NCAA Division I FBS Football Champions
Complete National Champions List
See a complete list of NCAA Division I FBS Football Champions from 1869 to today. Indiana is the current national champion after completing a 16-0 season and defeating Miami 27-21 in the College Football Playoff National Championship for the 2025 season.
College football’s national championship has been determined in several different ways throughout its history, from early selectors and national polls to the Bowl Championship Series and today’s College Football Playoff. Because multiple organizations selected champions during earlier eras, some seasons include more than one recognized national champion.
Fast Facts:
- Indiana won its first college football national championship for the 2025 season, defeating Miami 27-21 and finishing with a perfect 16-0 record.
- The next College Football Playoff National Championship is scheduled for January 25, 2027, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
- The NCAA Division I FBS national champion is determined through the College Football Playoff (CFP), which uses a 12-team postseason format.
- Yale leads the historical list of college football national champions with 18 recognized titles, followed by Alabama with 16 and Princeton with 15.
- The College Football Playoff began with the 2014 season, replacing the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which operated from 1998 through 2013. Earlier national champions were selected through polls and other organizations, sometimes resulting in multiple recognized champions in the same season.
- Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy before helping the Hoosiers win the national championship.
NCAA Division I FBS Football Champions
2021GeorgiaCFP
| Year | Champion | Selecting Organization |
| 2025 | Indiana | CFP |
| 2024 | Ohio State | CFP |
| 2023 | Michigan | CFP |
| 2022 | Georgia | CFP |
| 2021 | Georgia | CFP |
| 2020 | Alabama | CFP |
| 2019 | LSU | CFP |
| 2018 | Clemsen | CFP |
| 2017 | Alabama | CFP |
| 2016 | Clemsen | 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 | Louisiana State | BCS |
| 2006 | Florida | BCS |
| 2005 | Texas | BCS |
| 2004 | Southern California | BCS |
| 2003 | Louisiana State, 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, Pittsburg | 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 | NCF |
Most College Football National Championships
| Rank | School | National Championships |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yale | 18 |
| 2 | Alabama | 16 |
| 3 | Princeton | 15 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 13 |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 |
| T-6 | Ohio State | 9 |
| T-6 | Southern California | 9 |
| 8 | Harvard | 8 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 7 |
| 10 | Minnesota | 6 |
