What conference has the most national championships in football

A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best college football team. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes unofficially referred to as a "mythical national championship".[1][2][3][4]

• Rissman (1926–1930)
• Erskine (1929–1931)
• Rockne (1931–1940)
• AP (since 1936)
• Grantland Rice (1954–2013)
• MacArthur (since 1959)
• Coaches' (since 1986)
• College Football Playoff (since 2014)

Due to the lack of an official NCAA title, determining the nation's top college football team has often engendered controversy.[5] A championship team is independently declared by multiple individuals and organizations, often referred to as "selectors".[6] These choices are not always unanimous.[5] In 1969 even the President of the United States Richard Nixon declared a national champion by announcing, ahead of the season-ending game between No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Arkansas, that the winner of that game would receive a plaque from the President himself, commemorating that team as the year's national champion. Texas went on to win that game, 15–14.[7]

While the NCAA has never officially endorsed a championship team, it has documented the choices of some selectors in its official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records publication.[6][8] In addition, various analysts have independently published their own choices for each season. These opinions can often diverge with others as well as individual schools' claims to national titles, which may or may not correlate to the selections published elsewhere. Currently, two of the most widely recognized national champion selectors are the Associated Press (AP), which conducts a poll of sportswriters, and the Coaches' Poll, a survey of active members of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).

Since 1992, various consortia of major bowl games have aimed to invite the top two teams at the end of the regular season (as determined by internal rankings, or aggregates of the major polls and other statistics) to compete in what is intended to be the de facto national championship game. The current iteration of this practice, the College Football Playoff, selects four teams to participate in national semi-finals hosted by two of six partner bowl games, with their winners advancing to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The concept of a national championship in college football dates to the early years of the sport in the late 19th century,[9] and the earliest contemporaneous polls can be traced to Caspar Whitney, Charles Patterson, and The Sun in 1901.[10] Therefore, the concept of polls and national champions predated mathematical ranking systems, but it was Frank Dickinson's math system that was one of the first to be widely popularized. His system named 10–0 Stanford the national champion of 1926, prior to their tie with Alabama in the Rose Bowl. A curious Knute Rockne, then coach of Notre Dame, had Dickinson backdate two seasons, which produced Notre Dame as the 1924 national champion and Dartmouth in 1925.[11]

A number of other mathematical systems were born in the 1920s and 1930s and were the only organized methods selecting national champions until the Associated Press began polling sportswriters in 1936 to obtain rankings. Alan J. Gould, the creator of the AP Poll, named Minnesota, Princeton, and SMU co-champions in 1935, and polled writers the following year, which resulted in a national championship for Minnesota.[11] The AP's main competition, United Press, created the first Coaches Poll in 1950. For that year and the next three, the AP and UP agreed on the national champion. The first "split" championship occurred in 1954, when the writers selected Ohio State and the coaches chose UCLA.[11] The two polls also disagreed in 1957, 1965, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1990, 1991, 1997, and 2003. The Coaches Poll would stay with United Press (UP) when they merged with International News Service (INS) to form United Press International (UPI) but was acquired by USA Today and CNN in 1991. The poll was in the hands of USA Today and ESPN from 1997 to 2005 before moving to sole ownership by USA Today. Beginning in 2014, Amway became a joint sponsor with USA Today.[12]

Though some of the math systems selected champions after the bowl games, both of the major polls released their rankings after the end of the regular season until the AP polled writers after the bowls in 1965, resulting in what was perceived at the time as a better championship selection (Alabama) than UPI's (Michigan State).[11] After 1965, the AP again voted before the bowls for two years, before permanently returning to a post-bowl vote in 1968. The coaches did not conduct a vote after the bowls until 1974, in the wake of awarding their 1973 championship to Alabama, who lost to the AP champion, undefeated Notre Dame, in the Sugar Bowl.[11] The AP and Coaches polls remain the major rankings to this day.

From the 1930s to the advent of the College Football Playoff, each top team played a single postseason bowl game per season. The process of selecting a national champion during this period was complicated by the fact that the champions of major conferences were tied to specific bowls (for example, the Big 8 champion was tied to the Orange Bowl), and the top two teams in the nation often played in different bowls. A few bowls over the years featured a #1 vs. #2 matchup; one example was the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, played January 2 following the 1986 season.

Two attempts to annually crown a champion on the field were the Bowl Coalition (1992–1994) and Bowl Alliance (1995–1997). However, their effort to host a national championship was hampered by the lack of participation of the Pac-10 and Big Ten champions, who had a contractual obligation to play in the Rose Bowl.[13]

The Bowl Championship Series, famous for its use of math, was the successor of the Coalition and Alliance.[14] Besides the many adjustments it underwent during its tenure, including a large overhaul following the 2004 season that included the replacement of the AP Poll with the Harris poll, the BCS remained a mixture of math systems and human polls since its inception in 1998, with the goal of matching the best two teams in the nation in a national championship bowl game which rotated yearly between the Sugar, Fiesta, Rose, and Orange Bowls from 1998 to 2005, and later a standalone game titled the BCS National Championship Game (2006 to 2013).[11] The winner of the BCS Championship Game was awarded the national championship of the Coaches Poll thus winning the AFCA National Championship Trophy. The BCS winner also received the MacArthur Bowl from the National Football Foundation.[15] Neither the AP Poll, nor other current selectors, had contractual obligations to select the BCS champion as their national champion.[16] The BCS resulted in a number of controversies, most notably after the 2003 season, when the BCS championship game did not include eventual AP champion USC, the only time the two championships have diverged since the advent of the BCS. After many seasons of controversy, the BCS was replaced with the College Football Playoff, a Plus-One system aimed at reducing the controversy involved in which teams get to play in a championship game through use of a tournament.

The NCAA maintains an official records book of historical statistics and records for football. In the records book, with consultation from various college football historians, it has created and maintains a list of "major selectors"[6] of national championships throughout the history of college football along with their championship picks for each season.[8]

Major selectors

A variety of selectors have named national champions throughout the years. They generally can be divided into four categories: those determined by mathematical formula, human polls, historical research, and recently, playoffs. The selectors below are listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records as having been deemed to be "major selectors" for which the criterion is that the poll or selector be "national in scope either through distribution in newspaper, television, radio and/or computer online".[6] The former selectors, deemed instrumental in the sport of college football, and selectors that were included for the calculation of the BCS standing, are listed together.[6]

Math

The mathematical system is the oldest systematic selector of college football national champions. Many of the math selectors were created during the "championship rush" of the 1920s and 1930s, beginning with Frank Dickinson's system, or during the dawn of the computer age in the 1990s. Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.

aThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book shows Anderson & Hester listed as "Seattle Times."
bThe Billingsley Report also provides an alternate selection that uses margin-of-victory in its calculation. The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book notes both selections in years where they disagree.[18]: 112–119 
cWolfe did not provide rankings for the 2020 season, stating that there were not "enough games played to allow meaningful analysis," due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[19]

Poll

The poll has been the dominant national champion selection method since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. The National Football Foundation merged its poll with UPI from 1991 to 1992, with USA Today from 1993 to 1996, and with the FWAA since 2014.

For many years, the national champions of various polls were selected before the annual bowl games were played, by AP (1936–1964 and 1966–1967), Coaches Poll (1950–1973), FWAA (1954), and NFF (1959–1970). In all other latter-day polls, champions were selected after bowl games.[18]: 112–119 

During the BCS era, the winner of the BCS Championship Game was automatically awarded the national championship of the Coaches Poll and the National Football Foundation.

Selectors are listed below with years selected retroactively in italics.

aAt the request of several schools, the AFCA established a "Blue Ribbon Commission" in 2016 to begin retroactively selecting Coaches' Trophy winners from 1922 through 1949.[20] Oklahoma State was the only team to apply for any of the 28 years considered (1945).[21] As yet, there are no selections for years other than 1945.

bServed as the Coaches Poll during the designated years, but also conducted their own poll at different times.

cThe Football Writers Association of America merged its poll with that of the National Football Foundation members beginning in 2014; as a result, the Grantland Trophy was retired and the FWAA/NFF national champion now receives the MacArthur Bowl.[18]: 113–114 

dUSA Today took over, from the UPI, the poll of the National Football Foundation's members in 1993, and its winner was designated by the NFF as its national champion and received the MacArthur Bowl. The poll was conducted by USA Today through the 1996 season, although national championship selections in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records do not distinguish the NFF from the USAT/NFF poll in 1995 and 1996. Not to be confused with the USA Today/CNN Coaches Poll, which USA Today conducted separately.

eUPI conducted the Coaches Poll through the 1990 season, which was subsequently taken over by CNN/USA Today. UPI then conducted a poll of National Football Foundation members in 1991 and 1992, the winner of which was designated by the NFF as its national champion and received the MacArthur Bowl.

fUPI conducted its own poll from 1993 to 1995, after the National Football Foundation Poll was taken over by USA Today.

gUSA Today conducted its own poll of college football sportswriters in 1982, then joined with CNN to do their own joint poll until they took over the Coaches Poll starting with the 1991 season.

hThe Harris Interactive College Football Poll was contracted by the BCS to help formulate its standings. It did not conduct a final poll following the BCS National Championship Game or award or name a national champion on its own, so is not included in the table of national championship selections.[6]

Research

College football historian Parke H. Davis is the only selector considered by the NCAA to have primarily used research in his selections.[18]: 117  Davis did all of his work in 1933, naming retroactive national champions for most of the years from 1869 to 1932 while naming Michigan and Princeton (his alma mater) co-champions at the end of the 1933 season. In all, he selected 94 teams over 61 seasons as "Outstanding Nationwide and Sectional Teams." For 21 of these teams (at 12 schools), he was the only major selector to choose them. Their schools use 17 of Davis' singular selections to claim national titles. His work has been criticized for having a heavy Eastern bias, with little regard for the South and the West Coast.[22]

Hybrid

Main article: Bowl Championship Series

The Bowl Championship Series used a mathematical system that combined polls (Coaches and AP/Harris) and multiple computer rankings (including some individual selectors listed above) to determine a season ending matchup between its top two ranked teams in the BCS Championship Game. The champion of that game was contractually awarded the Coaches Poll and National Football Foundation championships.

Playoff

Main article: College Football Playoff

Unlike all selectors prior to 2014, the College Football Playoff does not use math, polls or research to select the participants. Rather, a 13-member committee selects and seeds the teams.[23] The playoff system marked the first time any championship selector arranged a bracket competition to determine whom it would declare to be its champion.

Yearly national championship selections from major selectors

Below is a list of the national champions of college football since 1869 chosen by NCAA-designated "major selectors" listed in the official Football Bowl Subdivision Records publication.[6]

Many teams did not have coaches as late as 1899. The first contemporaneous poll to include teams across the country and selection of a national champions can be traced to Caspar Whitney in 1901.[10] The last retroactive selection in the list is Clyde Berryman's choice of Notre Dame for 1989. The tie was removed from college football in 1995 and the last consensus champion with a tie in its record was Georgia Tech in 1990.

As designated by the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records publication:

• Champions included in this table are exclusively those named by an NCAA-designated "major selector" for the given year.
• Teams listed in italics indicate retroactively-applied championships.
• Teams listed in bold reflect the NCAA's designation as "Consensus National Champions" by virtue of their selection from 1950 onward by one or more of the following selectors: Associated Press, United Press/UPI, Football Writers Association of America, National Football Foundation, and USA Today.[24]

A letter next to any season, team, record, coach or selector indicates a footnote that appears at the bottom of the table.

aParke Davis' selection for 1901, as published in the Spalding's Foot Ball Guide for 1934 and 1935 (to which he contributed until his death), was Harvard.[25]: 206 [26]: 233  The NCAA Records Book states "Yale" for 1901, which is an error that has been perpetuated since the first appearance of Parke Davis' selections in the NCAA book about 1995.
bThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Sagarin as having selected Tennessee,[8] while Sagarin's official website gives Ohio State as its 1998 selection.[62]
cThe FWAA stripped USC of its 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy and vacated the selection of its national champion for 2004. The BCS also vacated USC's participation in the 2005 Orange Bowl and USC's 2004 BCS National Championship, and the AFCA Coaches Poll Trophy was returned.[63][64]
dRecord does not count wins against UCLA, or against Oklahoma in the BCS Championship game on January 4, 2005, as they were vacated by the NCAA.[65]
eThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Dunkel as having selected LSU,[8] while Dunkel's official website gives USC as its 2007 selection.[38]
fThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists CCR as having selected LSU,[8] while CCR's official website gives USC as its 2003 selection.[34]
gThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists DeVold (DeS) as having selected Florida,[8] while DeVold's official website gives Ohio State as its 2006 selection.[35]
hThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists R(FACT) as having selected Florida,[8] while R(FACT)'s official website gives co-champions Ohio State and Florida as its 2006 selection.[36]
iThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Wolfe as having selected Florida,[8] while Wolfe's official website gives Utah as its 2008 selection.[39]
j The NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists CCR as having selected Auburn,[8] while CCR's official website gives TCU as its 2010 selection.[40]
kThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists CCR as having selected Alabama,[8] while CCR's official website gives LSU as its 2011 selection.[42]
mThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Anderson & Hester (A&H) as having selected LSU,[8] while A&H's official website gives Missouri as its 2007 selection.[37]
nThe NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book lists Anderson & Hester (A&H) as having selected Alabama,[8] while A&H's official website gives LSU as its 2011 selection.[41]
pKansas' defeat of Missouri was overturned by the Big Eight Conference on December 8 (ineligible player). The reversal erased the only loss on Missouri's record.[66]

Total championship selections from major selectors by school

The national title count listed below is a culmination of all championship awarded since 1869, regardless of "consensus"[24] or non-consensus status, as listed in the table above according to the selectors deemed to be "major"[6] as listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records.[8]

The totals can be said to be disputed. Individual schools may claim national championships not accounted for by the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records or may not claim national championship selections that do appear in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (see National championship claims by school below).

In addition to the NCAA-designated "major selectors" listed above, various other people and organizations have selected national champions in college football. Selections from such notable "minor selectors" are listed below.

Unique championship selections from minor selectors

Teams in the following table were selected by notable "minor" national championship selectors not listed in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book. In the interest of brevity, this table contains only teams that were not also selected by any NCAA-designated major selector for the given year.

• Teams listed in italics indicate retroactively-applied championships.

The polling system first gained widespread consistency with the introduction of the AP poll in 1936, followed by the Coaches Poll in 1950. National championships are often popularly considered[by whom?] to be "consensus" when both of these polls are in agreement with their national championship selections, although other selectors exist and do make alternative selections. A more modern incarnation, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), was a consortium of college football conferences that used a combination of various computer rankings and human polls to mathematically determine a post-season matchup between the two top teams as determined by its formula. The USA Today Coaches Poll was contractually obligated to name the BCS champion as its national champion.

AP Poll

Main article: AP Poll

See also: AP National Championship Trophy

The AP college football poll has a long history. The news media began running their own polls of sports writers to determine who was, by popular opinion, the best football team in the country at the end of the season. One of the earliest such polls was the AP College Football Poll, first run in 1934 (compiled and organized by Charles Woodroof, former SEC Assistant Director of Media Relations, but not recognized in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records) and then continuously from 1936. Due to the long-standing historical ties between individual college football conferences and high-paying bowl games like the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, the NCAA has never held a tournament or championship game to determine the champion of what is now the highest division, NCAA Division I, Football Bowl Subdivision (the Division I, Football Championship Subdivision and lower divisions do hold championship tournaments). As a result, the public and the media began to take the leading vote-getter in the final AP Poll as the national champion for that season.

While the AP Poll currently lists the Top 25 teams in the nation, from 1936 to 1961 the wire service only ranked 20 teams. And from 1962 to 1967 only 10 teams were recognized. From 1968 to 1988, the AP again resumed its Top 20 before expanding to 25 teams in 1989.

Until the 1968 NCAA University Division football season, the final AP Poll of the season was released following the end of the regular season, with the exception of the 1965 season. In 1964, Alabama was named the national champion in the final AP Poll following the completion of the regular season, but lost in the Orange Bowl to Texas, leaving Arkansas as the only undefeated, untied team after the Razorbacks defeated Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl Classic. In 1965, the AP's decision to wait to crown its champion paid off, as top-ranked Michigan State lost to UCLA in the Rose Bowl, number two Arkansas lost to LSU in the Cotton Bowl Classic, and fourth-ranked Alabama defeated third-ranked Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, vaulting the Crimson Tide to the top of the AP's final poll. Michigan State was named national champion in the final United Press International poll of coaches, which did not conduct a post-bowl poll. At the end of the 1947 season, the AP released an unofficial post-bowl poll which differed from the regular season final poll. The AP national championship had been awarded before bowl games were played.

Beginning in the 1968 season, a post bowl game poll was released and the AP championship reflected the bowl game results. The UPI did not follow suit with the Coaches Poll until the 1974 season.[83]

Coaches Poll

Main article: Coaches Poll

See also: The Coaches' Trophy

The Coaches Poll began selecting the top 20 teams on a weekly basis during the 1950–1951 college football season. It is conducted among selected members of the American Football Coaches Association. In 1990 the poll expanded to a top 25, and it has retained this format since. The Coaches Poll took its final poll prior to the bowl games from 1950 to 1973 but since 1974 has taken its final poll after bowl games. The Coaches Poll does not include teams on either NCAA or conference-sanction probation, which also differentiates it from the AP poll.[84] The poll has been released through various media outlets and with differing sponsors over its history and thus has taken a succession of different names, including United Press (UP) from 1950 thru 1957, the United Press International (UPI) from 1958 thru 1990, USA Today/CNN from 1991 thru 1996, USA Today/ESPN from 1997 to 2004, and USA Today from 2005 to present.

During the era of the BCS, the Coaches Poll was under contractual obligation to award its national championship selection to the winner of the BCS Championship Game or its predecessors—who was presented with the AFCA National Championship Trophy during a post-game presentation. The College Football Playoff is not tied to the Coaches Poll in this manner.[85]

Poll era national championships by school (1936–present)

The following table contains the national championships that have been recognized by the final AP or Coaches Poll. Originally both the AP and Coaches poll champions were crowned after the regular season, but since 1968 and 1974 respectively, both polls crown their champions after the bowl games are completed (with the exception of the 1965 season). The BCS champion was automatically awarded the Coaches Poll championship. Of the current 120+ Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS, formerly Division I-A) schools, only 30 have won at least a share of a national title by the AP or Coaches poll. Of these 30 teams, only 20 teams have won multiple titles. Of the 20 teams, only 7 have won five or more national titles: Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, Miami (FL), Nebraska, and Ohio State. The years listed in the table below indicate a national championship selection by the AP or Coaches Poll. The selections are noted with (AP) or (Coaches) when a national champion selection differed between the two polls for that particular season, which has occurred in twelve different seasons (including 2004, for which the coaches selection was rescinded) since the polls first came to coexist in 1950.

† USC's 2004 BCS National Championship was vacated by the BCS and the AFCA Coaches Trophy returned.[86]
‡ Retroactively awarded in 2016 by AFCA Blue Ribbon Panel.[20] Oklahoma State was the only school to apply for the award.[21]

The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was a selection system designed to give the top two teams in NCAA Division I-A (now known as the FBS) an opportunity to compete in a "national championship game". This championship was intended as a surrogate for a playoff system since the NCAA does not formally determine a champion in this category. It began during the 1998 season, but a number of controversial selections spurred changes to the format over the years. Prior to the 2006 season, eight teams competed in four BCS Bowls (the Orange, Sugar, Rose, and Fiesta). The BCS replaced the Bowl Alliance (in place from 1995 to 1997), which itself followed the Bowl Coalition (in place from 1992 to 1994). One of the main differences was that the Rose Bowl participated in the BCS; previously, the Big Ten and Pac-12 champions automatically played in the Rose Bowl regardless of their poll rankings. However, after the change, those teams played in the BCS National Championship Game if they finished #1 or #2 in the BCS standings.

The BCS formula varied over the years, with the final version relying on a combination of the Coaches' and Harris polls and an average of various computer rankings to determine relative team rankings, and to narrow the field to two teams to play in the BCS National Championship Game held after the other college bowl games. The winner of this game was crowned Coaches' Poll national champion winning the AFCA National Championship Trophy and was also awarded the MacArthur Bowl by the National Football Foundation.[15]

BCS National Championships by school

† USC's victory in the 2005 Orange Bowl and subsequent 2004–05 BCS National Championship was vacated by the BCS.[87][88]

The College Football Playoff (CFP) was designed as a replacement for the BCS. While the NCAA still does not officially sanction the event, organizers sought to bring a playoff system similar to all other levels of NCAA football to the Football Bowl Subdivision.

The College Football Playoff relies on a 13-member selection committee to choose the top four teams to play in a two-round single-elimination playoff bracket. The winner of the final game is awarded the College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy.

CFP National Championships by school

The following is a table of known schools' claims on national championships at the highest level of play in college football. Several of these schools no longer compete at the highest level, which is currently NCAA Division I FBS, but nonetheless maintain claims to titles from when they did compete at the highest level.

Because there is no one governing or official body that regulates, recognizes, or awards national championships in college football, and because many independent selectors of championships exist, many of the claims by the schools listed below are shared, contradict each other, or are controversial.[5][18]: 107–119  In addition, because there is no one body overseeing national championships, no standardized requirements exist in order for a school to make a claim on a national championship, as any particular institution is free to make any declaration it deems to be fit. The majority of these claims, but not all, are based on championships awarded from selectors listed as "major" in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records.[18]: 112–114  Not all championships awarded by third party selectors, nor those listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, are necessarily claimed by each school.[note 1] Therefore, these claims represent how each individual school sees their own history on the subject of national championships. For the pre-poll era from 1901 through 1935, 41 major selections of teams from 20 schools have not been used to make national title claims.

This table below includes only national championship claims originating from each particular school and therefore represents the point-of-view of each individual institution. Each total number of championships, and the years for which they are claimed, are documented by the particular school on its official website, in its football media guide, on a prominent stadium sign, or in other official publications or literature (see Source). If a championship is not mentioned by a school for any particular season, regardless of whether it was awarded by a selector or listed in a third-party publication such as the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, it is not considered to be claimed by that institution.[note 2]

aUSC's January 4, 2005 win over Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game was vacated as mandated by the NCAA, its 2004 BCS National Championship vacated by the BCS, and its AFCA Coaches' Trophy returned. NCAA sanctions mandate that "any reference to the vacated results, including championships, shall be removed." USC still retains the 2004 Associated Press National Championship and has not abandoned its claim to a 2004 national championship.[87][181]
bNo major selectors chose Penn for 1907. Penn's football fact book states that the Billingsley Report named the 1907 team National Champions,[108] but other sources show Billingsley naming Yale for 1907.
cNo major selectors chose Columbia for 1933. Columbia's media guide states that the team "was referred to as a national champ."[149]
dGeorgia's website has multiple pages which list national championships by sport and only spells out three seasons for football (1942, 1980, and 2021).[182][137][183] The Georgia football media guide contains a year-by-year results section in which six seasons (1927, 1942, 1946, 1968, 1980, 2021) have "National Champions" headers paired with selector callouts,[138]: 169–174  but also a "Championship History" page which places 1942, 1980, and 2021 into a "The Consensus National Champions" section and groups 1927, 1946, and 1968 together as "The other three..." without description as national champions beyond identification of those specific selectors.[138]: 207 
eAuburn's website notes to five titles that appear in the NCAA Record Book, while not claiming three of them (1913, 1983, and 1993).
fNo major selectors chose Boston College for 1940.
gNo major selectors chose Yale for 1901. The original source for Parke Davis' "Outstanding Nationwide and Sectional Teams" states "1901 Harvard".[25][26]
hNo major selectors chose Pittsburgh for 1934. Parke Davis died in June, 1934; his successor selected Pitt but is not designated as a major selector by the NCAA.

•  College football portal

• Heckscher/Miles FBS Ranking System
• List of NCAA college football rankings
• List of NCAA Division I FBS football programs

1. ^ The following schools either make no apparent statement or claim regarding national championships, or clearly state no claims on a national championship, despite the listing of a national championship for that school in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records: Arizona State, Colgate, Duke, Missouri, Purdue, Utah,[89] Vanderbilt, and Washington & Jefferson.
2. ^ All National Championships listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records were checked for claims by the applicable schools. Although every care was taken to be thorough and accurate, it can not be assumed that there are no missing or misrepresented claims due to potential limitations of the available source material for any one institution.

1. ^ "Syracuse and Cornell Still Top Gridders". The Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. November 12, 1923. p. 12. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
2. ^ Viehman, Harold H., ed. (1939). The 1939 Owl. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh. p. 276. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
3. ^ Dodd, Dennis (December 22, 2004). "Subtracting AP poll leaves BCS again scrambling for legitimacy". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
4. ^ Peterson, Bill (November 5, 2008). "UC Football in the Hunt for a Big East Crown and BCS Bid". Citybeat.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
5. ^ a b c Hooper, Matt (October 10, 2009). Noel, Tex (ed.). "How many national titles can Alabama really lay claim to? Better yet, why is there more than one answer? (republished with permission from the Birmingham Weekly)" (PDF). The College Football Historian. Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association. 2 (9). ISSN 2326-3628. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h "National Champion Major Selections (1896 to Present)". 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. pp. 112–114. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021. The criteria for being included in this historical list of poll selectors is that the poll be national in scope, either through distribution in newspaper, television, radio and/or computer online. The list includes both former selectors, who were instrumental in the sport of college football, and selectors who were among the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) selectors.
7. ^ Weinreb, Michael (June 18, 2013). "Tricky Dick's Trick Play". Grantland. ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Final National Poll Leaders". 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. pp. 114–119. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
9. ^ "Doctors After the Indians". Baltimore American. Vol. 187, no. 34, 129. Baltimore, Maryland. October 31, 1899. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
10. ^ a b Noel, Tex, ed. (May 2009). "Three Actual Polls from the 1901 College Football Season" (PDF). The College Football Historian. Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association. 2 (4). ISSN 2326-3628. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
11. ^ a b c d e f Walsh, Christopher J. (2007). Who's #1?: 100-Plus Years of Controversial National Champions in College Football. Taylor Trade Publications. pp. 13–16, 148–149. ISBN 9781461734765. Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
12. ^ "Year-by-Year FBS Coaches Final Polls". AFCA.com. American Football Coaches Association. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
13. ^ "Rose Bowl Game to Return to Big Ten-Pac 12 Matchup in 2022". Pasadena Now. February 8, 2021. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
14. ^ Billingsley, Richard (2001). "The road to the BCS has been a long one". ESPN College Football. ESPN. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
15. ^ a b "The MacArthur Bowl". National Football Foundation. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
16. ^ Wieberg, Steve. "New Harris poll to replace AP in BCS formula". USA Today Sports. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
17. ^ Rothman, David. "FACT College Football Standings". Retrieved July 13, 2022. Around April of 1970 or 1971, I came up with the method now used. [...] Championships have been awarded on this basis by the Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments since the 1970s, and retroactive to 1968.
18. ^ a b c d e f 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
19. ^ Wolfe, Peter. "2020 College Football". Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
20. ^ a b c "AFCA Recognizes Oklahoma State as 1945 National Champion". afca.com. American Football Coaches Association. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
21. ^ a b c Tramel, Berry (August 23, 2017). "Why is Oklahoma State on an island with the retroactive titles?". News OK. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
22. ^ Vautravers, James. "Parke Davis". Retrieved March 11, 2022.
23. ^ Whitley, David (February 9, 2013). "College football playoff selection committee members will need witness protection". AOL SportingNews.com. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
24. ^ a b "Consensus National Champions". 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. p. 125. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021. Since 1950 — AP, UPI, FW, NFF, USA/CNN, USA/ESPN, USA
25. ^ a b c Okeson, Walter R., ed. (1934). Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide 1934. New York: American Sports Publishing Co.
26. ^ a b c Okeson, Walter R., ed. (1935). Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide 1935. New York: American Sports Publishing Co.
27. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings (FBS)". College Football Poll. January 4, 1994. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
28. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings (FBS)". College Football Poll. January 4, 1995. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
29. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings (FBS)". College Football Poll. January 4, 1996. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
30. ^ a b c d e "Massey Ratings — Football Bowl Subdivision". Kenneth Massey. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
31. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings (FBS)". College Football Poll. January 6, 1997. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
32. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings (FBS)". College Football Poll. January 5, 1998. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
33. ^ Dokter, Jon (October 22, 2008). "Cracking the BCS Egg". Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2021. I will support these assertions by examining the Colley system. I have coded it based on the outline provided on Colley's web site. Colley publishes ratings back to the 1998 season, and I have verified that my program exactly duplicates his ratings for 1998 through 2007. [...] I ran Colley's system on some seasons prior to 1998. It did not take long to find an objectionable ranking, as Colley's #1 team for 1997 was Tennessee. [...] Colley's top ten teams before and after the 1997 bowl season (as calculated by my Colley Matrix emulation) are as follows:
34. ^ a b "Final 2003-2004 Season Congrove Computer Rankings". College Football Poll. Archived from the original on February 17, 2004. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
35. ^ a b "Harry DeVold's final 100 Best College Football Teams For 2006". University of Wisconsin-Madison Computer-Aided Engineering. Archived from the original on February 3, 2007. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
36. ^ a b "FOUR DECADES OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS". University of Wisconsin-Madison Computer-Aided Engineering. Archived from the original on September 16, 2019. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
37. ^ a b "Missouri Edges Kansas and LSU to Finish #1". andersonsports.com. Anderson and Hester. Archived from the original on December 9, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
38. ^ a b Dunkel, Bob. "Final 2007: Trojans Finish Ranked No. 1". NCAA Football Division I-A Rankings. The Dunkel Index. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
39. ^ a b "2021 College Football III. Results from past years". Peter R. Wolfe. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
40. ^ a b "2010-2011 College Football Season Final Congrove Computer Rankings". College Football Poll. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
41. ^ a b Guerra, Darren. "AndersonSports: The Jeff Anderson & Chris Hester College Football Computer Rankings - Part of the BCS Rankings". andersonsports.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
42. ^ a b "CONGROVE COMPUTER RANKINGS (FBS)". collegefootballpoll.com. January 12, 2012. Archived from the original on April 27, 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
43. ^ Jeff Anderson and Chris Hester. "Alabama Finishes at #1". AndersonSports.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
44. ^ "AP Top 25 Poll". Associated Press. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
45. ^ "BILLINGSLEY REPORT FINAL 2020-21 SEASON ARCHIVE". cfrc.com. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
46. ^ "Congrove Computer Rankings". CollegeFootballPoll.com. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
47. ^ "2020 Final CFRA Poll". CFRAPoll.com. College Football Researchers Association. January 13, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
48. ^ Wesley N. Colley. "Colley's Bias Free College Football Rankings: 2020 Rankings, Week 18". ColleyRankings.com. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
49. ^ "FBS 2020 TEAMS RANKINGS". The Dunkel Index. Bob Dunkel. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
50. ^ "Saban's Teams Immortalized on Historic MacArthur Bowl for a Record Seventh Time". National Football Foundation. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
51. ^ "Final COLLEGE FOOTBALL 2020 through results of 2021 JANUARY 11 MONDAY - National Championship Game". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
52. ^ "Amway Coaches Poll". USAToday.com. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
53. ^ "AndersonSports: The Jeff Anderson & Chris Hester College Football Computer Rankings - Part of the BCS Rankings". www.andersonsports.com. Archived from the original on December 10, 2006. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
54. ^ "NCAA College Football Rankings: AP Top 25 Football Poll". AP NEWS. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
55. ^ "CFRC Encyclopedia". CFRC Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
56. ^ "College Football Poll.com". www.collegefootballpoll.com. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
57. ^ "Georgia vs. Alabama - Game Summary - January 10, 2022 - ESPN". ESPN. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
58. ^ ADA_Deacon (January 12, 2022). "2021 CFRA Final Poll". The College Football Researchers Association. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
59. ^ "Colley's Bias Free College Football Rankings". www.colleyrankings.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
60. ^ "College football team ratings 2021". Jeff Sagarin Ratings. Archived from the original on January 14, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
61. ^ "NCAA College Football Coaches Poll | USA Today Sports". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
62. ^ Sagarin, Jeff. "FINAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL 1998 Ratings thru results of MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 1999". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
63. ^ "USC loses Grantland Rice Trophy". ESPN.com news services. ESPN. August 26, 2010. Archived from the original on August 27, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
64. ^ "BCS Group vacates USC 2004-05 national championship following NCAA denial of appeal". bcsfootball.org. Bowl Championship Series. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
65. ^ "University of Southern California Public Interactions Report" (PDF). USA Today. NCAA. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
66. ^ Morey, Earl (December 9, 1960). "Big Eight voted 5-3 to strip KU's title in Bert Coan action". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). p. 1. The move gave MU a 10-0 season record and a 7-0 record in league play.
67. ^ "Yale's was the best football eleven". Harrisburg Star-Independent. December 31, 1904. p. 4. Retrieved June 1, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
68. ^ Libby, Bill (1975). Champions of College Football. Hawthorne Books, Inc. pp. 11–14. ISBN 0-8015-1196-8.
69. ^ "World Almanac Selections". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2022. Data created by: World Almanac
70. ^ "Football, Intercollegiate Season, 1914.". The World Almanac (1915). 1915. p. 865.
71. ^ "Alexander Weyand Selections". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved May 20, 2022. Data created by: Alexander M. Weyand — Data obtained from: "The Real National Champions"
72. ^ Weyand, Alexander M. (1926). American Football, Its History and Development. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 278. Harvard and the Army Powerful, 1914 | Although the Army was the only one of the larger teams to win all games, the majority of the critics favored Harvard for the championship. (Note: The author, Alexander Weyand, was an All-American player on the Army team in 1914.)
73. ^ "SR 8715 — Honoring the 99th Anniversary of the National Champion 1915 Washington State College Football Team". Resolution of March 7, 2014. Washington State Senate.
74. ^ Weyand, Alexander M. (1926). American Football, Its History and Development. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 321. 1917 The famous 'Golden Tornado' of Georgia 'Tech.' coached by John W. Heisman (Pennsylvania) gained national recognition through the overwhelming defeat of Pennsylvania, and was entitled to rank with Pittsburgh as the best in the nation.
75. ^ Weyand, Alexander M. (1926). American Football, Its History and Development. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 381. Undoubtedly the most spectacular team was Notre Dame, ranked by some critics as the strongest team in the country at the close of the season.
76. ^ Boyd, John Kent (1931). Jerry Dalrymple and His Tulane 1931 Green Wave National Champions. Snider Publishing Agency.
77. ^ Okeson, Walter R., ed. (1935). Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide 1935. New York: American Sports Publishing Co.
78. ^ "Massey Ratings (1930–1998)". MasseyRatings.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
79. ^ "Washington Touchdown Club Selections". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
80. ^ a b c "DC Touchdown Club Award Winners". DC Touchdown Club. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
81. ^ "2010 Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments Selections ("FACT")". Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2022. 1 Auburn — 72.49 — Co-Champion* | 2 Oregon — 71.42 — Co-Champion* | *David Rothman wrote: "Teams within 1.8 points of the leader automatically share FACT's title. Any other teams within 3.0 points of the leader share at my discretion."
82. ^ "2014 Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments Selections ("FACT")". Archived from the original on February 14, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2022. 1 Ohio State — 81.81 — FACT Cochampion* | 2 Oregon — 80.67 — FACT Cochampion* | 3 Alabama – 79.45 – FACT Cochampion* | 4 TCU – 79.35 – FACT Cochampion* | *David Rothman wrote: "Teams within 1.8 points of the leader automatically share FACT's title. Any other teams within 3.0 points of the leader share at my discretion."
83. ^ Whittingham, Richard (2001). Rites of Autumn: The Story of College Football. Simon and Schuster. p. 46. ISBN 9780743222198. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
84. ^ "Amway Coaches' Poll". American Football Coaches Association. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
85. ^ "FBS coaches' poll will continue every week despite BCS going away". Associated Press. January 13, 2013. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
86. ^ "BCS strips Southern California of 2004 national championship". USA Today. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
87. ^ a b "BCS strips Southern California of 2004 national championship". USA Today. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
88. ^ "BCS Group vacates USC 2004–05 national championship following NCAA denial of appeal" (Press release). Bowl Championship Series. June 6, 2011. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
89. ^ "Utes Finish No. 2 in AP Rankings" (Press release). Salt Lake City: University of Utah. January 9, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2022. On Not Finishing No. 1 – "While there is certainly some disappointment about not finishing No. 1, we prefer to look on the positive side."
90. ^ "Princeton Football National Championships". Go Princeton Tigers. Princeton University. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
91. ^ Conn, Steve (2009). 2009 Yale Football Media Guide (PDF). Yale University. pp. 106–112. Retrieved May 5, 2015.[permanent dead link]
92. ^ "Yale Official Athletic Site – Football by Year". Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
93. ^ Maxon, Josh; Moore, Cami; Paré, Jessica; Thompson, Alex (2021). 2021 Alabama Football Media Guide (PDF). University of Alabama. pp. 3, 108–128. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved March 16, 2022. National Championships – 18 – 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020
94. ^ Eisendrath, Zach; Satterfield, Derek, eds. (2014). 2014 University of Michigan Football Media Guide (PDF). University of Michigan. pp. 2, 183. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
95. ^ Bertsch, Michael; Masters, Chris; Torbin, Leigh (2014). Notre Dame Football 2014 Media Guide. University of Notre Dame. pp. 2, 157. Archived from the original on April 30, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
96. ^ Notre Dame Fighting Irish football National Champions 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 (Stadium Sign). Notre Dame Stadium locker room: University of Notre Dame. 2014. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
97. ^ USC Sports Information Office (2014). 2014 USC Football Media Guide (PDF). University of Southern California. p. 114. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 4, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
98. ^ Borghetti, E.J.; Feeley, Ted; Welsh, Celeste; et al., eds. (2014). 2014 Pitt Football Media Guide (PDF). Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh. p. 130. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 30, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
99. ^ Pitt Football Nine-Time National Champions (Stadium Sign). Heinz Field: University of Pittsburgh. 2009. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
100. ^ "Ohio State Football Championship Teams & National Award Winners" (PDF). The Ohio State University Department of Athletics. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022. Ohio State's National Champion Teams: 2014, 2002, 1970, 1968, 1961, 1957, 1954, 1942
101. ^ Ohio State Buckeyes football National Champions 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014 (Stadium Sign). Ohio Stadium: Ohio State University. 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
102. ^ "Media Center: Harvard Crimson Football – National Championships". Official Website of Harvard Athletics. Harvard University. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
103. ^ Harvard Crimson football National Champions 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919 (Stadium Sign). Harvard Stadium: Harvard University. 2004. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
104. ^ "Golden Gophers National Champions – University of Minnesota Athletics". University of Minnesota Athletics Department. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
105. ^ Minnesota Golden Gophers football National Championships 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 (Stadium Sign). Huntington Bank Stadium: University of Minnesota. 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
106. ^ "OU History & Tradition – 7 National Championships". SoonerSports.com. University of Oklahoma Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
107. ^ University of Oklahoma National Champions 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 (Stadium Sign). Memorial Stadium: University of Oklahoma. 2011. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
108. ^ a b Cunha, Steve (September 14, 2021). 2021 Penn Football Fact Book (PDF). University of Pennsylvania Office of Athletic Communications. pp. 6, 60–61. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 10, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
109. ^ "National Champions - Michigan State University Athletics". msuspartans.com. Michigan State Athletics. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
110. ^ Michigan State Spartans football 6 National Championships 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966 (Stadium Sign). Spartan Stadium: Michigan State University. 2013. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
111. ^ Stanton, Jimmy; Yellin, Jason; Kniffen, Mary-Carter, eds. (2014). 2014 Tennessee Football Media Guide. University of Tennessee Department of Athletics. pp. 1, 160–174. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
112. ^ "Tennessee Official Athletic Site – Football: National Champions". University of Tennessee Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
113. ^ Tennessee Volunteers football National Champions 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998 (Stadium Sign). Neyland Stadium: University of Tennessee. 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
114. ^ 2021 Cal Football Record Book. University of California Athletics. 2021. pp. 59, 62–63. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 28, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
115. ^ Over a Century of Tradition (PDF). Cornell Athletics Communications Office. 2015. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
116. ^ Brown, Kent, ed. (2014). 2014 Illinois Football Record Book (PDF). University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics. p. 114. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 15, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
117. ^ Illinois Fighting Illini football National Champions 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951 (Stadium Sign). Memorial Stadium: University of Illinois. 2013. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
118. ^ 2022 Iowa Football Media Guide (PDF). University of Iowa Athletic Department. 2022. p. 2, 151, 196, 202. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022. Iowa Quick Facts – National Champions: 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, 1960 | the Hawkeyes were named national champions by the Football Writers Association in 1958, and by various rating services in 1921, 1922, 1956, and 1960. | Mythical National Champions – Iowa football has been voted mythical national champions by different media services on five occasions. 1921, 1922, 1956, 1958, 1960
119. ^ "Hurricanes Football History & Records". University of Miami Athletics. Archived from the original on November 2, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
120. ^ Miami Hurricanes football National Champions 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 (Stadium Sign). Orange Bowl: University of Miami. 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
121. ^ "Nebraska's Five National Titles". University of Nebraska Athletic Department. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
122. ^ Nebraska Cornhuskers football National Champions 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 (Stadium Sign). Memorial Stadium: University of Nebraska. 2011. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
123. ^ "2018 Information Guide" (PDF). ramblinwreck.com. Georgia Tech Athletics. pp. 149–150. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 25, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
124. ^ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football National Champions 1917, 1928, 1952, 1990 (Stadium Sign). Bobby Dodd Stadium: Georgia Institute of Technology. 2004. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
125. ^ Bonnette, Michael, ed. (2014). 2014 LSU Football Media Guide (PDF). LSU Sports Information Office. pp. 16–18. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
126. ^ LSU Tigers football National Champions 1958, 2003, 2007, 2019 (Stadium Sign). Tiger Stadium: Louisiana State University. 2021. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
127. ^ Bianco, John (2014). 2014 Texas Football AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl Guide (PDF). University of Texas at Austin. p. 120. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
128. ^ Texas Longhorns football National Champions '63, '69, '70, '05 (Stadium Sign). Texas Memorial Stadium: University of Texas. 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
129. ^ Faulkner, Matt, ed. (2014). 2014 Army Football Media Guide. U.S. Military Academy Office of Athletic Communications. p. 126. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
130. ^ Army football National Champions '44, '45, '46 (Stadium Sign). Michie Stadium: United States Military Academy. 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
131. ^ "Clemson National Champions 1981 | 2016 | 2018" (PDF). Clemson University. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
132. ^ Clemson Tigers football: 1981, 2016, 2018 (Stadium Sign). Memorial Stadium: Clemson University. 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
133. ^ "GatorZone.com: Gator Football History". University Athletic Association. Archived from the original on May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
134. ^ Florida Gators football National Champions 1996, 2006, 2008 (Stadium Sign). Ben Hill Griffin Stadium: University of Florida. 2009. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
135. ^ "2018 Media Guide" (PDF). seminoles.com. Florida State Athletics. pp. 183–184. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
136. ^ Florida State Seminoles football National Champions 1993, 1999, 2013 (Stadium Sign). Doak Campbell Stadium: Florida State University. 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
137. ^ a b "Georgia Bulldog NCAA Championships". georgiadogs.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022. FOOTBALL (3) 1942 • 1980 • 2021 – The 1927, 1946, 1968 teams were also recognized as National Champions but these were not consensus and thus not officially recognized as National Championships.
138. ^ a b c 2022 Georgia Football Media Guide. University of Georgia Athletics Department. 2022. pp. 169–174, 207. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022. The Consensus National Champions: 2021, 1980, 1942 | The other three... 1927, 1946, 1968
139. ^ Georgia Bulldogs football National Champs flags 1942, 2021, 1980 (Stadium Flags). Sanford Stadium: University of Georgia. 2022. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
140. ^ LaBella, Phil (2014). 2014 Lafayette Football Media Guide (PDF). Lafayette Athletics Communications. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
141. ^ Campbell, Kyle; Jones, Joey, eds. (2014). "2014 Ole Miss Football Guide". University, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Athletics Media Relations Office. p. 104. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
142. ^ Ole Miss Rebels football National Champions '59, '60, '62 (Stadium Sign). Vaught–Hemingway Stadium: University of Mississippi. 2017. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
143. ^ Sutton, Brad; Hudson, Herman; Balside, Zach; et al., eds. (2014). 2014 SMU Football Media Guide. Southern Methodist University Department of Athletics. pp. 1, 80–82. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
144. ^ "2018 Media Guide" (PDF). 12thman.com. Texas A&M Athletics. pp. 45–47. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
145. ^ Texas A&M Aggies football National Champions 1919, 1927, 1939 (Stadium Sign). Kyle Field: Texas A&M University. 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
146. ^ "Auburn National Championships". Auburn University Athletics. 2019. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022. 2 - Football: 2010, 1957
147. ^ Auburn Tigers National Champions 1957 2010 (Stadium Sign). Jordan–Hare Stadium: Auburn University. 2018. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
148. ^ "Feature Story: Chicago Football Eras". University of Chicago Campus and Student Life. October 8, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
149. ^ a b "Columbia Football 2021 Record Book" (PDF). Columbia University Athletics. pp. 240–241, 244. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 9, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022. Columbia has claimed two mythical national championships: in 1875 and 1933. The 1875 team went 4-1-1 and was named national champions, while the 1933 squad defeated Stanford and was referred to as a national champ.
150. ^ "Championship History - Penn State University Athletics". Pennsylvania State Athletics. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
151. ^ Penn State Nittany Lions football honored seasons, including 1982 and 1986 national championships (Stadium Sign). Beaver Stadium: Pennsylvania State University. 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
152. ^ "Stanford Football History". Stanford University Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
153. ^ Swegan, Scott; Lowery, Nate (2021). 2021 Stanford Football Media Guide (PDF). Stanford University Athletic Communications Department. p. 76. Retrieved March 18, 2022. National Championships – 1926, 1940
     The 1926 team was declared national champions by the Dickinson System, Helms Athletic Foundation, National Championship Foundation and Sagarin Ratings. Although Minnesota was declared national champions in the final 1940 Associated Press Poll, which was the best-known and most widely circulated poll of sportswriters and broadcasters in determining the national champion, Stanford was recognized as national champions by the Billingsley Report, Helms Athletic Foundation and Poling System.
154. ^ Cohen, Mark (2014). 2014 TCU Football Fact Book. TCU Athletics Media Relations Office. pp. 2, 129. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
155. ^ TCU Horned Frogs football National Champions 1935, 1938 (Stadium Sign). Amon G. Carter Stadium: Texas Christian University. 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
156. ^ "UW Football National Championships". gohuskies.com. University of Washington Athletic Communications Office. Archived from the original on December 21, 2020. Retrieved December 21, 2020. Washington officially claims two national championships in football: 1960 and 1991.
157. ^ Washington Huskies football National Champions 1960, 1991 (Stadium Sign). Husky Stadium: University of Washington. 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
158. ^ Higbee, Zack; Satterfield, Derek, eds. (2014). University of Arkansas Razorbacks 2014 Football Media Guide. UA Media Relations Department. pp. 18, 140. Retrieved May 5, 2015.[permanent dead link]
159. ^ "Boston College Football 2021 Record Book" (PDF). Boston College Athletics Department. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2022. 1940 — An undefeated (11-0) season, capped by the Sugar Bowl championship and the claim of a national championship made this arguably the greatest season in Eagle football annals. [...] On Jan. 1, the Eagles would lay claim to the national championship with a 19-13 victory over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl.
160. ^ Oslin, Reid (November 10, 2015). "The 1940 Team of Destiny". bceagles.com. Boston College Athletics. Retrieved June 1, 2022. Boston College, Minnesota and Stanford were all crowned as "National Champions" by various media outlets – and each school has a case for the right to fly the 1940 championship banner. In the East and South, sentiment was strong in favor of the Eagles: the sports editor of the New York Herald Tribune wrote that the victory over Tennessee "entitled Boston College to be the undefeated champions of the United States." Twenty-five years after the Sugar Bowl game, in 1966, The Boston Globe sponsored a gala downtown honoring the declared 1940 National Champions. [...] But now – 75 years later – let's all raise our glasses and our voices to a National Championship pennant that can fly proudly and rightfully in Chestnut Hill.
161. ^ "1984 National Championship". BYUCougars.com: The Official Site of Brigham Young Athletics. 2011. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
162. ^ BYU Cougars football 1984 National Champions (Stadium Sign). LaVell Edwards Stadium: Brigham Young University. 2008. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
163. ^ "Centre College to be inducted into Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame". January 1, 2014. Archived from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
164. ^ "1990 National Champions". CUBuffs.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
165. ^ Colorado Buffaloes football 1990 National Champions (Stadium Sign). Folsom Field: University of Colorado. 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
166. ^ "A Championship Tradition". DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics. August 30, 2006. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
167. ^ "Detroit Titans Football". University of Detroit Mercy Athletics. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2022. The undefeated 1928 U-D squad was deemed a Co-national champion, along with Georgia Tech, by Parker [sic] Davis.
168. ^ "2015 Football Media Guide". University of Kentucky Athletics. p. 100. Archived from the original on August 6, 2015. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
169. ^ "Terrapin Team Titles: University of Maryland National Championships". Maryland Athletics, University of Maryland. 2015. Archived from the original on October 10, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
170. ^ Maryland Terrapins football National Championships 1953 (Stadium Sign). Maryland Stadium: University of Maryland. 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
171. ^ 2021 Navy Football Media Guide (PDF). Naval Academy Athletic Association. 2021. pp. 8–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2022. In today’s modern era, three undefeated teams with nearly identical records would cause a stir among fans and pollsters alike. This was the case when Navy earned its lone national championship in 1926, as the Midshipmen shared the honor with Stanford and Alabama.
     A 7-7 tie between Alabama and Stanford in the 1926 Rose Bowl gave the Cardinal a 10-0-1 mark, while the Crimson Tide and the Mids each had identical 9-0-1 records.
     The [Army–Navy Game] tie gave the Midshipmen a share of the national championship, as a pair of polls (sic), Boand and Houlgate, named Navy the national champion.
172. ^ "AFCA Recognizes Oklahoma State as 1945 National Champion". October 13, 2016. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
173. ^ Oklahoma State 1945 National Champions (Stadium Sign). Boone Pickens Stadium: Oklahoma State University. 2019. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
174. ^ Baum, Jason, ed. (2014). 2014 Rutgers Football Factbook (PDF). Rutgers University Office of Athletic Communications. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021. National Championships... 1 (1869)
175. ^ Edson, Sue Cornelius, ed. (2014). 2014 Syracuse University Football Media Guide (PDF). Syracuse University Athletic Communications Department. pp. 6, 107. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
176. ^ Syracuse Orange football National Champions 1959 (Stadium Banner). Carrier Dome: Syracuse University. 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
177. ^ "2018 Football Media Guide" (PDF). UCFKnights.com. UCF Athletics. p. 89. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 22, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
178. ^ UCF Knights 2017 National Champions (Stadium Sign). Spectrum Stadium: University of Central Florida. 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
179. ^ 2014 UCLA Football Media Guide (PDF). UCLA Sports Information Office. 2014. pp. 90, 108. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
180. ^ "Wisconsin Football 2019 Fact Book" (PDF). uwbadgers.com. Wisconsin Athletics. p. 334. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020. Wisconsin Quick Facts – Team History – National Championships: 1 (1942, Helms Foundation)
181. ^ "NCAA University of Southern California Public Infractions Report" (PDF). Indianapolis: National Collegiate Athletic Association. June 10, 2010. p. 58. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
182. ^ "NCAA/SEC Championships". Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
183. ^ "Athletics". georgiadogs.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014.