College Football Championship Records and Leaders
Every number here links somewhere: a season, a program, or a ranking. Follow the argument wherever it goes.
BCS and CFP era title games
Title games only, 1998 to 2024. Nothing before that was played for the championship.
- 1Florida2 title games2-0100%
- 2LSU4 title games3-175%
- 3Alabama9 title games6-367%
- 4Georgia3 title games2-167%
- 5Ohio State6 title games3-350%
- 6Clemson4 title games2-250%
- 7Florida State4 title games2-250%
- 8Auburn2 title games1-150%
- 9Texas2 title games1-150%
- 10USC2 title games1-150%
- 11Miami (FL)3 title games1-233%
- 12Oklahoma4 title games1-325%
- 13Notre Dame2 title games0-20%
- 14Oregon2 title games0-20%
The nearly-theres
Most title games lost. Title games only, 1998 to 2024. Nothing before that was played for the championship.
- 1Alabama9 title games3losses
- 2Ohio State6 title games3losses
- 3Oklahoma4 title games3losses
- 4Clemson4 title games2losses
- 5Florida State4 title games2losses
- 6Miami (FL)3 title games2losses
- 7Notre Dame2 title games2losses
- 8Oregon2 title games2losses
Perfect seasons
National champions who finished unbeaten and untied, 1936 onward. Newest first.
- Indiana202516-0
- Michigan202315-0
- Georgia202215-0
- Alabama202013-0
- LSU201915-0
- Clemson201815-0
- UCF201713-0
- Florida State201314-0
+64 more undefeated champions
Dynasties by decade
Programs with two or more claimed titles inside one decade.
- 2020sGeorgia2
- 2010sAlabama4Clemson2
- 2000sFlorida2LSU2USC2
- 1990sNebraska3
Florida State2 - 1980sMiami (FL)3Penn State2
SMU2
- 1970sAlabama3USC3Delaware2
Nebraska2Notre Dame2Oklahoma2 - 1960sAlabama3Michigan State2
Ohio State2Ole Miss2
Texas2USC2 - 1950sMichigan State4Oklahoma3Auburn2Iowa2
Ohio State2Tennessee2
- 1940sNotre Dame4Army3
Michigan2Minnesota2
- 1930sPittsburgh4
Minnesota3USC3Alabama2Michigan2TCU2
- 1920sCalifornia4
Alabama2Illinois2
Iowa2Notre Dame2 - 1910sAuburn3Pittsburgh3Army2Illinois2
- 1900sMichigan4
Most recognized titles
- 1Yale18titles
- 2Alabama16titles
- 3Princeton15titles
- 4Notre Dame13titles
- 5Michigan10titles
- 6USC9titles
- 7Ohio State9titles
- 8Harvard8titles
- 9Oklahoma7titles
- 10Minnesota6titles
Most claimed titles
- 1Alabama18claimed
- 2Michigan12claimed
- 3Notre Dame11claimed
- 4USC11claimed
- 5Auburn9claimed
- 6Ohio State9claimed
- 7Pittsburgh9claimed
- 8Minnesota7claimed
- 9Oklahoma7claimed
- 10Michigan State6claimed
Most contested seasons involved in
- 1USC11seasons
- 2Alabama10seasons
- 3Pittsburgh9seasons
- 4Auburn8seasons
- 5Notre Dame8seasons
- 6Michigan7seasons
- 7Minnesota7seasons
- 8Michigan State6seasons
- 9Illinois5seasons
- 10Iowa5seasons
Longest championship droughts
- 1Lafayette, last in 1896129seasons
- 2Chicago, last in 1905120seasons
- 3Pennsylvania, last in 1908117seasons
- 4Harvard, last in 1919106seasons
- 5Princeton, last in 1922103seasons
- 6Cornell, last in 1922103seasons
- 7Navy, last in 192699seasons
- 8Yale, last in 192798seasons
- 9California, last in 193788seasons
- 10TCU, last in 193887seasons
Back-to-back champions
- 1Yale8repeats
- 2Michigan5repeats
- 3Alabama4repeats
- 4Princeton4repeats
- 5California3repeats
- 6Minnesota3repeats
- 7Army2repeats
- 8Auburn2repeats
- 9Harvard2repeats
- 10Michigan State2repeats
Titles by conference
- 1No conference on record140titles
- 2SEC20titles
- 3ACC7titles
- 4Big Ten6titles
- 5Independent6titles
- 6Big 8 Conference4titles
- 7Pacific 104titles
- 8Big 123titles
- 9Big East Conference2titles
- 10Western Athletic Conference1titles
Titles by era
- 1CFP Era · 2014–202512seasons
- 2BCS Era · 1998–201316seasons
- 3Wire Service Era · 1950–199748seasons
- 4Poll Era · 1936–194914seasons
- 5Golden Age · 1920–193516seasons
- 6National Expansion · 1900–191920seasons
- 7Ivy League Era · 1869–189930seasons
Contested seasons by era
- 1CFP Era: 1 of 12 contested1seasons
- 2BCS Era: 2 of 16 contested2seasons
- 3Wire Service Era: 30 of 48 contested30seasons
- 4Poll Era: 10 of 14 contested10seasons
- 5Golden Age: 12 of 16 contested12seasons
- 6National Expansion: 12 of 20 contested12seasons
- 7Ivy League Era: 2 of 31 contested2seasons
Conference membership is resolved for the season each title was won, not for where a program plays today. Our membership records begin in 1978, so every title before that counts under “no conference on record.”