Who has the most college football championships ? While it might seem like a pretty straightforward process, determining which colleges and conferences hold the most college football national championships is pretty complicated.
It wasn’t until 1936 that the AP Poll began ranking college football teams, which helped determine championship status. In addition, the Bowl Championship Series, later replaced with the College Football Playoff era in 2014, wasn’t instituted until 1998.
Given the fact that the College Football Playoff era has only been around for less than a decade, it’s easy to see why determining which teams have earned national championship status can get touchy. To help with the confusion, let’s look at the history of the college football national championship and how the NCAA conferences stack up
Colleges with the most football national championships
The very first college football season was held in 1869. The inaugural season was just eight days long and consisted of only two games. In both games, Princeton faced off against Rutgers. Ultimately, the Princeton football team took top honors as the national champions.
While Princeton won the first college national championship, they did not stay top dogs for long. Their dominance began to wane as the 20th century kicked off. However, Princeton still remains among the top five when it comes to the colleges with the most college football national championships.
Among the powerhouses of the late 1800s, Princeton has 15 championships to its name, with Yale having 18 of its own. However, neither team has won a national championship since the 1920s, and it’s a safe bet that neither one will again.
In the modern era, the Alabama Crimson Tide reigns supreme with 16 national championships. The Crimson Tide won its first national championship in 1925, but unlike Yale or Princeton, it continues to maintain its athletic dominance into modern times. Thus, it’s quite likely that Alabama will soon find itself as the winningest college football team in history when it comes to national championships.
Per NCAA, the six colleges with the most football national championships include Yale, Alabama, Princeton, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Southern California:
- Yale, 18 championships: 1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1900, 1907, 1909, 1927
- Alabama, 16 championships: 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020
- Princeton, 15 championships: 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, 1889, 1893, 1896, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922
- Notre Dame, 13 Championships: 1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988
- Michigan, 9 Championships: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997
- Southern California, 9 Championships: 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004
Which conference has the most college football national championships?
With Alabama having 16 national championships of its own, it’s really no surprise the Southeastern Conference (SEC) is the conference with the most football national championships overall. Per Football USA, the SEC has a total of 39 football national championship titles to its name.
However, some sports analysts like to compare stats starting with the 1936 Season or the AP Poll era. In any case, the SEC still holds the most college football national championships, having won a total of 30 titles since the AP Poll era began. Per Best Colleges, the teams that have contributed to the SEC’s supremacy include:
- Alabama: 13 titles
- LSU: 4 titles
- Florida: 3 titles
- Georgia: 3 titles
- Tennessee: 3 titles
- Auburn: 2 titles
- Texas A&M: 1 title
- Ole Miss: 1 title
Here’s the rundown of how many college football championships the top 5 conferences have won since the AP Poll era began and when each of these conferences was founded.
- SEC (est. 1932): 30 championships
- Big Ten (est. 1896): 25 championships
- ACC (est. 1953): 15 championships
- Big 12 (est. 1994): 12 championships
- FBS Independent (est. 1978): 12 championships
- Pac-12 (est. 1915): 10 championships
- SEC bowl records from the last 10 years
While the SEC has the most national championships to its name, it comes in second place when it comes to its bowl record. Per 247 Sports, the conference with the best bowl record overall is the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Teams from the MAC have appeared in six bowl games. The MAC’s overall bowl record is 4-2 (.667). In comparison, SEC teams have appeared in a total of 12 bowl games and have established a 7-5 (.583) record.
College Football Teams With The Most National Championships
Colleges with most football national championships are Princeton, Yale and Alabama.
Princeton first claimed the national championship on November 6, 1869, and it was a game between the Tigers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. This game used modified London Football Association rules.
History of NCAA Football Champions
Last 4 NCAA football champions are Georgia, Alabama, LSU, and Clemson. The first NCAA football champion is Princeton, Rutgers.
Georgia Bulldogs Football
The Bulldogs have been selected 8 times i.e. 1920, 1927, 1942, 1946, 1968, 1980, 2021, and 2022 as the national champions from NCAA-designated major selectors.
It claims 4 national championships, i.e., 1942, 1980, 2021, and 2022. It won the College Football Playoff in 2021 defeating Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game.
Georgia played under the head coach Kirby Smart and set the record with 14 wins and 1 loss in 2021. It won the national championship and was the number-one team at the conclusion of the season.
It won the 2023 CFP National Championship Game in 2022 after going 15-0 as the only undefeated team.
In 1942, Bulldogs played under head coach Wally Butts and set an 11-1 record while in 1980, Georgia completed the season under head coach Vince Dooley with a 12-0 record.
Alabama Crimson Tide Football
Alabama most recently set the record in 2020 under coach Nick Saban. They finished the game with a record of 13-0 (11–0 in the SEC).
Under the coach, Nick, Alabama made the national championship record in 2017, 2015, 2012, 2011, and 2009.
1992 Alabama football team is the third season under the head coach Gene Stallings and this game finished with a record of 13–0 (8–0 in the SEC) and as National Champions.
Alabama set the record in the season 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, and 1979 under the head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
In 1934, Alabama made a record of 10-0 while the 1941 season was finished with the record 9-2 under the coach Frank Thomas. It tied the record under the coach Wallace Wade in the season 1925, 1926, and 1930.
LSU Tigers Football
LSU has been selected as national champions in the season 1908, 1936, 1962, and 2011 and claims 4 national championships in 1958, 2003, 2007, and 2019.
In 1958, LSU set the record under coach Paul Dietzel. They finished the game with a record of 11–0.
In 2003, the Tigers played their home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana under the coach Nick Saban and this game finished with a record of 13–1 (7–1 SEC).
In 2007, it set the record with 12-2 under the coach Les Miles while 15-0 under the coach Ed Orgeron in 2019.
Clemson Tigers Football
Clemson Tigers claims 3 national championships. They won the College Football Playoff in 2016 and 2018 defeating Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game.
The Tigers played their home games in the Memorial Stadium which is led by head coach Danny Ford. It finished the game with a record of 12-0.
The Tigers were led by the head coach Dabo Swinney in the year 2016 and set the record with 14-1.
They were the first undefeated College Football Playoff champion which finish the game 15-0 under the head coach Dabo Swinney in 2018.
Last Back To Back College Football National Champion
Last back to back NCAA football champions is Georgia Bulldogs in the year 2021 and 2022. The record was previously held by Alabama Crimson Tide Football in 2011 and 2012.
NCAA Football Back To Back Champions
College football back to back national champions are Alabama, Oklahoma, etc. Alabama has on three occasions won back-to-back titles: in 1964–65, 1978–79, and most recently in 2011–12.
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