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
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