The 2023-24 NFL Playoffs have captivated football fans far and wide. As these stars dominate the action on Sunday, have you ever wondered where they got their start on Saturdays?
For the most part, each of the stars shining brightest during the Conference Championship Weekend got their start by playing major college football.
Which College Has the Most Players in the Conference Championships?
Between the Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers, a grand total of 134 different schools are represented. Those 134 different universities make up 23 different conferences at three different levels of football and two international venues.
Here’s how it all broke down.
Schools With Most Representation in Conference Championships
1) Michigan – 11
1) Notre Dame – 11
3) Georgia – 8
3) USC – 8
5) Alabama – 7
5) Clemson – 7
5) Ohio State – 7
5) Oklahoma – 7
5) Penn State – 7
10) Florida – 6
10) Iowa – 6
10) TCU – 6
10) Tennessee – 6
14) Arkansas – 5
14) LSU – 5
14) Oregon – 5
14) Rutgers – 5
18) California – 4
18) Harvard – 4
18) Kentucky – 4
18) Miami – 4
18) Middle Tennessee – 4
18) NC State – 4
18) Oklahoma State – 4
18) Purdue – 4
18) Stanford – 4
18) Washington – 4
Michigan and Notre Dame lead the way by a large margin. Both blue-blood college football programs have produced 11 players into the NFL’s Conference Championship weekend followed by Georgia and USC at eight.
A handful of recent College Football Playoff contenders fell in line at fifth as Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Penn State have produced seven players across all four rosters.
Conferences With Most Representation in Conference Championships
1) SEC – 56
1) Big Ten – 56
3) Pac-12 – 35
4) ACC – 34
5) Big 12 – 31
6) AAC – 18
7) FBS Independents – 17
8) DII, DIII, or lower – 12
9) Sun Belt – 10
10) MAC – 8
10) Conference USA – 8
12) Missouri Valley – 5
12) Ivy – 5
14) Mountain West – 4
14) CAA – 4
16) UAC – 3
16) Patriot – 3
18) Southern – 2
18) Pioneer – 2
18) International – 2
18) Big Sky – 2
22) SWAC – 1
22) No college – 1
22) MEAC – 1
The SEC and Big Ten lead the way in terms of conferences represented by the last four remaining NFL teams. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, what is surprising is the fact that they’ve each produced 56 players across the four rosters.
The battle for third in terms of conference allotment came down to one player as the former Pac-12 teams have produced 35 rostered players on NFC or AFC Championship competitors. They narrowly edged out the ACC, who had 34.
MORE: Which Colleges Had More Players in Last Year’s Super Bowl?
The lower tiers of football are well represented by Harvard (4) as the top-producing non-FBS school and the Missouri Valley Conference tied with the Ivy League with five former players in the conference championships.
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