The list of college football national champions covers the first championship through the BCS and College Football Playoff games. All winners and the organizations responsible for selecting the champions are listed below. 2024 will be an exciting year in the current playoff model, as the number of teams competing for the championship will increase from four to 12 teams this postseason. This list includes FBS division winners. FCS champions will be listed separately.
College Football National Champions – College Football Playoff Era
The College Football Playoff (CFP) is the organization that currently determines the national champion of college football. Beginning with the 2024 college football season, the CFP will expand from four teams to 12 teams, with further expansion expected after the 2025 college football season. Winner From 2014 to present. You can see the current College Football Playoff schedule and bowl games for the 2024 season here.
| season | champion | Select an organization |
| 2024 | to be decided | |
| 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 University | CFP |
College Football National Champions – BCS
Prior to the College Football Playoff, the BCS was the system that selected the college football national champion. USC’s 2004 championship is left vacant by the NCAA (though that could change in the future). The BCS selected the college football national champion from 1998 to 2013.
| season | champion | Select an organization |
| 2013 | Florida | 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 University | BCS |
| 2001 | Miami, Florida | BCS |
| 2000 | Oklahoma | BCS |
| 1999 | Florida | BCS |
| 1998 | Tennessee | BCS |
College Football National Champions – Poll Era
From 1936 to 1997, the college football national champion was determined by the final votes in the end-of-season bowl games. During this time, there were several seasons in which co-champions were crowned based on the teams voted #1 in various polls. These results are from 1936 to 1997.
| season | champion | Select an organization |
| 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 State University | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1992 | Alabama | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1991 | Washington, Miami (Florida) | FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI, AP |
| 1990 | Colorado, Georgia Institute of Technology | FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, AP, UPI |
| 1989 | Miami, Florida | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1988 | Notre Dame | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1987 | Miami, Florida | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1986 | Pennsylvania | 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, Florida | AP, FWAA, NFF, USA/CNN, UPI |
| 1982 | Pennsylvania | 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 | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF |
| 1969 | Texas | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1968 | Ohio State University | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1967 | Southern California | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI |
| 1966 | Notre Dame, Michigan State University | AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF |
| 1965 | Michigan, 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 | 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 State University, Auburn | FWAA, UPI, AP |
| 1956 | Oklahoma | AP, FWAA, UPI |
| 1955 | Oklahoma | AP, FWAA, UPI |
| 1954 | UCLA, Ohio State University | FWAA, UPI, AP |
| 1953 | Maryland | Associated Press, United Press International |
| 1952 | Michigan State University | Associated Press, United Press International |
| 1951 | Tennessee | Associated Press, United Press International |
| 1950 | Oklahoma | Associated Press, United Press International |
| 1949 | Notre Dame | AP |
| 1948 | Michigan | AP |
| 1947 | Notre Dame | AP |
| 1946 | Notre Dame | AP |
| [1945[1945 | army | AP |
| 1944 | army | AP |
| 1943 | Notre Dame | AP |
| 1942 | Ohio State University | AP |
| 1941 | Minnesota | AP |
| 1940 | Minnesota | AP |
| 1939 | Texas A&M | AP |
| 1938 | Texas Christian | AP |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh | AP |
| 1936 | Minnesota | AP |
College Football National Champions – Pre-1935
The following teams won college football championships from 1869 to 1935. In the early days of college football, Number of teams and games played. This list uses the largest football division at the time (meaning, in today’s college football world, there are several teams that are not even in the FBS).
| season | champion | Select an organization |
| 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 | Notre Dame, Alabama | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1929 | Notre Dame | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1928 | Georgia Institute of Technology. | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1927 | Yale University, Illinois | HAF, NCF, CFRA |
| 1926 | Stanford, Alabama | 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 | Cornell, California | CFRA, NCF, HAF |
| 1920 | California | CFRA, HAF, NCF |
| 1919 | Harvard University, University of Illinois, University of Notre Dame, Texas A&M University | CFRA, HAF, NCF, CFRA, NCF, NCF |
| 1918 | Pittsburgh, Michigan | NCF, HAF, NCF |
| 1917 | Georgia Institute of Technology. | HAF, NCF |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh | HAF, NCF |
| 1915 | Cornell | HAF, NCF |
| 1914 | army | HAF, NCF |
| 1913 | Harvard | HAF, NCF |
| 1912 | Harvard, Pennsylvania | HAF, NCF, NCF |
| 1911 | Pennsylvania State University, 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 | Princeton, Michigan | 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 | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1881 | Yale | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1880 | Princeton, Yale | N.C.F. |
| 1879 | Princeton | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1878 | Princeton | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1877 | Yale | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1876 | Yale | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1875 | Harvard | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1874 | Yale | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1873 | Princeton | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1872 | Princeton | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1871 | Nothing selected | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1870 | Princeton | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
| 1869 | Princeton, Rutgers | National Research Institute for Cultural Properties |
