NCAA Division I-A national football championship
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The NCAA Division I-A national football championship is the only Division I-A NCAA-sponsored sport without an organized tournament to determine its champion.
Although football is the most popular NCAA sport and the sports in which public interest in the "championship" would be highest, there may be in fact no undisputed champion in any given year. Criticisms lodged against the NCAA football division include the fact that the final ranking of NCAA football teams is decided by subjective standards which are often regarded as being arbitrary, much like those in beauty pageants. Many believe that the champion of the most popular collegiate sport should not be decided by polls. The major push for changes to the system is less than a decade old, while Bowl traditions approach a century old. The most vocal supportors of a change to the system are fans, sportscasters, and coaches, while school presidents largely favor the current system.#redirect [[Template:fact]].
Over the years various polls and formulas have been used to determine a national champion. For champions prior to 1936, retroactive polls and research have been employed to determine recognized champions of major college football. The methodology has evolved over the years, as have the polls being used.
The tradition, and the controversy, is carried on today with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), created for the 1998 season, and its predecessors — the Bowl Coalition from seasons 1992 to 1994, and the Bowl Alliance from seasons 1995 to 1997. The AP and coaches' polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule and performance against other top teams were combined into a formula, with the top two teams meeting in the BCS National Championship Game.
Most recently, in 2003 USC did not play in the BCS title game, despite finishing the regular season as #1 in both the AP and coaches polls. In the BCS formula Oklahoma was ranked #1 at the end of the regular season and LSU ended up #2. Under the BCS agreement Oklahoma played LSU in the championship game. LSU won the BCS title game, giving it the BCS title and #1 in the coaches' poll, while the sportswriters voted USC #1 in the AP poll. Consequently, for the 2004 season, the BCS formula was once again tweaked (see Bowl Championship Series article).
On one occasion, the BCS formula has worked ideally: in 2005, there were only two undefeated teams at the end of the season, the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns. Those two teams met in the Rose Bowl, and Texas won. The use of the Bowl Championship Series formula, however, has fostered debate amongst those college football fans who are proponents of a playoff system.
The term Division I-A was not used until 1978, and before that the term 'major college champion' was often used. Below are some of the selectors:
Retroactive/research polls:
| National Championship Foundation | (NCF) | 1869-2001 (Table below reflects selections from 1869-1882 and from 1924-1953) |
| College Football Researchers Association | (CFRA) | 1919-1992 (Table below reflects selections from 1924-1953) |
| Helms Athletic Foundation | (H) | Retroactive 1883-1941, Contemporaneous 1942-1982 (Table below reflects selections from 1883-1953) |
Statistical analysis
| Dickinson System | (D) | 1924-1940 (Contemporaneous 1926-1940) |
Media/opinion polls
| United Press | (UP) | 1935 (Before Bowls) |
| Associated Press | (AP) | 1936-present (After Bowls 1965 and 1968-present) |
| International News Service | (INS) | 1952-1957 (Before Bowls) |
| Football Writers Association of America | (FWAA) | 1954-present (After Bowls beginning 1955) |
| Harris Interactive | (HI) | 2005-present (Used only to help select BCS participants) |
The coaches' poll, published by:
| United Press | (UP) | 1950-1957 (Before Bowls) |
| United Press International | (UPI) | 1958-1990 (After Bowls beginning 1974) |
| USA Today/CNN | (CNN) | 1991-1996 (After Bowls) |
| USA Today/ESPN | (ESPN) | 1997 (After Bowls) |
| USA Today/ESPN | (BCS) | 1998-2004 (Required to vote for BCS title game winner) |
| USA Today | (BCS) | 2005-present (Required to vote for BCS title game winner) |
By year
| Year | Champion | Source | Record | Bowl | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1869 | Princeton | (NCF) | 1-1-0 | ||
| 1870 | Princeton | (NCF) | 1-0 | ||
| 1871 | No Champion | ||||
| 1872 | Princeton | (NCF) | 1-0 | ||
| 1873 | Princeton | (NCF) | 1-0 | ||
| 1874 | Yale | (NCF) | 3-0 | ||
| 1875 | Harvard | (NCF) | 4-0 | ||
| Princeton | ([Other]) | 2-0 | |||
| 1876 | Yale | (NCF) | 3-0 | ||
| 1877 | Yale | (NCF) | 3-0-1 | ||
| 1878 | Princeton | (NCF) | 6-0-0 | ||
| 1879 | Princeton | (NCF) | 4-0-1 | ||
| 1880 | Princeton | (NCF) | 4-0-1 | ||
| Yale | (NCF) | 4-0-1 | |||
| 1881 | Yale | (NCF) | 5-0-1 | ||
| 1882 | Yale | (NCF) | 8-0-0 | ||
| 1883 | Yale | (H) | 8-0-0 | Ray Tomkins (Captain) | |
| 1884 | Yale | (H) | 9-0-0 | Eugene L. Richards (Captain) | |
| 1885 | Princeton | (H) | 9-0-0 | Charles DeCamp (Captain) | |
| 1886 | Yale | (H) | 9-0-1 | Robert N. Corwin (Captain) | |
| 1887 | Yale | (H) | 9-0-0 | Harry W. Beecher (Captain) | |
| 1888 | Yale | (H) | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | |
| 1889 | Princeton | (H) | 10-0-0 | Edgar Poe (Captain) | |
| 1890 | Harvard | (H) | 11-0-0 | G.A. Stewart/G.C. Adams | |
| 1891 | Yale | (H) | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | |
| 1892 | Yale | (H) | 13-0-0 | Walter Camp | |
| 1893 | Princeton | (H) | 11-0-0 | Tom Trenchard (Captain) | |
| 1894 | Yale | (H) | 16-0-0 | William C. Rhodes | |
| 1895 | Pennsylvania | (H) | 14-0-0 | George Woodruff | |
| 1896 | Princeton | (H) | 10-0-1 | Garrett Cochran | |
| 1897 | Pennsylvania | (H) | 15-0-0 | George Woodruff | |
| 1898 | Harvard | (H) | 11-0-0 | W. Cameron Forbes | |
| 1899 | Harvard | (H) | 10-0-1 | Benjamin H. Dibblee | |
| 1900 | Yale | (H) | 12-0-0 | Malcolm McBride | |
| 1901 | Michigan | (H) | 11-0-0 | Won Rose | Fielding Yost |
| 1902 | Michigan | (H) | 11-0-0 | Fielding Yost | |
| 1903 | Princeton | (H) | 11-0-0 | Art Hillebrand | |
| 1904 | Pennsylvania | (H) | 12-0-0 | Carl Williams | |
| 1905 | Chicago | (H) | 11-0-0 | Amos Alonzo Stagg | |
| 1906 | Princeton | (H) | 9-0-1 | Bill Roper | |
| 1907 | Yale | (H) | 9-0-1 | Bill Knox | |
| 1908 | Pennsylvania | (H) | 11-0-1 | Sol Metzger | |
| LSU | (NCF) | 10-0-0 | Edgar R. Wingard | ||
| 1909 | Yale | (H) | 10-0-0 | Howard Jones | |
| 1910 | Harvard | (H) | 8-0-1 | Percy Houghton | |
| 1911 | Princeton | (H) | 8-0-2 | Bill Roper | |
| 1912 | Harvard | (H) | 9-0-0 | Percy Houghton | |
| 1913 | Harvard | (H) | 9-0-0 | Percy Houghton | |
| 1914 | Army | (H) | 9-0-0 | Charley Daly | |
| 1915 | Cornell | (H) | 9-0-0 | Al Sharpe | |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh | (H) | 8-0-0 | Pop Warner | |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech | (H) | 9-0-0 | John Heisman | |
| 1918 | Pittsburgh | (H) | 4-1-0 | Pop Warner | |
| 1919 | Harvard | (H) | 9-0-1 | Won Rose | Bob Fisher |
| 1920 | California | (H) | 9-0-0 | Won Rose | Andy Smith |
| 1921 | Cornell | (H) | 8-0-0 | Gil Dobie | |
| 1922 | Cornell | (H) | 8-0-0 | Gil Dobie | |
| 1923 | Illinois | (H) | 8-0-0 | Bob Zuppke | |
| 1924 | Notre Dame | (H)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Knute Rockne |
| 1925 | Alabama | (H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Wallace Wade |
| Dartmouth | (D) | 8-0-0 | Jesse Hawley | ||
| 1926 | Stanford | (H)(D)(NCF) | 10-0-1 | Tied Rose | Pop Warner |
| Alabama | (H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-1 | Tied Rose | Wallace Wade | |
| 1927 | Illinois | (H)(D)(NCF) | 7-0-1 | Bob Zuppke | |
| Yale | (CFRA) | 10-0-0 | T.A. Dwight "Tad" Jones | ||
| 1928 | Georgia Tech | (H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Bill Alexander |
| USC | (D) | 9-0-1 | Howard Jones | ||
| 1929 | Notre Dame | (H)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-0 | Knute Rockne | |
| 1930 | Notre Dame | (H)(D)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Knute Rockne | |
| Alabama | (CFRA) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Wallace Wade | |
| 1931 | USC | (H)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-1-0 | Won Rose | Howard Jones |
| 1932 | USC | (H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Howard Jones |
| Michigan | (D) | 8-0-0 | Harry Kipke | ||
| 1933 | Michigan | (H)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 7-0-1 | Harry Kipke | |
| Princeton | ([Other]) | 9-0-0 | Fritz Crisler | ||
| 1934 | Minnesota | (H)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | |
| Alabama | ([Other]) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Frank Thomas | |
| 1935 | Minnesota | (UP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | |
| SMU | (D) | 12-1-0 | Lost Rose | Matty Bell | |
| Princeton | ([Other]) | 9-0-0 | Fritz Crisler | ||
| 1936 | Minnesota | (AP)(H)(D)(NCF) | 7-1-0 | Bernie Bierman | |
| Pittsburgh | (CFRA) | 8-1-1 | Won Rose | Jock Sutherland | |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh | (AP)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-1 | Jock Sutherland | |
| California | (H) | 10-0-1 | Won Rose | Leonard Allison | |
| 1938 | TCU | (AP)(H)(NCF) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Dutch Meyer |
| Notre Dame | (D) | 8-1-0 | Elmer Layden | ||
| Tennessee | (CFRA) | 11-0-0 | Won Orange | Robert Neyland | |
| 1939 | Texas A&M | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Homer Norton |
| USC | (D) | 8-0-2 | Won Rose | Howard Jones | |
| 1940 | Minnesota | (AP)(D)(CFRA)(NCF) | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | |
| Stanford | (H) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Clark Shaughnessy | |
| 1941 | Minnesota | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 8-0-0 | Bernie Bierman | |
| 1942 | Ohio State | (AP)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-1-0 | Paul Brown | |
| Wisconsin | (H) | 8-1-1 | Harry Stuhldreher | ||
| Georgia | ([Other]) | 10-1-0 | Won Rose | Wallace Butts | |
| 1943 | Notre Dame | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-1-0 | Frank Leahy | |
| 1944 | Army | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-0 | Earl Blaik | |
| Ohio State | (NCF) | 9-0-0 | Carroll Widdoes | ||
| 1945 | Army | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-0 | Earl Blaik | |
| Alabama | (NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Frank Thomas | |
| 1946 | Notre Dame | (AP)(H)(NCF) | 8-0-1 | Frank Leahy | |
| Army | (H)(CFRA) | 9-0-1 | Earl Blaik | ||
| 1947 | Notre Dame | (AP)(H) | 9-0-0 | Frank Leahy | |
| Michigan* | (H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Fritz Crisler | |
| 1948 | Michigan | (AP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-0 | Bennie Oosterbaan | |
| 1949 | Notre Dame | (AP)(H)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Frank Leahy | |
| Oklahoma | (CFRA) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Bud Wilkinson | |
| 1950 | Oklahoma | (AP)(UP)(H) | 10-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Bud Wilkinson |
| Tennessee | (CFRA)(NCF) | 11-1-0 | Won Cotton | Robert Neyland | |
| 1951 | Tennessee | (AP)(UP) | 10-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Robert Neyland |
| Michigan State | (H) | 9-0-0 | Biggie Munn | ||
| Maryland | (CFRA)(NCF) | 10-0-0 | Won Sugar | Jim Tatum | |
| 1952 | Michigan State | (AP)(UP)(H)(CFRA)(NCF) | 9-0-0 | Biggie Munn | |
| Georgia Tech | (INS) | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Bobby Dodd | |
| 1953 | Maryland | (AP)(UP)(INS) | 10-1-0 | Lost Orange | Jim Tatum |
| Notre Dame | (H)(NCF) | 9-0-1 | Frank Leahy | ||
| Oklahoma | (CFRA) | 9-1-1 | Won Orange | Bud Wilkinson | |
| 1954 | Ohio State | (AP)(INS) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes |
| UCLA | (UP)(FWAA) | 9-0-0 | Red Sanders | ||
| 1955 | Oklahoma | (AP)(UP)(INS)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Orange | Bud Wilkinson |
| 1956 | Oklahoma | (AP)(UP)(INS)(FWAA) | 10-0-0 | Bud Wilkinson | |
| 1957 | Auburn | (AP) | 10-0-0 | Shug Jordan | |
| Ohio State | (UP)(INS)(FWAA) | 9-1-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes | |
| 1958 | LSU | (AP)(UPI) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul Dietzel |
| Iowa | (FWAA) | 8-1-1 | Won Rose | Forest Evashevski | |
| 1959 | Syracuse | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Ben Schwartzwalder |
| 1960 | Minnesota | (AP)(UPI) | 8-2-0 | Lost Rose | Murray Warmath |
| Mississippi | (FWAA) | 10-0-1 | Won Sugar | John Vaught | |
| 1961 | Alabama | (AP)(UPI) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| Ohio State | (FWAA) | 8-0-1 | Woody Hayes | ||
| 1962 | USC | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Rose | John McKay |
| 1963 | Texas | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Darrell Royal |
| 1964 | Alabama | (AP)(UPI) | 10-1-0 | Lost Orange | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| Arkansas | (FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Frank Broyles | |
| 1965 | Alabama | (AP)(FWAA) | 9-1-1 | Won Orange | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| Michigan State | (UPI)(FWAA) | 10-1-0 | Lost Rose | Duffy Daugherty | |
| 1966 | Notre Dame | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 9-0-1 | Ara Parseghian | |
| Michigan State | ([Other]) | 9-0-1 | Duffy Daugherty | ||
| 1967 | USC | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 10-1-0 | Won Rose | John McKay |
| 1968 | Ohio State | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 10-0-0 | Won Rose | Woody Hayes |
| 1969 | Texas | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Cotton | Darrell Royal |
| 1970 | Nebraska | (AP)(FWAA) | 11-0-1 | Won Orange | Bob Devaney |
| Texas | (UPI) | 10-1-0 | Lost Cotton | Darrell Royal | |
| 1971 | Nebraska | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 13-0-0 | Won Orange | Bob Devaney |
| 1972 | USC | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Rose | John McKay |
| 1973 | Notre Dame | (AP)(FWAA) | 11-0-0 | Won Sugar | Ara Parseghian |
| Alabama | (UPI) | 11-1-0 | Lost Sugar | Paul "Bear" Bryant | |
| 1974 | Oklahoma | (AP) | 11-0-0 | Barry Switzer | |
| USC | (UPI)(FWAA) | 10-1-1 | Won Rose | John McKay | |
| 1975 | Oklahoma | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Barry Switzer |
| 1976 | Pittsburgh | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Johnny Majors |
| 1977 | Notre Dame | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Cotton | Dan Devine |
| 1978 | Alabama | (AP)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| USC | (UPI) | 12-1-0 | Won Rose | John Robinson | |
| 1979 | Alabama | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Paul "Bear" Bryant |
| 1980 | Georgia | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Sugar | Vince Dooley |
| 1981 | Clemson | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Danny Ford |
| 1982 | Penn State | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Joe Paterno |
| 1983 | Miami (FL) | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Howard Schnellenberger |
| 1984 | BYU | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 13-0-0 | Won Holiday | Lavell Edwards |
| 1985 | Oklahoma | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Orange | Barry Switzer |
| 1986 | Penn State | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Joe Paterno |
| 1987 | Miami (FL) | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Jimmy Johnson |
| 1988 | Notre Dame | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Lou Holtz |
| 1989 | Miami (FL) | (AP)(UPI)(FWAA) | 11-1-0 | Won Sugar | Dennis Erickson |
| 1990 | Colorado | (AP)(FWAA) | 11-1-1 | Won Orange | Bill McCartney |
| Georgia Tech | (UPI) | 11-0-1 | Won Citrus | Bobby Ross | |
| 1991 | Miami (FL) | (AP) | 12-0-0 | Won Orange | Dennis Erickson |
| Washington | (CNN)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Rose | Don James | |
| 1992 | Alabama | (AP)(CNN)(FWAA) | 13-0-0 | Won Sugar | Gene Stallings |
| 1993 | Florida State | (AP)(CNN)(FWAA) | 12-1-0 | Won Orange | Bobby Bowden |
| 1994 | Nebraska | (AP)(CNN)(FWAA) | 13-0-0 | Won Orange | Tom Osborne |
| 1995 | Nebraska | (AP)(CNN)(FWAA) | 12-0-0 | Won Fiesta | Tom Osborne |
| 1996 | Florida | (AP)(CNN)(FWAA) | 12-1 | Won Sugar | Steve Spurrier |
| 1997 | Michigan | (AP)(FWAA) | 12-0 | Won Rose | Lloyd Carr |
| Nebraska | (ESPN) | 13-0 | Won Orange | Tom Osborne | |
| 1998 | Tennessee | (BCS)(AP)(FWAA) | 13-0 | Won Fiesta | Phillip Fulmer |
| 1999 | Florida State | (BCS)(AP)(FWAA) | 12-0 | Won Sugar | Bobby Bowden |
| 2000 | Oklahoma | (BCS)(AP)(FWAA) | 13-0 | Won Orange | Bob Stoops |
| 2001 | Miami (FL) | (BCS)(AP)(FWAA) | 12-0 | Won Rose | Larry Coker |
| 2002 | Ohio State | (BCS)(AP)(FWAA) | 14-0 | Won Fiesta | Jim Tressel |
| 2003 | LSU | (BCS) | 13-1 | Won Sugar | Nick Saban |
| USC | (AP) | 12-1 | Won Rose | Pete Carroll | |
| 2004 | USC | (BCS)(AP) | 13-0 | Won Orange | Pete Carroll |
| 2005 | Texas | (BCS)(AP) | 13-0 | Won Rose | Mack Brown |
Most national championships
This is a source of much debate. Before 1901 the national title was dominated by teams that are now members of the Ivy League. Yale and Princeton each claim as many as 24 national championships. However, Yale's last title was in 1927 and Princeton's was in 1935. The University of Michigan won the first non-Ivy League national championship in 1901 (game played in January, 1902).Using only the sources recognized above, the following teams have won the most championships since 1901:
| Team | Recognized titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 12 | 1924, 1929, 1930, 1938, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 |
| Alabama | 12 | 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1945, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992 |
| USC | 11 | 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 |
| Oklahoma | 9 | 1949, 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 |
| Michigan | 7 | 1901, 1902, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997 |
| Ohio State | 7 | 1942, 1944, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 2002 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 |
| Miami (FL) | 5 | 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 |
| Tennessee | 4 | 1938, 1950, 1951, 1998 |
| Texas | 4 | 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005 |
Several universities claim more championships than are listed above (e.g. Michigan claims 11 national championships) and some claim fewer championships than are listed above (e.g. Oklahoma claims 7 national championships).
Futhermore, some universities have received mention as a national champion by at least one source — which some universities would claim as a national title — but do not count it among the consensus championships. For instance, by some counts, Notre Dame has 11 consensus titles (1924, '29, '30, '43, '46, '47, '49, '66, '73, '77, '88), but another 8 seasons where one reliable source declared Notre Dame the national champion (1919, '20, '27, '38, '53, '64, '67, '70).
See also
- BCS National Championship Game
- NCAA Division I-AA national football championship
- NCAA Division II national football championship
- NCAA Division III national football championship
- Mythical National Championship
References
- [College Football Data Warehouse National Championships Page]
- [Hickok Sports College Football National Champions page]
- [NCAA.org Past National Champions page]
- [Nationalchamps.net History Page]
- [Bob Kirlin's Historical Reality National College Football Champions]
Other College Football links
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