The 1956 NCAA College Division football season saw the NCAA split member schools into two divisions: larger schools were part of the University Division and smaller schools were placed in the College Division.[citation needed] This structure was used through the 1972–73 academic year, after which the University Division became NCAA Division I and the College Division was split into NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III.
Conference champions
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The Tennessee A&I (9–0) and the Florida A&M Rattlers (8–0) were considered to be the No. 1 and No. 2 teams "among the nation's Negro grid powers".[2] The teams from the two historically black universities played at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami, which hosted the Orange Blossom Classic as well as the New Year's Day, historically white universities, Orange Bowl game. A crowd of 41,808 watched Tennessee A&I win 41–39.[3] Tennessee A&I were declared black college football national champion.