Complete List of College Football National Championship Teams

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There are many polls and organizations that select college football's national championship team each year. Due to differing opinions, the final NCAA champion is sometimes not unanimously agreed upon. In 1981, with the most ever, six different teams claimed a national title.

Historical Dilemma

In the very first season of college football's existence, in 1869, pollsters split the national title between Rutgers and Princeton, even though Rutgers beat Princeton earlier that year. Controversies about the college football national championship have lingered ever since.

Comprehensive List of National Championship Teams

What follows is a comprehensive list of all the national championship teams, according to the NCAA. Listed alongside the champions are the polls or nominating bodies that awarded the title. Not all national championships are created equal. For instance, the Associated Press nominating body carries more weight than the New York Times nominating body, which was a selector from 1979 to 2004. The AP began its selection of national champions in 1936.

An *asterisk denotes the consensus national champion, that is, fans would most recognize that team as the national title holder. Even the consensus title is somewhat confusing, as some seasons ended with multiple consensus national champions.

2010s

Year College Nominating Body
2016

*Clemson

Alabama

AP, FW, NFF, USA/Amway

CCR, CM

2015 Alabama AP, FW, NFF, USA/Amway
2014 Ohio State College Football Playoff
2013 Florida State BCS
2012 Alabama BCS
2011 Alabama BCS
2010 Auburn BCS

2000s

Year College Nominating Body
2009 Alabama BCS
2008 Florida BCS
2007 LSU BCS
2006 Florida BCS
2005 Texas BCS
2004 USC/Vacated AP, FW (USC was later stripped of title due to player controversy)
2003

*LSU

*USC

Oklahoma

BCS, FACT, NFF, Seattle Times, USA/ESPN

AP, NYT

Berryman

2002

*Ohio State

USC

AP, BCS, FACT, FW, NFF, NYT, USA/ESPN

Dunkel, Matthews, Sagarin

2001 Miami (Fla.) BCS
2000 Oklahoma BCS

1990s

Year College Nominating Body
1999 Florida State BCS
1998
*Tennessee
Ohio State

Sagarin
BCS, AP, NYT, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, USA/ESPN
1997
*Michigan
*Nebraska

AP, FW, NCF, NFF
FACT, NCF, NYT, USA/ESPN
1996
*Florida
Florida State

AP, FACT, FW, NFF, USA/CNN
Alderson
1995 Nebraska NCF
1994
*Nebraska
Florida State
Penn State

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, UPI, USA/CNN, USA/NFF
Dunkel
FACT< NCF, NYT
1993
*Florida State
Auburn
Nebraska
Notre Dame

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN, USA/CNN
NCF
NCF
NCF
1992
*Alabama
Florida State

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NYT, UPI/NFF, USA/CNN
Sagarin
1991
*Miami (Fla.)
*Washington

AP, NCF, NYT,
FACT, FW, NCF, UPI/NFF, USA/CNN
1990
*Colorado
*Georgia Tech
Miami (Fla.)
Washington

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, USA/CNN
FACT, NCF, UPI
FACT, NYT
FACT

1980s

Year College Nominating Body
1989
*Miami (Fla.)
Notre Dame

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN
FACT
1988
*Notre Dame
Miami (Fla.)

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN
Berryman
1987
*Miami (Fla.)
Florida State

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN
Berryman, Sagarin
1986
*Penn State
Miami (Fla.)
Oklahoma

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI, USA/CNN
FACT
Berryman, NYT, Sagarin
1985
*Oklahoma
Michigan

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN
Matthews, Sagarin
1984
*Brigham Young
Florida
Nebraska
Washington

AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI, USA/CNN
FACT, NYT, Sagarin
Litkenhous
NCF
1983
*Miami (Fla.)
Auburn
Nebraska

AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI, USA/CNN
FACT, NYT
Berryman, FACT, Sagarin
1982
*Penn State
Nebraska
Southern Methodist

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI, USA/CNN
Berryman
Helms
1981
*Clemson
Nebraska
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Texas
Southern Methodist

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI
NCF
Dunkel
NCF
NCF
NCF
1980
*Georgia
Florida State
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Pittsburgh

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
FACT
FACT, Sagarin
Billingsley, Dunkel, Matthews
FACT, NYT

1970s

Year College Nominating Body
1979
*Alabama
USC

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, NYT, UPI
Football Research
1978
*Alabama
*USC
Oklahoma

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF
FACT, NCF, UPI
FACT, Sagarin
1977
*Notre Dame
Alabama
Arkansas
Texas

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Football Research
FACT
Berryman, FACT
1976
*Pittsburgh
USC

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Berryman, Billingsley, Devold, Dunkel, Matthews
1975
*Oklahoma
Alabama
Arizona State
Ohio State

AP, FACT, NCF, NFF, UPI
Matthews
NCF
FACT
1974
*Oklahoma
*USC
Ohio State

AP, FACT, NCF
FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Matthews
1973
*Alabama
*Notre Dame
Michigan
Ohio State
Oklahoma

Berryman, UPI
AP, FW, NCF, NFF
NCF
FACT, NCF
Billingsley, Sagarin
1972 USC AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
1971 Nebraska AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
1970
*Nebraska
*Texas
Arizona State
Notre Dame
Ohio State

AP, FACT, FW, NCF
FACT, NFF, UPI
Poling
FACT, Matthews
NFF

1960s

Year College Nominating Body
1969
*Texas
Ohio State
Penn State

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Matthews
FACT
1968
*Ohio State
Georgia
Texas

AP, FACT, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Litkenhous
DeVold, Matthews, Sagarin
1967
*USC
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Tennessee

AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Dunkel
Poling
Litkenhous
1966
*Michigan State
*Notre Dame
Alabama

Football Research, Helms, NFF, Poling
AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Berryman
1965
*Alabama
*Michigan State

AP, FW, NCF
FW, NFF, UPI
1964
*Alabama
*Arkansas
Michigan
Notre Dame

AP, UPI
FW, NCF
Dunkel
NFF
1963 Texas AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
1962
*USC
Alabama
LSU
Mississippi

AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Billingsley
Berryman
Litkenhous
1961
*Alabama
*Ohio State

AP, NCF, NFF, UPI
FW, Poling
1960
*Minnesota
*Mississippi
Iowa
Missouri
Washington

AP, NFF, UPI
FW, NCF
Berryman, Boand, Litkenhous, Sagarin
Poling
Helms

1950s

Year College Nominating Body
1959
*Syracuse
Mississippi

AP, FW, NCF, NFF, UPI
Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel, Sagarin
1958
*LSU
*Iowa

AP, NCF, UPI
FW
1957
*Auburn
*Ohio State
Michigan State
Oklahoma

AP, NCF
FW, UPI
Billingsley, Dunkel, Sagarin
Berryman
1956
*Oklahoma
Georgia Tech
Iowa
Tennessee

AP, FW, NCF, UPI
Berryman
Football Research
Sagarin
1955
*Oklahoma
Michigan State

AP, BFW, NFC, UPI
Boand
1954
*Ohio State
*UCLA

AP, NCF
FW, NCF, UPI
1953
*Maryland
Notre Dame
Oklahoma

AP, UPI
NCF
Berryman, Football Research
1952
*Michigan State
Georgia Tech

AP, NCF, UPI
Berryman, INS, Poling
1951
*Tennessee
Georgia Tech
Illinois
Maryland
Michigan State

AP, UPI
Berryman, Boand
Boand
DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF, Sagarin
Billingsley, Helms, Poling
1950
*Oklahoma
Kentucky
Princeton
Tennessee

AP, UPI
Sagarin
Boand, Poling
Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, Football Research, NCF

1940s

Year College Nominating Body
1949

*Notre Dame

Oklahoma

AP, NCF

Football Research

1948 Michigan AP, NCF
1947

*Notre Dame

Michigan

AP

Football Research

1946

*Notre Dame

Army

Georgia

AP, NCF

Football Research

Williamson

1945

*Army

Alabama

AP, Football Research, NCF

NCF

1944

*Army

Ohio State

AP, NCF

NCF

1943 Notre Dame AP, NCF
1942

*Ohio State

Georgia

Wisconsin

AP, Football Research, NCF

Berryman, DeVold, Houlgate, Litkenhous, Poling, Williamson

Helms

1941

*Minnesota

Alabama

Texas

AP, NCF

Houlgate

Berryman, Williamson

1940

*Minnesota

Stanford

Tennessee

AP, NCF

Helms, Poling

Dunkel, Williamson

1930s

Year College Nominating Body
1939
*Texas A&M
Cornell
USC

AP, NCF
Billingsley, Litkenhous
Dickinson
1938
*TCU
Notre Dame
Tennessee

AP, NCF
Dickinson
Football Research
1937
*Pittsburgh
California

AP, Football Research, NCF
Dunkel, Helms
1936
*Minnesota
LSU
Pittsburgh

AP, NCF
Williamson
Boand, Football Research, Houlgate
1935
*Minnesota
LSU
Princeton
Southern Methodist
TCU

Football Research, NCF
Williamson
Dunkel
Dickinson, Houlgate
Williamson
1934
*Minnesota
Alabama

Football Research, NCF
Dunkel, Houlgate, Poling, Williamson
1933
*Michigan
Ohio State
Princeton
USC

Football Research, NCF
Dunkel
Parke Davis
Williamson
1932
*USC
Colgate
Michigan

Football Research, NCF
Parke Davis
Dickinson, Parke Davis
1931
*USC
Pittsburgh
Purdue

Football Research, NCF
Parke Davis
Parke Davis
1930
*Alabama
*Notre Dame

Football Research, Parke Davis
NCF

1920s

Year College Nominating Body

1929

*Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
USC

Football Research, NCF
Parke Davis
Houlgate
1928
*Georgia Tech
Detroit
USC

Football Research, NCF
Parke Davis
Dickinson
1927
*Illinois
*Yale
Georgia

NCF
Football Research
Boand, Poling
1926
*Alabama
*Stanford
Lafayette
Navy

Football Research, NCF
NCF
Parke Davis
Boand, Houlgate
1925
*Alabama
Dartmouth

Football Research, NCF
Dickinson, Parke Davis
1924
*Notre Dame
Pennsylvania

Football Research, NCF
Parke Davis
1923
*Illinois
California
Michigan

Football Research, NCF
Houlgate
NCF
1922
*California
*Cornell
*Princeton
Iowa

NCF, Houlgate
Helms, Parke Davis
Boand, Football Research, NCF, Parke Davis
Billingsley
1921
*California
*Cornell
Iowa
Lafayette
Washington & Jefferson

Boand, Football Research
NCF
Billingsley, Parke Davis
Boand, Parke Davis
Boand
1920
*California
Harvard
Notre Dame
Princeton

Billingsley, Football Research, NCF
Boand
Parke Davis
Boand, Parke Davis

1910s

Year College Nominating Body
1919
*Harvard
*Illinois
*Notre Dame
*Texas A&M

Football Research, NCF
Billingsley, Boand, Football Research, Parke Davis
NCF, Parke Davis
NCF
1918
*Michigan
*Pittsburgh

Billingsley, NCF
Helms, Houlgate, NCF
1917 Georgia Tech NCF
1916
*Pittsburgh
Army

NCF
Parke Davis
1915
*Cornell
Nebraska
Pittsburgh

NCF
Billingsley
Parke Davis
1914
*Army
Illinois
Texas

NCF
Parke Davis
Billingsley
1913
*Harvard
Auburn
Chicago

NCF
Billingsley
Parke Davis
1912
*Harvard
*Penn State

NCF
NCF
1911
*Penn State
*Princeton
Vanderbilt

NCF
NCF
Billingsley
1910
*Harvard
*Pittsburgh
Michigan

NCF
NCF
Billingsley

1900s

Year College Nominating Body
1909 Yale NCF
1908

*LSU

*Pennsylvania

NCF

NCF

1907

*Yale

Pennsylvania

NCF

Billingsley

1906

*Princeton

Vanderbilt

Yale

NCF

Billingsley

Parke Davis

1905

*Chicago

Yale

NCF

Parke Davis

1904

*Michigan

*Pennsylvania

NCF

NCF

1903

*Michigan

*Princeton

NCF

NCF

1902

*Michigan

Yale

NCF

Parke Davis

1901

*Michigan

Harvard

Yale

NCF

Billingsley

Parke Davis

1900 Yale NCF

1890s

Year College Nominating Body
1899

*Harvard

Princeton

NCF

Parke Davis

1898

*Harvard

Princeton

NCF

Parke Davis

1897

*Pennsylvania

Yale

NCF

Parke Davis

1896

*Lafayette

*Princeton

NCF

Parke Davis

1895

*Pennsylvania

Yale

NCF

Parke Davis

1894

*Yale

Pennsylvania

Princeton

NCF

Parke Davis

Houlgate

1893

*Princeton

Yale

NCF

Parke Davis

1892 Yale NCF
1891 Yale NCF
1890 Harvard NCF

1880s

Year College Nominating Body
1889 Princeton NCF
1888 Yale NCF
1887 Yale NCF
1886

*Yale

Princeton

NCF

Parke Davis

1885 Princeton NCF
1884

*Princeton

Yale

Parke Davis

NCF

1883 Yale NCF
1882 Yale NCF
1881

*Yale

Princeton

NCF

Billingsley, Parke Davis

1880

*Princeton

*Yale

NCF

NCF

1870s

Year College Nominating Body
1879
*Princeton
Yale

NCF
Parke Davis
1878 Princeton NCF
1877
*Yale
Princeton

NCF
Parke Davis
1876 Yale NCF
1875
*Harvard
Colgate
Princeton

NCF
Parke Davis
Billingsley, Parke Davis
1874
*Yale
Harvard
Princeton

NCF
Parke Davis
Billingsley, Parke Davis
1873 Princeton NFC
1872 Princeton NFC
1871 None
1870 Princeton NFC
1869
*Princeton
Rutgers

NFC
Parke Davis