The National Championship Foundation (NCF) was established by Mike Riter of Hudson, New York. The NCF retroactively selected[citation needed] national champions for each year from 1869 to 1979, and its selections are among the historic national champions recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in its Football Bowl Subdivision record book.[1][2]

Champions

The following list identifies the college football national champions as selected by the National Championship Foundation.[3]

Season Champion(s) Record Coach Ref.
1869 Princeton 1–1 [3]: 118 
1870 Princeton 1–0 [3]: 118 
1871 None No games played
1872 Princeton 1–0 [3]: 118 
1873 Princeton 2–0 [3]: 118 
1874 Yale 3–0 [3]: 118 
1875 Harvard 4–0 [3]: 118 
1876 Yale 3–0 [3]: 118 
1877 Yale 3–0–1 [3]: 118 
1878 Princeton 6–0 [3]: 118 
1879 Princeton 4–0–1 [3]: 118 
1880 Princeton
Yale		 4–0–1
4–0–1		 [3]: 118 
1881 Yale 5–0–1 [3]: 118 
1882 Yale 8–0 [3]: 118 
1883 Yale 9–0 [3]: 118 
1884 Yale 8–0–1 [3]: 118 
1885 Princeton 9–0 [3]: 118 
1886 Yale 9–0–1 [3]: 118 
1887 Yale 9–0 [3]: 118 
1888 Yale 13–0 Walter Camp [3]: 118 
1889 Princeton 10–0 [3]: 118 
1890 Harvard 11–0 George C. Adams, George A. Stewart [3]: 118 
1891 Yale 13–0 Walter Camp [3]: 118 
1892 Yale 13–0 Walter Camp [3]: 118 
1893 Princeton 11–0 [3]: 118 
1894 Yale 16–0 William Rhodes [3]: 118 
1895 Penn 14–0 George Washington Woodruff [3]: 118 
1896 Lafayette
Princeton		 11–0–1
10–0–1		 Parke H. Davis
 [3]: 118 
1897 Penn
 15–0 George Washington Woodruff [3]: 118 
1898 Harvard 11–0 William Cameron Forbes [3]: 118 
1899 Harvard 10–0–1 Benjamin Dibblee [3]: 119 
1900 Yale 12–0 Malcolm McBride [3]: 119 
1901 Michigan 11–0 Fielding H. Yost [3]: 119 
1902 Michigan 11–0 Fielding H. Yost [3]: 119 
1903 Michigan
Princeton		 11–0–1
11–0		 Fielding H. Yost
Art Hillebrand		 [3]: 119 
1904 Michigan
Penn		 10–0
12–0		 Fielding H. Yost
Carl S. Williams		 [3]: 119 
1905 Chicago 10–0 Amos Alonzo Stagg [3]: 119 
1906 Princeton 9–0–1 William Roper [3]: 119 
1907 Yale 9–0–1 William F. Knox [3]: 119 
1908 LSU
Penn		 10–0
11–0–1		 Edgar Wingard
Sol Metzger		 [3]: 119 
1909 Yale 10–0 Howard Jones [3]: 119 
1910 Harvard
Pittsburgh		 8–0–1
9–0		 Percy Haughton
Joseph H. Thompson		 [3]: 119 
1911 Penn State
Princeton		 8–0–1
8–0–2		 Bill Hollenback
William Roper		 [3]: 119 
1912 Harvard
Penn State		 9–0
8–0		 Percy Haughton
Bill Hollenback		 [3]: 119 
1913 Harvard 9–0 Percy Haughton [3]: 119 
1914 Army 9–0 Charles Daly [3]: 119 
1915 Cornell 9–0 Albert Sharpe [3]: 119 
1916 Pittsburgh 8–0 Glenn "Pop" Warner [3]: 119 
1917 Georgia Tech 9–0 John Heisman [3]: 119 
1918 Michigan
Pittsburgh		 5–0
4–1		 Fielding H. Yost
Glenn "Pop" Warner		 [3]: 119 
1919 Harvard
Notre Dame
Texas A&M		 9–0–1
9–0
10–0		 Bob Fisher
Knute Rockne
Dana X. Bible		 [3]: 119 
1920 California 9–0 Andy Smith [3]: 119 
1921 Cornell 8–0 Gil Dobie [3]: 119 
1922 California
Princeton		 9–0
8–0		 Andy Smith
William Roper		 [3]: 119 
1923 Illinois
Michigan		 8–0
8–0		 Robert Zuppke
Fielding H. Yost		 [3]: 119 
1924 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne [3]: 119 
1925 Alabama 10–0 Wallace Wade [3]: 119 
1926 Alabama
Stanford		 9–0–1
10–0–1		 Wallace Wade
Glenn "Pop" Warner		 [3]: 119 
1927 Illinois 7–0–1 Robert Zuppke [3]: 116 
1928 Georgia Tech 10–0 William Alexander [3]: 116 
1929 Notre Dame 9–0 Knute Rockne [3]: 116 
1930 Notre Dame 10–0 Knute Rockne [3]: 116 
1931 USC 10–1 Howard Jones [3]: 116 
1932 USC 10–0 Howard Jones [3]: 116 
1933 Michigan 7–0–1 Harry Kipke [3]: 116 
1934 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman [3]: 116 
1935 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman [3]: 116 
1936 Minnesota 7–1 Bernie Bierman [3]: 116 
1937 Pittsburgh 9–0–1 Jock Sutherland [3]: 116 
1938 TCU 11–0 Dutch Meyer [3]: 116 
1939 Texas A&M 11–0 Homer Norton [3]: 116 
1940 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman [3]: 116 
1941 Minnesota 8–0 Bernie Bierman [3]: 116 
1942 Ohio State 9–1 Paul Brown [3]: 116 
1943 Notre Dame 9–1 Frank Leahy [3]: 116 
1944 Army
Ohio State		 9–0
9–0		 Earl Blaik
Carroll Widdoes		 [3]: 116 
1945 Alabama
Army		 10–0
9–0		 Frank Thomas
Earl Blaik		 [3]: 116 
1946 Notre Dame 8–0–1 Frank Leahy [3]: 116 
1947 Michigan 10–0 Fritz Crisler [3]: 116 
1948 Michigan 9–0 Bennie Oosterbaan [3]: 116 
1949 Notre Dame 10–0 Frank Leahy [3]: 116 
1950 Tennessee 11–1 Robert Neyland [3]: 117 
1951 Maryland 10–0 Jim Tatum [3]: 117 
1952 Michigan State 9–0 Biggie Munn [3]: 117 
1953 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Frank Leahy [3]: 117 
1954 Ohio State
UCLA		 10–0
9–0		 Woody Hayes
Henry Sanders		 [3]: 117 
1955 Oklahoma 11–0 Bud Wilkinson [3]: 117 
1956 Oklahoma 10–0 Bud Wilkinson [3]: 117 
1957 Auburn 10–0 Ralph Jordan [3]: 117 
1958 LSU 11–0 Paul Dietzel [3]: 117 
1959 Syracuse 11–0 Ben Schwartzwalder [3]: 117 
1960 Ole Miss 10–0–1 Johnny Vaught [3]: 117 
1961 Alabama 11–0 Paul "Bear" Bryant [3]: 117 
1962 USC 11–0 John McKay [3]: 117 
1963 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal [3]: 117 
1964 Arkansas 11–0 Frank Broyles [3]: 117 
1965 Alabama 9–1–1 Paul "Bear" Bryant [3]: 117 
1966 Notre Dame 9–0–1 Ara Parseghian [3]: 117 
1967 USC 10–1 John McKay [3]: 117 
1968 Ohio State 10–0 Woody Hayes [3]: 117 
1969 Texas 11–0 Darrell Royal [3]: 117 
1970 Nebraska 11–0–1 Bob Devaney [3]: 117 
1971 Nebraska 13–0 Bob Devaney [3]: 117 
1972 USC 12–0 John McKay [3]: 117 
1973 Michigan
Notre Dame
Ohio State		 10–0–1
11–0
10–0–1		 Bo Schembechler
Ara Parseghian
Woody Hayes		 [3]: 117 
1974 Oklahoma
USC		 11–0
10–1–1		 Barry Switzer
John McKay		 [3]: 118 
1975 Arizona State
Oklahoma		 12–0
11–1		 Frank Kush
Barry Switzer		 [3]: 118 
1976 Pittsburgh 12–0 Johnny Majors [3]: 118 
1977 Notre Dame 11–1 Dan Devine [3]: 118 
1978 Alabama
USC		 11–1
12–1		 Paul "Bear" Bryant
John Robinson		 [3]: 118 
1979 Alabama 12–0 Paul "Bear" Bryant [3]: 118 
1980 Georgia 12–0 Vince Dooley [3]: 118 
1981 Clemson
Nebraska
Pittsburgh
SMU
Texas		 12-0
9–3
11–1
10–1
10–1–1		 Danny Ford
Tom Osborne
Jackie Sherrill
Ron Meyer
Fred Akers		 [3]: 118 
1982 Penn State 11–1 Joe Paterno [3]: 118 
1983 Miami (FL) 11–1 Howard Schnellenberger [3]: 118 
1984 BYU
Washington		 13–0
11–1		 LaVell Edwards
Don James		 [3]: 118 
1985 Oklahoma 11–1 Barry Switzer [3]: 118 
1986 Penn State 12–0 Joe Paterno [3]: 118 
1987 Miami (FL) 12–0 Jimmy Johnson [3]: 118 
1988 Notre Dame 12–0 Lou Holtz [3]: 118 
1989 Miami (FL) 11–1 Dennis Erickson [3]: 118 
1990 Colorado
Georgia Tech		 11–1–1
11–0–1		 Bill McCartney
Bobby Ross		 [3]: 118 
1991 Miami (FL)
Washington		 12–0
12–0		 Dennis Erickson
Don James		 [3]: 118 
1992 Alabama 13–0 Gene Stallings [3]: 118 
1993 Auburn
Florida State
Nebraska
Notre Dame		 11–0
12–1
11–1
11–1		 Terry Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Tom Osborne
Lou Holtz		 [3]: 118 
1994 Nebraska
Penn State		 13–0
12–0		 Tom Osborne
Joe Paterno		 [3]: 118–119 
1995 Nebraska 12–0 Tom Osborne [3]: 119 
1996 Florida 12–1 Steve Spurrier [3]: 119 
1997 Michigan
Nebraska		 12–0
13–0		 Lloyd Carr
Tom Osborne		 [3]: 119 
1998 Tennessee 13–0 Phillip Fulmer [3]: 119 
1999 Florida State 12–0 Bobby Bowden [3]: 119 
2000 Oklahoma 13–0 Bob Stoops [3]: 119 

See also

References

  1. ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. pp. 105–106. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  2. ^ Christopher J. Walsh (2007). Who's #1?: 100-Plus Years of Controversial National Champions in College Football. Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 20. ISBN 1461734762.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz ca cb cc cd ce cf cg ch ci cj ck cl cm cn co cp cq cr cs ct cu cv cw cx cy cz da db dc dd de df dg dh di dj dk dl dm dn do dp dq dr ds dt du dv dw dx dy dz ea eb 2020 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis: The National Collegiate Athletic Association. July 2020. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
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