On Jan. 8, 2024, the Michigan Wolverines won their 10th college football national championship at NRG Stadium in Houston. During the 2023-24 season, Michigan, Washington, Texas and Alabama were selected for perhaps the most controversial College Football Playoff of all-time, as Florida State became the first undefeated Power 5 conference champion to be left out by the committee. Let's take a look at NCAA football champions throughout history. It's worth noting that before the CFP and BCS, a champion was determined by a selecting organization. Sometimes, multiple teams were deemed the national champions if there wasn't a clear-cut No. 1. This list features only the championships recognized by the NCAA. 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 State (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 State (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 State (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 State (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF) 1969: Texas (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI) 1968: Ohio State (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI) 1967: Southern California (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI) 1966: Notre Dame, Michigan State (AP, FWAA, NFF, UPI, NFF) 1965: Michigan State, 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 State (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, Auburn (FWAA, UPI, AP) 1956: Oklahoma (AP, FWAA, UPI) 1955: Oklahoma (AP, FWAA, UPI) 1954: UCLA, Ohio State (FWAA, UPI, AP) 1953: Maryland (AP, UPI) 1952: Michigan State (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 State (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 State (HAF, NCF, NCF) 1911: Penn State, 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 (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 (NCF) 1870: Princeton (NCF) 1869: Princeton, Rutgers (NCF) *Vacated by NCAA because of infractions Be sure to check out ESPN's college football coverage, including the latest rankings, in-depth analysis, breaking news, recruiting reports, and more!
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