The Big Ten and SEC are widely regarded as the premier conferences in college football. But what do the numbers say?
Here's a breakdown of the FBS conferences with the most NCAA-recognized national championships, including co-championships and titles later vacated by the NCAA. With realignment in the mix and top schools shifting around, this ranking is ripe for change in the years to come.
Note: This list features the school's conference affiliation at the time of the championship win.
Big Ten (established in 1896): 31
▪︎ Michigan 10 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997, 2023)
▪︎ Ohio State 8 (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014)
▪︎ Minnesota 6 (1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960)
▪︎ Illinois 3 (1919, 1923, 1927)
▪︎ Michigan State 2 (1965, 1966)
▪︎ Iowa 1 (1958)
▪︎ Chicago 1 (1905)
SEC (established in 1933): 27
▪︎ Alabama 13 (1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020)
▪︎ LSU 4 (1958, 2003, 2007, 2019)
▪︎ Georgia 3 (1980, 2022, 2023)
▪︎ Florida 3 (1996, 2006, 2008)
▪︎ Auburn 2 (1957, 2010)
▪︎ Tennessee 2 (1951, 1998)
▪︎ Ole Miss 1 (1960)
Pac-12 (established in 1915): 15
▪︎ USC 9 (1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004)
▪︎ California 3 (1920, 1921, 1922)
▪︎ Washington 1 (1991)
▪︎ UCLA 1 (1954)
▪︎ Stanford 1 (1926)
ACC (established in 1953): 8
▪︎ Clemson 3 (1981, 2016, 2018)
▪︎ Florida State 3 (1993, 1999, 2013)
▪︎ Georgia Tech 1 (1990)
▪︎ Maryland 1 (1953)
Big 12 (established in 1996): 5
▪︎ Nebraska 3 (1997)
▪︎ Texas 1 (2005)
▪︎ Oklahoma 1 (2000)
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