The first college football national championship was in 1869. That season was eight days long and consisted of exactly two games: Princeton at Rutgers (which Rutgers won), and Rutgers at Princeton (which Princeton won).

Later, the Billingsley Report and the National Championship Foundation named Yale the first national champion, while in 1933, college football historian Parke H. Davis concluded that both Rutgers and Yale were co-champions.

Before we begin, here’s the criteria used for this list. It only includes teams that played in the largest national division at the time. That means you’ll see teams here that are no longer part of FBS football, for example. It also doesn’t include FCS, which crowned its first champion in 1978.

Here are the 10 teams who have won the most college football national championships, beginning with those who have more than five:

10. Minnesota — 6

Championships: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960

Football was slightly different when Minnesota won its first national title in 1934. The Golden Gophers averaged 325 yards per game that year — 295 of which came on the ground.

9. Oklahoma — 7

Championships: 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000

The Sooners won a trio of titles each under Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer. Oklahoma leads all FBS programs with four different 100-win coaches in school history.

8. Harvard — 8

Championships: 1875, 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919

The 100th anniversary of its most recent championship was in 2019.

T6. Southern California — 9

Championships: 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 (vacated)

No USC coach was more successful than John McKay, who in 16 years at the helm, led the Trojans to four national championships between 1960 and 1975.

T6. Ohio State — 9

Championships: 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014, 2024

Ohio State officially formed a football team in 1890, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t win a national championship until 1942. That year, after losing dozens of players who left to fight in World War II, Ohio State went 9-1, its only loss coming against No. 6 Wisconsin. The Buckeyes have also won a title in the BCS era (2002), the first year of the College Football Playoff (2014) and the first year of the expanded 12-team CFP (2024).

5. Michigan — 10

Championships: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997, 2023

Michigan famously holds the record for the most wins in college football history, so it naturally follows that the Wolverines have a few titles to their name. They have two in the poll era (since 1936) and one in the College Football Playoff era, for the 2023 season. 

4. Notre Dame — 13

Championships: 1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988

Notre Dame’s nine championships in the poll era are the second-most out of all teams. You can thank coach Frank Leahy for four of those, but Leahy also won two titles as a player for the Fighting Irish under another famous coach — Knute Rockne.

3. Princeton — 15

Championships: 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, 1889, 1893, 1896, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922

Princeton claims 28 national championships, though only 15 are recognized by the NCAA. None of them came in the poll era, but there’s no denying the Tigers’ ridiculous run in the late 19th century, when they won championships in 11 of 28 years, including four in five years from 1869 to 1873.

2. Alabama — 16

Championships: 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020

Alabama can claim the most NCAA titles in the poll era, with only three of its 16 coming prior. With the 16th title — a win in the College Football Playoff in 2020, coach Nick Saban surpassed the legendary Bear Bryant with seven championships  

1. Yale — 18

Championships: 1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1900, 1907, 1909, 1927

Yale football has one of the most impressive resumes in the sport, with two of the first three Heisman winners, more than 100 All-Americans, 28 Hall of Fame inductees and 18 national championships recognized by the NCAA — the most all time.

See below for the complete listing of every NCAA football champion:

College football national champions from 1869 to 2024.

Year
Champion
Selecting Organization

2024
Ohio State
CFP

2023
Michigan
CFP

2022
Georgia
CFP

2021
Georgia
CFP

2020
Alabama
CFP

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

2009
Alabama
BCS

2008
Florida
BCS

2007
LSU
BCS

2006
Florida
BCS

2005
Texas
BCS

2004
Southern California*
BCS

2003
LSU, Southern California
BCS, AP, FWAA

2002
Ohio State
BCS

2001
Miami (Fla.)
BCS

2000
Oklahoma
BCS

1999
Florida State
BCS

1998
Tennessee
BCS

1997
Michigan, Nebraska
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/ESPN

1996
Florida
AP, FWAA, NFF,USA/CNN

1995
Nebraska
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1994
Nebraska
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1993
Florida St.
AP, FWAA,NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1992
Alabama
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1991
Washington, Miami (Fla.)
FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI,AP

1990
Colorado, Georgia Tech
FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, AP, UPI

1989
Miami (Fla.)
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1988
Notre Dame
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1987
Miami (Fla.)
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1986
Penn St.
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1985
Oklahoma
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1984
Brigham Young
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1983
Miami (Fla.)
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1982
Penn St.
AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI

1981
Clemson
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1980
Georgia
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1979
Alabama
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1978
Alabama, Southern California
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1977
Notre Dame
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1976
Pittsburgh
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1975
Oklahoma
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1974
Southern California, Oklahoma
FWAA, NFF, UPI, AP

1973
Notre Dame, Alabama
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1972
Southern California
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1971
Nebraska
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1970
Nebraska, Texas, Ohio St.
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF

1969
Texas
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1968
Ohio St.
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1967
Southern California
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1966
Notre Dame, Michigan St.
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF

1965
Michigan St., Alabama
FWAA, NFF, UPI, AP

1964
Alabama, Arkansas, Notre Dame
AP, UPI, FWAA, NFF

1963
Texas
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1962
Southern California
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1961
Alabama, Ohio St.
AP, NFF, UPI, FWAA

1960
Minnesota, Mississippi
AP, NFF, UPI, FWAA

1959
Syracuse
AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI

1958
LSU, Iowa
AP, UPI, FWAA

1957
Ohio St., Auburn
FWAA, UPI, AP

1956
Oklahoma
AP, FWAA, UPI

1955
Oklahoma
AP, FWAA, UPI

1954
UCLA, Ohio St.
FWAA, UPI, AP

1953
Maryland
AP, UPI

1952
Michigan St.
AP, UPI

1951
Tennessee
AP, UPI

1950
Oklahoma
AP, UPI

1949
Notre Dame
AP

1948
Michigan
AP

1947
Notre Dame
AP

1946
Notre Dame
AP

1945
Army
AP

1944
Army
AP

1943
Notre Dame
AP

1942
Ohio St.
AP

1941
Minnesota
AP

1940
Minnesota
AP

1939
Texas A&M
AP

1938
Texas Christian
AP

1937
Pittsburgh
AP

1936
Minnesota
AP

1935
Minnesota
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1934
Minnesota
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1933
Michigan
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1932
Southern California
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1931
Southern California
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1930
Alabama, Notre Dame
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1929
Notre Dame
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1928
Georgia Tech.
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1927
Illinois, Yale
HAF, NCF, CFRA

1926
Alabama, Stanford
CFRA, HAF, NCF, HAF

1925
Alabama
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1924
Notre Dame
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1923
Illinois, Michigan
CFRA, HAF, NCF, NCF

1922
California, Cornell, Princeton
NCF, HAF, CFRA, NCF

1921
California, Cornell
CFRA, NCF, HAF

1920
California
CFRA, HAF, NCF

1919
Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame, Texas A&M
CFRA, HAF, NCF, CFRA, NCF, NCF

1918
Michigan, Pittsburgh
NCF, HAF, NCF

1917
Georgia Tech.
HAF, NCF

1916
Pittsburgh
HAF, NCF

1915
Cornell
HAF, NCF

1914
Army
HAF, NCF

1913
Harvard
HAF, NCF

1912
Harvard, Penn St.
HAF, NCF, NCF

1911
Penn St., Princeton
NCF, HAF, NCF

1910
Harvard, Pittsburgh
HAF, NCF, NCF

1909
Yale
HAF, NCF

1908
LSU, Pennsylvania
NCF, HAF, NCF

1907
Yale
HAF, NCF

1906
Princeton
HAF, NCF

1905
Chicago
HAF, NCF

1904
Michigan, Pennsylvania
NCF, HAF, NCF

1903
Michigan, Princeton
NCF, HAF, NCF

1902
Michigan
HAF, NCF

1901
Michigan
HAF, NCF

1900
Yale
HAF, NCF

1899
Harvard
HAF, NCF

1898
Harvard
HAF, NCF

1897
Pennsylvania
HAF, NCF

1896
Lafayette, Princeton
NCF, HAF, NCF

1895
Pennsylvania
HAF, NCF

1894
Yale
HAF, NCF

1893
Princeton
HAF, NCF

1892
Yale
HAF, NCF

1891
Yale
HAF, NCF

1890
Harvard
HAF, NCF

1889
Princeton
HAF, NCF

1888
Yale
HAF, NCF

1887
Yale
HAF, NCF

1886
Yale
HAF, NCF

1885
Princeton
HAF, NCF

1884
Yale
HAF, NCF

1883
Yale
HAF, NCF

1882
Yale
NCF

1881
Yale
NCF

1880
Princeton, Yale
NCF, NCF

1879
Princeton
NCF

1878
Princeton
NCF

1877
Yale
NCF

1876
Yale
NCF

1875
Harvard
NCF

1874
Yale
NCF

1873
Princeton
NCF

1872
Princeton
NCF

1871
None selected
NCF

1870
Princeton
NCF

1869
Princeton, Rutgers
NCF

* Southern California’s participation in the 2004 championship was vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.