List of FBS College Football National Champions by Year

January 21, 2025 | 8:40 AM EST

Which teams have the distinct honor of calling themselves college football national champions, and just how far does the list go back?

List of FBS College Football National Champions by Year — Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) holds the national championship trophy after his team's defeat of Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Jan. 21, 2025.

To be crowned College Football National Champions is the ultimate prize of all 136 FBS programs. Across the country, teams fight for one goal, a national championship. As only one team can win for a single year, these teams have the distinct honor of calling themselves national champions forever.

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2020-Current FBS National Champions

2025 | Ohio State, 14-2
2024 | Michigan, 15-0
2023 | Georgia, 15-0
2022 | Georgia, 14-1
2021 | Alabama, 13-0
2020 | LSU, 15-0

2010-2019 FBS National Champions

2019 | Clemson, 15-0
2018 | Clemson, 15-0
2017 | Alabama, 13-1; UCF, 13-0
2016 | Clemson, 14-1
2015 | Alabama, 14-1
2014 | Ohio State, 14-1
2013 | Florida State, 14-0
2012 | Alabama, 13-1
2011 | Alabama, 12-1
2010 | Auburn, 14-0

2000-2009 FBS National Champions

2009 | Alabama, 14-0
2008 | Florida, 13-1
2007 | LSU, 12-2
2006 | Florida, 13-1
2005 | Texas, 13-0
2004 | USC, 11-0
2003 | LSU, 13-1
2002 | Ohio State, 14-0
2001 | Miami (FL), 12-0
2000 | Oklahoma, 13-0

1990-1999 FBS National Champions

1999 | Florida State, 12-0
1998 | Tennessee, 13-0
1997 | Michigan, 12-0; Nebraska, 13-0
1996 | Florida, 12-1
1995 | Nebraska, 12-0
1994 | Nebraska, 13-0
1993 | Florida State, 12-1
1992 | Alabama, 13-0
1991 | Miami (FL), 12-0; Washington, 12-0
1990 | Georgia Tech, 11-0-1

1980-1989 FBS National Champions

1989 | Miami (FL), 11-1
1988 | Notre Dame, 12-0
1987 | Miami (FL), 12-0
1986 | Penn State, 12-0
1985 | Oklahoma, 11-1
1984 | BYU, 13-0
1983 | Miami (FL), 11-1
1982 | Penn State, 11-1
1981 | Clemson, 12-0
1980 | Georgia, 12-0

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1970-1979 FBS National Champions

1979 | Alabama, 12-0
1978 | Alabama, 11-1; USC, 12-1
1977 | Notre Dame, 11-1
1976 | Pittsburgh, 12-0
1975 | Oklahoma, 11-1
1974 | Oklahoma, 11-0; USC, 10-1-1
1973 | Notre Dame, 11-0; Alabama, 11-1
1972 | USC, 12-0
1971 | Nebraska, 13-0
1970 | Nebraska, 11-0-1

1960-1969 FBS National Champions

1969 | Texas, 11-0
1968 | Ohio State, 10-0
1967 | USC, 10-1
1966 | Notre Dame, 9-0-1; Michigan State, 9-0-1
1965 | Alabama, 9-1-1; Michigan State, 10-1
1964 | Alabama, 10-1; Arkansas, 11-0
1963 | Texas, 11-0
1962 | USC, 11-0
1961 | Alabama, 11-0; Ohio State, 8-0-1
1960 | Minnesota, 8-2; Ole Miss, 10-0-1

1950-1959 FBS National Champions

1959 | Syracuse, 11-0
1958 | Iowa, 8-1-1
1957 | Auburn, 9-1; Ohio State, 9-1
1956 | Oklahoma, 10-0
1955 | Oklahoma, 11-0
1954 | Ohio State, 10-0; UCLA, 9-0
1953 | Maryland, 10-1
1952 | Michigan State, 9-0
1951 | Tennessee, 10-1
1950 | Oklahoma, 10-1

1940-1949 FBS National Champions

1949 | Notre Dame, 10-0
1948 | Michigan, 9-0
1947 | Notre Dame, 9-0; Michigan 10-0
1946 | Notre Dame, 8-0-1
1945 | Army, 9-0
1944 | Army, 9-0
1943 | Notre Dame, 9-1
1942 | Ohio State, 9-1
1941 | Minnesota, 8-0
1940 | Minnesota, 8-0

1930-1939 FBS National Champions

1939 | Texas A&M, 11-0
1938 | TCU, 11-0
1937 | Pittsburgh, 9-0-1
1936 | Minnesota, 7-1
1935 | Minnesota, 8-0
1934 | Minnesota, 8-0
1933 | Michigan, 7-0-1
1932 | Michigan, 8-0
1931 | USC, 10-1
1930 | Notre Dame, 10-0

1920-1929 FBS National Champions

1929 | Notre Dame, 9-0
1928 | USC, 9-0-1
1927 | Illinois, 7-0-1
1926 | Stanford, 10-0-1
1925 | Dartmouth, 8-0
1924 | Notre Dame, 10-0
1923 | Illinois, 8-0; Michigan, 8-0
1922 | Cal, 9-0; Cornell, 8-0; Iowa, 7-0; Princeton, 8-0; Vanderbilt, 8-0-1
1921 | Cal, 9-0-1; Cornell, 8-0; Iowa, 7-0; Lafayette, 9-0; Vanderbilt, 7-0-1; Washington & Jefferson, 10-0-1
1920 | Cal, 9-0; Princeton, 6-0-1

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1910-1919 FBS National Champions

1919 | Harvard, 9-0-1; Centre, 9-0; Illinois, 6-1; Notre Dame, 9-0; Texas A&M, 10-0
1918 | Michigan, 5-0; Pittsburgh, 4-1
1917 | Georgia Tech, 9-0
1916 | Pittsburgh, 8-0
1915 | Cornell, 9-0
1914 | Illinois, 7-0
1913 | Harvard, 9-0; Auburn, 8-0; Chicago, 7-0
1912 | Harvard, 9-0
1911 | Princeton, 8-0-2
1910 | Harvard, 8-0-1

1900-1909 FBS National Champions

1909 | Yale, 10-0
1908 | Penn, 11-0-1
1907 | Yale, 9-0-1
1906 | Yale, 9-0-1; Princeton, 9-0-1
1905 | Chicago, 10-0
1904 | Penn, 12-0; Michigan, 10-0; Minnesota 13-0
1903 | Princeton, 11-0; Michigan, 11-0
1902 | Michigan, 11-0; Yale, 11-0-1
1901 | Harvard, 12-0; Michigan, 11-0
1900 | Yale, 12-0

1890-1899 FBS National Champions

1899 | Harvard, 10-0-1; Princeton, 12-1
1898 | Harvard, 11-0; Princeton, 11-0-1
1897 | Penn, 15-0; Yale, 9-0-2
1896 | Princeton, 10-0-1; Lafayette, 11-0-1
1895 | Penn, 14-0; Yale, 13-0-2
1894 | Yale, 16-0
1893 | Princeton, 11-0
1892 | Yale, 13-0
1891 | Yale, 13-0
1890 | Harvard, 11-0

1880-1889 FBS National Champions

1889 | Princeton, 10-0
1888 | Yale, 13-0
1887 | Yale, 9-0
1886 | Yale, 9-0-1; Princeton, 7-0-1
1885 | Princeton, 9-0
1884 | Yale, 8-0-1; Princeton, 9-0-1
1883 | Yale, 9-0
1882 | Yale, 8-0
1881 | Princeton, 7-0-2; Yale, 5-0-1
1880 | Yale, 4-0-1; Princeton, 4-0-1

1869-1879 FBS National Champions

1879 | Princeton, 4-0-1; Yale, 3-0-2
1878 | Princeton, 6-0
1877 | Yale, 3-0-1; Princeton, 2-0-1
1876 | Yale, 3-0
1875 | Harvard, 4-0; Yale, 2-0; Columbia, 4-1-1
1874 | Yale, 3-0; Princeton, 2-0; Harvard, 1-1
1873 | Princeton, 2-0
1872 | Princeton, 1-0; Yale, 1-0
1871 | No games played
1870 | Princeton, 1-0
1869 | Princeton, 1-1; Rutgers, 1-1

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Article written by Cam Mellor