	40	51	-11
18	Real Madrid B	38	41	11	8	19	40	69	-29
19	Barcelona B	38	34	7	13	18	40	63	-23
20	Écija	38	30	7	9	22	27	64	-37

Promotion playoff

Home Match:
RCD Mallorca	1-0	Rayo Vallecano

Away Match:
Rayo Vallecano	2-1	RCD Mallorca	Agg:2-2(ag)

Teams by Autonomous Community

	Autonomous community	Number of teams	Teams
1	Madrid	3	Atlético Madrid B, Leganés, Real Madrid B
2	Andalusia	2	Almería, Écija
	Basque Country	2	Alavés, Eibar
	Castile-La Mancha	2	Albacete, Toledo
	Catalonia	2	Barcelona B, Lleida
	Extremadura	2	Badajoz, Mérida
	Valencia	2	Levante, Villarreal
7	Balearic Islands	1	Mallorca
	Canary Islands	1	Las Palmas
	Castile and León	1	Salamanca
	Galicia	1	Ourense
	Navarre	1	Osasuna