Which program has won the most college football championships?

Which college football programs have won the most national championships? The answer is somewhat complicated, as there’s some dispute over how many titles certain teams have won in the 154 years since the first national championship.

For many years, a selecting organization (such as the National Championship Foundation) would crown the champion. Some seasons, there wasn’t a clear-cut champion, so multiple teams were deemed national champs by the selectors. For example, in 1919, there were four champions: Harvard, Illinois, Notre Dame and Texas A&M. The Billingsley Report retroactively crowned champions, which further complicated matters.

Fortunately, a better way to determine the national champion came along. The poll era began in 1936, with the major wire services selecting the nation’s top team. In 1998, the BCS National Championship Game was created to crown a champion. In 2014, the BCS was replaced by the College Football Playoff, which has been a hit among fans.

For the sake of this list, we’ll only count national championships that are recognized by the NCAA. Additionally, we’ll focus on the highest division of college football, so teams that have won FCS championships won’t be listed below. These are the 10 college football programs with the most NCAA-recognized national championships:

10. MINNESOTA, 6

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

The Golden Gophers won their first national championship in 1934 and then proceeded to go back-to-back-to-back. Head coach Bernie Bierman, who previously played halfback at Minnesota, led the team to five national championships thanks to incredible rushing attack. In 1934, 90.7% of the Golden Gophers’ yards came on the ground, and they averaged 295 rushing yards per game.

9. OKLAHOMA, 7

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

Oklahoma is the only college football program with four 100-win head coaches in the school’s history: Bob Stoops (191 wins), Barry Switzer (157), Bud Wilkinson (145) and Bennie Owen (113). Switzer and Wilkinson each led the Sooners to three national championships. All of Oklahoma’s national championships have been during the poll era (since 1936).

8. OHIO STATE, 8

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

In 1942, Ohio State won its first national championship despite the fact that 22 veteran players left the team to serve in World War II and the roster was mostly made up of sophomores. Like Oklahoma, all of Ohio State’s national titles have been during the poll era. The Buckeyes have the second-most wins in NCAA history, and they won their most recent title in 2014, defeating Oregon in the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship game.

7. HARVARD, 8

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

Harvard’s college football program is one of the oldest in the nation, and they have the 10th-most wins in NCAA history. These days, Harvard and college football dominance aren’t exactly synonymous. It’s been more than 100 years since their last title, but the school’s achievements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were certainly impressive.

6. USC, 9

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

USC won back-to-back titles on two separate occasions. In 2003 and 2004, Pete Carroll’s squad won 25 of 26 games, including a 28-14 victory over Michigan in the 2003 Rose Bowl and a 55-19 blowout over Oklahoma in the 2004 Orange Bowl. The Trojans were must-see TV thanks to their high-octane offense led by Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Lendale White and Dwayne Jarrett. They would have 10 championships, but their 2004 title was vacated by the NCAA.

5. MICHIGAN, 10

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

Michigan won the most recent college football national championship versus Washington. Michigan previously won back-to-back-to-back-to-back national championships from 1901 through 1904, which is an incredible feat. The Wolverines also hold the NCAA record for most wins, which is a testament to their consistency over the years. Their 1997 national championship was important, as it broke a 49-year drought and gave the Wolverines just their second title in the poll era (since 1936).

4. NOTRE DAME, 13

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

Notre Dame is one of the most respected programs in all of college football. A big reason for that reputation is their sustained success across the 1900s. Frank Leahy led Notre Dame to six of their national championships (two as a player and four as a head coach). Their most recent national championship was in 1988, when the Fighting Irish defeated West Virginia 34-21 in the Fiesta Bowl.

3. PRINCETON, 15

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

Some would argue that Princeton belongs at No. 1 on this list, as the school claims 28 national championships (many of which were declared retroactively by the Billingsley Report). However, the NCAA only recognizes 15 of those titles (including the first national championship in 1869). Princeton’s run of titles came during the late 1800s and early 1900s. While they are currently an FCS team, they won their titles at the highest level at the time. Without question, you can’t tell the story of college football without including Princeton.

2. ALABAMA, 16

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

When fans think of college football dominance, Alabama immediately comes to mind, as they have been a powerhouse across multiple eras. Bear Bryant led the Crimson Tide to six championships across the 1960s and 1970s. In recent years, Nick Saban has matched Bryant’s six titles since taking over as head coach in 2007. The Crimson Tide are perennial contenders and their roster is a revolving door of future NFL stars. Alabama has produced 422 NFL/AFL draft picks, including 21 top-five selections. They have won an NCAA-record 13 championships in the poll era. It’s very possible they’ll sit atop this list in the near future.

1. YALE, 18

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

While most college football fans would guess that Alabama has won the most national championships, the correct answer is actually Yale with 18 NCAA-recognized titles. In the 1800s and early 1900s, Yale was a juggernaut, producing two Heisman winners, 100 All-Americans and 28 Hall of Famers. The Bulldogs have the seventh-most wins in college football history and while they haven’t won a championship since 1927, they had a legendary run and defined an era of college football.

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