Picking a national champion in college football has always been a topic of debate. For most of the last 150 years, the sport lacked a formal championship system. That changed in 2014 when the College Football Playoff introduced a postseason format to resolve this issue. It replaced a system that relied on media polls, coaches’ polls, and computer systems.

Settling things on the field, team vs. team, is a better approach. However, it wasn’t always the case. Let’s take a look at every national title team since the beginning:

College Football National Championship Teams from 1869 to Today

Where no selecting organization is listed below, a combination of the Associated Press, FWAA, NFF, UPI, or NCF is responsible for naming a national champion.

2020s National Champions

College Football Playoff Era

• 2025: Indiana
• 2024: Ohio State
• 2023: Michigan
• 2022: Georgia
• 2021: Georgia
• 2020: Alabama

Need to know…

• Indiana completes what might be the single-greatest turnaround in college football history, culminating a stunning two-year run under head coach Curt Cignetti by running the table and becoming the first 16-0 team since Yale in 1894.
• Ohio State makes history by winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff by taking down Notre Dame, finishing as the most dominant team in the CFP in 2024, winning their four postseason games by an average of 18 points.
• Alabama runs the table in ’20 during the Covid-19 pandemic, outscoring SEC opponents 547-214, and all opponents 630-252.
• Georgia beats the Crimson Tide in 2021 to win its first national championship since 1980.
• Georgia does it again in 2022 for its second-straight title, destroying TCU in a 65-7 rout, the widest margin in a CFP game.
• Michigan completes its first-ever 15-0 season by beating up Washington in the final four-team playoff.

2010s National Champions

• 2019: LSU (CFP)
• 2018: Clemson (CFP)
• 2017: Alabama (CFP)
• 2016: Clemson (CFP)
• 2015: Alabama (CFP)
• 2014: Ohio State (CFP)
• 2013: Florida State (BCS)
• 2012: Alabama (BCS)
• 2011: Alabama (BCS)
• 2010: Auburn (BCS)

Need to know…

• Ohio State wins the first-ever College Football Playoff. OSU went undefeated in 2012, but played under a bowl ban.
• TCU ran the table and won the Rose Bowl in 2010. Congrove Computer Rankings, an NCAA-designated major selector, chose that TCU team as national champion.
• Clemson and Alabama are dueling dynasties in the early playoff era, with the former beating the latter in 2016 and 2018, the latter by the widest margin of defeat Nick Saban had with the Tide.
• LSU broke records behind Joe Burrow at quarterback to run the table in 2019.

2000s National Champions

• 2009: Alabama (BCS)
• 2008: Florida (BCS)
• 2007: LSU (BCS)
• 2006: Florida (BCS)
• 2005: Texas (BCS)
• 2004: USC (BCS)
• 2003: LSU, USC (BCS, AP, FWAA)
• 2002: Ohio State (BCS)
• 2001: Miami (BCS)
• 2000: Oklahoma (BCS)

Need to know…

• AP voters broke with the BCS and named USC the national champion in 2003 over LSU.
• Miami’s 2001 team is considered one of the best in college football history.
• Boise State went undefeated in 2006 and beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, in addition to five bowl teams on the year. Those teams went 4-1 in bowls, and the one loser (Nevada) lost its bowl by one point.

1990s National Champions

• 1999: Florida State (BCS)
• 1998: Tennessee (BCS)
• 1997: Michigan, Nebraska
• 1996: Florida
• 1995: Nebraska
• 1994: Nebraska
• 1993: Florida State
• 1992: Alabama
• 1991: Washington, Miami
• 1990: Georgia Tech

Need to know…

• Nebraska, the team of the 90s, played more ranked teams in ’97, won those games by larger margins, and had more selectors pick them.
• Michigan’s ’97 team finished No. 1 in AP, but Nebraska topped the Coaches Poll.
• Miami topped the AP college football rankings in ’91, but the Coaches selected Washington.

1980s National Champions

• 1989: Miami
• 1988: Notre Dame
• 1987: Miami
• 1986: Penn State
• 1985: Oklahoma
• 1984: BYU
• 1983: Miami
• 1982: Penn State
• 1981: Clemson
• 1980: Georgia

Need to know…

• Voters favored Miami after it beat Nebraska by one point in the 1984 Orange Bowl. Or, more accurately, when the Huskers’ famous two-point try failed at the end of the game.
• Auburn has a claim in ’83, playing a harder schedule, including a win over a Florida team that beat Miami.

1970s National Champions

• 1979: Alabama
• 1978: Alabama, USC
• 1977: Notre Dame
• 1976: Pittsburgh
• 1975: Oklahoma
• 1974: USC, Oklahoma
• 1973: Notre Dame, Alabama
• 1972: USC
• 1971: Nebraska
• 1970: Nebraska, Texas, Ohio State

Need to know…

• ND and Bama split the ’73 title, but the Irish beat the No. 1 Tide at the Sugar Bowl.
• AP voters gave Notre Dame the No. 1 spot, but the Coaches selected Alabama.
• USC ranked No. 1 in the ’74 Coaches Poll, but AP gave it to Oklahoma.
• Undefeated, one-tie Nebraska is the consensus college football champion in 1970, as Texas and OSU both lost their bowl games.
• Bama took the AP No. 1 in 1978 despite losing to USC (the Coaches’ choice), but beating No. 1 Penn State in the Sugar Bowl.

1960s National Champions

• 1969: Texas
• 1968: Ohio State
• 1967: USC
• 1966: Notre Dame, Michigan State
• 1965: Alabama, Michigan State
• 1964: Arkansas, Alabama, Notre Dame
• 1963: Texas
• 1962: USC
• 1961: Alabama, Ohio State
• 1960: Minnesota, Ole Miss

Need to know…

• The ’66 Irish controversially played for a tie at Michigan State, but ND did play a somewhat tougher schedule.
• Alabama should claim in 1966 but doesn’t despite being the only undefeated team in college football that year.
• Bama has the stronger ’61 claim. As does Arkansas in ’64.

1950s National Champions

• 1959: Syracuse
• 1958: LSU, Iowa
• 1957: Ohio State, Auburn
• 1956: Oklahoma
• 1955: Oklahoma
• 1954: UCLA, Ohio State
• 1953: Maryland
• 1952: Michigan State
• 1951: Oklahoma
• 1950: Oklahoma

Need to know…

• Maryland won in both major polls, but lost its bowl.
• Notre Dame has a good claim in ’53 instead, going 9-0-1 and beat four ranked teams.
• Ohio State has the better claim in 1957, going undefeated and beating USC in the Rose Bowl.
• Auburn was on probation in ’57 and didn’t play a bowl, but ran the table and placed No. 1 in the AP college football rankings.

1940s National Champions

• 1949: Notre Dame
• 1948: Michigan
• 1947: Notre Dame
• 1946: Notre Dame
• 1945: Army
• 1944: Army
• 1943: Notre Dame
• 1942: Ohio State
• 1941: Minnesota
• 1940: Minnesota

Need to know…

• The decade of dynasty. Army in ’45 not only helped lick Germany and Japan, but was one of the best teams in college football history, outrageously talented and dominant.
• The Cadets destroyed everything in sight in 1944, outscoring teams, 505-35.
• Paul Brown brought the Buckeyes their first title in ’42.
• Michigan won two straight under Fritz Crisler and then Bennie Oosterbaan.
• Notre Dame tied Army in ’46 but destroyed a Navy team that almost lost to the Cadets.

1930s National Champions

• 1939: Texas A&M
• 1938: TCU
• 1937: Pittsburgh
• 1936: Minnesota
• 1935: Minnesota
• 1934: Minnesota
• 1933: Michigan
• 1932: USC
• 1931: USC
• 1930: Alabama, Notre Dame

Need to know…

• Bama and ND were perfect in ’30, but the Irish got a nod thanks to a tough schedule, including a win over a USC team that outscored opponents, 382-66.
• USC destroyed everything in sight in 1931 and ’32, winning 19 straight games.
• Minnesota was college football’s dynasty during the Great Depression years. Gophers win three straight titles, including the first in the AP Poll era.

1920s National Champions

• 1929: Notre Dame
• 1928: Georgia Tech
• 1927: Illinois, Yale
• 1926: Alabama, Stanford
• 1925: Alabama
• 1924: Notre Dame
• 1923: Illinois, Michigan
• 1922: Cal, Cornell, Princeton
• 1921: Cal, Cornell
• 1920: Cal

Need to know…

• The decade college football moved out of the Ivy League and went nationwide.
• Notre Dame and Alabama emerge as national powers.
• ND beats Stanford in the ’25 Rose Bowl, its last bowl game until the 1969 season.
• Crimson Tide wins the ’26 Rose in a game that propels the South to national respect.
• Cal is the consensus 1921 champ and Princeton in ’22.

1910s National Champions

• 1919: Illinois
• 1918: Michigan, Pittsburgh
• 1917: Georgia Tech
• 1916: Pittsburgh
• 1915: Cornell
• 1914: Army
• 1913: Harvard
• 1912: Harvard, Penn State
• 1911: Penn State, Princeton
• 1910: Harvard, Pittsburgh

Need to know…

• Harvard, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M also have claims in 1919, but Illinois remains the consensus.
• John Heisman’s Georgia Tech killed teams in ’17, outscoring them, 491-17, helping put Southern football on the map.
• Carlisle has an argument in 1911 when Hall of Famer Jim Thorpe helped beat Harvard in what is still one of the biggest upsets in college football history.

1900s National Champions

• 1909: Yale
• 1908: LSU, Penn
• 1907: Yale
• 1906: Princeton
• 1905: Chicago
• 1904: Michigan, Penn
• 1903: Michigan, Princeton
• 1902: Michigan
• 1901: Michigan
• 1900: Yale

Need to know…

• Michigan firmly plants itself in the ranks of the college football elite, in 1901 outscoring opponents, 550-0, and pounding Stanford in the first-ever Rose Bowl.
• LSU’s 1908 claim is shrouded in controversy since Grantland Rice accused the team of paying players. Investigations cleared LSU of wrongdoing, but voters made their decision before that became clear.

1890s National Champions

• 1899: Harvard
• 1898: Harvard
• 1897: Penn
• 1896: Lafayette, Princeton
• 1895: Penn
• 1894: Yale
• 1893: Princeton
• 1892: Yale
• 1891: Yale
• 1890: Harvard

Need to know…

• Harvard is the consensus winner in 1899, but Sewanee has a claim after beating Texas A&M, Texas, Tulane, LSU, and Ole Miss in six straight days. That might be the greatest achievement in college football history.
• Walter Camp, the father of the American football, wins his last title at Yale in 1892.
• Penn’s ’97 team was the only one to go 15-0 until Clemson did 110 years later.

1880s National Champions

• 1889: Princeton
• 1888: Yale
• 1887: Yale
• 1886: Yale
• 1885: Princeton
• 1884: Yale
• 1883: Yale
• 1882: Yale
• 1881: Yale
• 1880: Princeton, Yale

Need to know…

• Yale is the college football dynasty of the 80s. It becomes the first 10-win team in 1888, going 13-0 and not allowing a single point.
• Yale averaged 60 ppg in the ’83 season under Walter Camp thanks to his revolutionizing the rules of the game.

1870s National Champions

• 1879: Princeton
• 1878: Princeton
• 1877: Yale
• 1876: Yale
• 1875: Harvard
• 1874: Yale
• 1873: Princeton
• 1872: Princeton
• 1871: No champion
• 1870: Princeton

Need to know…

• Football is still trying to evolve into a sport during the 70s, but builds on the foundations established by Princeton, which lays claim to being the first college football dynasty.

1860s National Champions

• 1869: Princeton, Rutgers

Need to know…

• Where college football began. There were only two teams, and two games between them. The teams split the series, 1-1, in what was a mix between a rugby match and a fistfight. Co-championship rewarded retroactively.