College football teams with the most national championships
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The first college football national championship was in 1869. That season was eight days long and consisted of exactly two games: Princeton at Rutgers (which Rutgers won), and Rutgers at Princeton (which Princeton won).
Later, the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation named Yale the first national champion, while in 1933, college football historian Parke H. Davis concluded that both Rutgers and Yale were co-champions.
Before we begin, here’s the criteria used for this list. It only includes teams that played in the largest national division at the time. That means you’ll see teams here that are no longer part of FBS football, for example. It also doesn’t include FCS, which crowned its first champion in 1978.
Here are the 10 teams who have won the most college football national championships, beginning with those who have more than five:
10. Minnesota — 6
Championships: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960
Football was slightly different when Minnesota won its first national title in 1934. The Golden Gophers averaged 325 yards per game that year — 295 of which came on the ground.
9. Oklahoma — 7
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3X2JTiEYp8[/embed]
Championships: 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000
The Sooners won a trio of titles each under Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer. Oklahoma leads all FBS programs with four different 100-win coaches in school history.
T8. Ohio State — 8
Championships: 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014
Ohio State officially formed a football team in 1890, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t win a national championship until 1942. That year, after losing dozens of players who left to fight in World War II, Ohio State went 9–1, its only loss coming against №6 Wisconsin.
T8. Harvard — 8
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHld-u-vQ64[/embed]
Championships: 1875, 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919
The 100th anniversary of its most recent championship was in 2019.
T6. Southern California — 9
Championships: 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004
No USC coach was more successful than John McKay, who in 16 years at the helm, led the Trojans to four national championships between 1960 and 1975.
T6. Michigan — 10
Championships: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997, 2023
Michigan famously holds the record for the most wins in college football history, so it naturally follows that the Wolverines have a few titles to their name. They have two in the poll era (since 1936) and one in the College Football Playoff era, for the 2023 season.
4. Notre Dame — 13
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvbM3j7euu8[/embed]
Championships: 1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988
Notre Dame’s nine championships in the poll era are the second-most out of all teams. You can thank coach Frank Leahy for four of those, but Leahy also won two titles as a player for the Fighting Irish under another famous coach — Knute Rockne.
3. Princeton — 15
Championships: 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, 1889, 1893, 1896, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922
Princeton claims 28 national championships, though only 15 are recognized by the NCAA. None of them came in the poll era, but there’s no denying the Tigers’ ridiculous run in the late 19th century, when they won championships in 11 of 28 years, including four in five years from 1869 to 1873.
2. Alabama — 16
Championships: 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020
Alabama can claim the most NCAA titles in the poll era, with only three of its 16 coming prior. With the 16th title — a win in the College Football Playoff in 2020, coach Nick Saban surpassed the legendary Bear Bryant with seven championships
1. Yale — 18
Championships: 1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1900, 1907, 1909, 1927
Yale football has one of the most impressive resumes in the sport, with two of the first three Heisman winners, 100 All-Americans, 28 Hall of Fame inductees, and 18 national championships recognized by the NCAA — the most all time.
See below for the complete listing of every NCAA football champion:
College football national champions from 1869 to 2022.
Year Champion Selecting Organization 2022 Georgia CFP 2021 Georgia CFP 2020 Alabama CFP 2019 LSU CFP 2018 Clemson CFP 2017 Alabama CFP 2016 Clemson CFP 2015 Alabama CFP 2014 Ohio State CFP 2013 Florida State BCS 2012 Alabama BCS 2011 Alabama BCS 2010 Auburn BCS 2009 Alabama BCS 2008 Florida BCS 2007 LSU BCS 2006 Florida BCS 2005 Texas BCS 2004 Southern California BCS 2003 LSU, Southern California BCS, AP, FWAA 2002 Ohio State BCS 2001 Miami (Fla.) BCS 2000 Oklahoma BCS 1999 Florida State BCS 1998 Tennessee BCS 1997 Michigan, Nebraska AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/ESPN 1996 Florida AP, FWAA, NFF,USA/CNN 1995 Nebraska AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1994 Nebraska AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1993 Florida St. AP, FWAA,NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1992 Alabama AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1991 Washington, Miami (Fla.) FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI,AP 1990 Colorado, Georgia Tech FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, AP, UPI 1989 Miami (Fla.) AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1988 Notre Dame AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1987 Miami (Fla.) AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1986 Penn St. AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1985 Oklahoma AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1984 Brigham Young AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1983 Miami (Fla.) AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1982 Penn St. AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI 1981 Clemson AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1980 Georgia AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1979 Alabama AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1978 Alabama, Southern California AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1977 Notre Dame AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1976 Pittsburgh AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1975 Oklahoma AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1974 Southern California, Oklahoma FWAA, NFF, UPI, AP 1973 Notre Dame, Alabama AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1972 Southern California AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1971 Nebraska AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1970 Nebraska, Texas, Ohio St. AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF 1969 Texas AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1968 Ohio St. AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1967 Southern California AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1966 Notre Dame, Michigan St. AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF 1965 Michigan St., Alabama FWAA, NFF, UPI, AP 1964 Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF 1963 Texas AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1962 Southern California AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1961 Alabama, Ohio St. AP, NFF, UPI, FWAA 1960 Minnesota, Mississippi AP, NFF, UPI, FWAA 1959 Syracuse AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI 1958 LSU, Iowa AP, UPI, FWAA 1957 Ohio St., Auburn FWAA, UPI, AP 1956 Oklahoma AP, FWAA, UPI 1955 Oklahoma AP, FWAA, UPI 1954 UCLA, Ohio St. FWAA, UPI, AP 1953 Maryland AP, UPI 1952 Michigan St. AP, UPI 1951 Tennessee AP, UPI 1950 Oklahoma AP, UPI 1949 Notre Dame AP 1948 Michigan AP 1947 Notre Dame AP 1946 Notre Dame AP 1945 Army AP 1944 Army AP 1943 Notre Dame AP 1942 Ohio St. AP 1941 Minnesota AP 1940 Minnesota AP 1939 Texas A&M AP 1938 Texas Christian AP 1937 Pittsburgh AP 1936 Minnesota AP 1935 Minnesota CFRA, HAF, NCF 1934 Minnesota CFRA, HAF, NCF 1933 Michigan CFRA, HAF, NCF 1932 Southern California CFRA, HAF, NCF 1931 Southern California CFRA, HAF, NCF 1930 Alabama, Notre Dame CFRA, HAF, NCF 1929 Notre Dame CFRA, HAF, NCF 1928 Georgia Tech. CFRA, HAF, NCF 1927 Illinois, Yale HAF, NCF, CFRA 1926 Alabama, Stanford CFRA, HAF, NCF, HAF 1925 Alabama CFRA, HAF, NCF 1924 Notre Dame CFRA, HAF, NCF 1923 Illinois, Michigan CFRA, HAF, NCF, NCF 1922 California, Cornell, Princeton NCF, HAF, CFRA, NCF 1921 California, Cornell CFRA, NCF, HAF 1920 California CFRA, HAF, NCF 1919 Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame, Texas A&M CFRA, HAF, NCF, CFRA, NCF, NCF 1918 Michigan, Pittsburgh NCF, HAF, NCF 1917 Georgia Tech. HAF, NCF 1916 Pittsburgh HAF, NCF 1915 Cornell HAF, NCF 1914 Army HAF, NCF 1913 Harvard HAF, NCF 1912 Harvard, Penn St. HAF, NCF, NCF 1911 Penn St., Princeton NCF, HAF, NCF 1910 Harvard, Pittsburgh HAF, NCF, NCF 1909 Yale HAF, NCF 1908 LSU, Pennsylvania NCF, HAF, NCF 1907 Yale HAF, NCF 1906 Princeton HAF, NCF 1905 Chicago HAF, NCF 1904 Michigan, Pennsylvania NCF, HAF, NCF 1903 Michigan, Princeton NCF, HAF, NCF 1902 Michigan HAF, NCF 1901 Michigan HAF, NCF 1900 Yale HAF, NCF 1899 Harvard HAF, NCF 1898 Harvard HAF, NCF 1897 Pennsylvania HAF, NCF 1896 Lafayette, Princeton NCF, HAF, NCF 1895 Pennsylvania HAF, NCF 1894 Yale HAF, NCF 1893 Princeton HAF, NCF 1892 Yale HAF, NCF 1891 Yale HAF, NCF 1890 Harvard HAF, NCF 1889 Princeton HAF, NCF 1888 Yale HAF, NCF 1887 Yale HAF, NCF 1886 Yale HAF, NCF 1885 Princeton HAF, NCF 1884 Yale HAF, NCF 1883 Yale HAF, NCF 1882 Yale NCF 1881 Yale NCF 1880 Princeton, Yale NCF, NCF 1879 Princeton NCF 1878 Princeton NCF 1877 Yale NCF 1876 Yale NCF 1875 Harvard NCF 1874 Yale NCF 1873 Princeton NCF 1872 Princeton NCF 1871 None selected NCF 1870 Princeton NCF 1869 Princeton, Rutgers NCF
