NCAA Division I-A Football National Champions
Unlike all other sports sponsored by the NCAA (or for that matter, all other divisions of NCAA football), Division I-A does not have a tournament to determine its national champion. Also, there have been a variety of sources used to determine the "national champion" (see Poll Legend) All national champions before 1936 are retroactively awarded, as contemporary polling did not begin until the 1936 season.
[edit] National Champions
| Year | Champion | Poll | W-L | Bowl | |
| 1869 | Princeton | UCF | 1-1 | ||
| 1870 | Princeton | UCF | 1-0 | ||
| 1871 | No Champion | ||||
| 1872 | Princeton | UCF | 1-0 | ||
| 1873 | Princeton | UCF | 1-0 | ||
| 1874 | Yale | UCF | 3-0 | ||
| 1875 | Harvard | UCF | 4-0 | ||
| 1876 | Yale | UCF | 3-0 | ||
| 1877 | Yale | UCF | 3-0-1 | ||
| 1878 | Princeton | UCF | 6-0 | ||
| 1879 | Princeton | UCF | 4-0-1 | ||
| 1880 | Princeton Yale | UCF | 4-0-1 4-0-1 | ||
| 1881 | Yale | UCF | 5-0-1 | ||
| 1882 | Yale | UCF | 8-0 | ||
| 1883 | Yale | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1884 | Yale | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1885 | Princeton | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1886 | Yale | H | 9-0-1 | ||
| 1887 | Yale | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1888 | Yale | H | 13-0 | ||
| 1889 | Princeton | H | 10-0 | ||
| 1890 | Harvard | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1891 | Yale | H | 13-0 | ||
| 1892 | Yale | H | 13-0 | ||
| 1893 | Princeton | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1894 | Yale | H | 16-0 | ||
| 1895 | Pennsylvania | H | 14-0 | ||
| 1896 | Princeton | H | 10-0-1 | ||
| 1897 | Pennsylvania | H | 15-0 | ||
| 1898 | Harvard | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1899 | Harvard | H | 10-0-1 | ||
| 1900 | Yale | H | 12-0 | ||
| 1901 | Michigan | H | 11-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1902 | Michigan | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1903 | Princeton | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1904 | Pennsylvania | H | 12-0 | ||
| 1905 | Chicago | H | 11-0 | ||
| 1906 | Princeton | H | 9-0-1 | ||
| 1907 | Yale | H | 9-0-1 | ||
| 1908 | Pennsylvania | H | 11-0-1 | ||
| 1909 | Yale | H | 10-0 | ||
| 1910 | Harvard | H | 8-0-1 | ||
| 1911 | Princeton | H | 8-0-2 | ||
| 1912 | Harvard | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1913 | Harvard | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1914 | Army | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1915 | Cornell | H | 9-0 | ||
| 1916 | Pittsburgh | H | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech | H | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1918 | Pittsburgh | H | 4-1 | no bowl | |
| 1919 | Harvard | H | 9-0-1 | Won Rose | |
| 1920 | California | H | 9-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1921 | Cornell | H | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1922 | Cornell | H | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1923 | Illinois | H | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1924 | Notre Dame | H, D | 10-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1925 | Alabama Dartmouth | H D | 10-0 8-0 | Won Rose no bowl | |
| 1926 | Stanford Alabama | H, D H | 10-0-1 9-0-1 | Tied Rose | |
| 1927 | Illinois | H, D | 7-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech USC | H D | 10-0 9-0 | Won Rose no bowl | |
| 1929 | Notre Dame | H, D | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1930 | Notre Dame | H, D | 10-0 | no bowl | |
| 1931 | USC | H, D | 10-1 | Won Rose | |
| 1932 | USC Michigan | H D | 10-0 8-0 | Won Rose no bowl | |
| 1933 | Michigan | H, D | 7-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1934 | Minnesota | H, D | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1935 | Minnesota SMU | H D | 8-0 12-1 | no bowl Lost Rose | |
| 1936 | Minnesota | AP | 7-1 | no bowl | |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh | AP | 9-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1938 | TCU | AP | 11-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1939 | Texas A&M | AP | 11-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1940 | Minnesota | AP | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1941 | Minnesota | AP | 8-0 | no bowl | |
| 1942 | Ohio St. | AP | 9-1 | no bowl | |
| 1943 | Notre Dame | AP | 9-1 | no bowl | |
| 1944 | Army | AP | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1945 | Army | AP | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1946 | Notre Dame | AP | 8-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1947 | Notre Dame | H | 8-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1948 | Michigan | AP | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1949 | Notre Dame | AP | 10-0 | no bowl | |
| 1950 | Oklahoma | AP, UPI | 10-1 | Lost Sugar | |
| 1951 | Tennessee | AP, UPI | 10-1 | Lost Sugar | |
| 1952 | Michigan St. | AP, UPI | 9-0 | no bowl | |
| 1953 | Maryland | AP, UPI | 10-1 | Lost Sugar | |
| 1954 | Ohio St. UCLA | AP UPI | 10-0 9-0 | Won Rose no bowl | |
| 1955 | Oklahoma | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Orange | |
| 1956 | Oklahoma | AP, UPI | 10-0 | no bowl | |
| 1957 | Auburn Ohio St. | AP UPI | 10-0 9-1 | no bowl Won Rose | |
| 1958 | LSU | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1959 | Syracuse | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Cotton | |
| 1960 | Minnesota | AP, UPI | 8-2 | Lost Rose | |
| 1961 | Alabama | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1962 | USC | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1963 | Texas | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Cotton | |
| 1964 | Alabama | AP, UPI | 10-1 | Lost Orange | |
| 1965 | Alabama Michigan St. | AP UPI | 9-1-1 10-1 | Won Orange Lost Rose | |
| 1966 | Notre Dame | AP, UPI | 9-0-1 | no bowl | |
| 1967 | USC | AP, UPI | 10-1 | Won Rose | |
| 1968 | Ohio St. | AP, UPI | 10-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1969 | Texas | AP, UPI | 11-0 | Won Cotton | |
| 1970 | Nebraska Texas | AP UPI | 11-0-1 10-1 | Won Orange Lost Cotton | |
| 1971 | Nebraska | AP, UPI | 13-0 | Won Orange | |
| 1972 | USC | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Rose | |
| 1973 | Notre Dame Alabama | AP UPI | 11-0 11-1 | Won Sugar Lost Sugar | |
| 1974 | Oklahoma USC | AP UPI | 11-0 10-1-1 | no bowl Won Rose | |
| 1975 | Oklahoma | AP, UPI | 11-1 | Won Orange | |
| 1976 | Pittsburgh | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1977 | Notre Dame | AP, UPI | 11-1 | Won Cotton | |
| 1978 | Alabama USC | AP UPI | 11-1 12-1 | Won Sugar Won Rose | |
| 1979 | Alabama | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1980 | Georgia | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1981 | Clemson | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Orange | |
| 1982 | Penn St. | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1983 | Miami (FL) | AP, UPI | 11-1 | Won Orange | |
| 1984 | BYU | AP, UPI | 13-0 | Won Holiday | |
| 1985 | Oklahoma | AP, UPI | 11-1 | Won Orange | |
| 1986 | Penn St. | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Fiesta | |
| 1987 | Miami (FL) | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Orange | |
| 1988 | Notre Dame | AP, UPI | 12-0 | Won Fiesta | |
| 1989 | Miami (FL) | AP, UPI | 11-1 | Won Sugar | |
| 1990 | Colorado Georgia Tech | AP UPI | 11-1-1 11-0-1 | Won Orange Won Citrus | |
| 1991 | Miami (FL) Washington | AP CNN | 12-0 12-0 | Won Orange Won Rose | |
| 1992 | Alabama | AP, CNN | 13-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 1993 | Florida St. | AP, CNN | 12-1 | Won Orange | |
| 1994 | Nebraska | AP, CNN | 13-0 | Won Orange | |
| 1995 | Nebraska | AP, CNN | 12-0 | Won Fiesta | |
| 1996 | Florida | AP, CNN | 12-1 | Won Sugar | |
| 1997 | Michigan Nebraska | AP ESPN | 12-0 | Won Rose Won Orange | |
| 1998 | Tennessee | BCS, AP | 13-0 | Won Fiesta | |
| 1999 | Florida St. | BCS, AP | 12-0 | Won Sugar | |
| 2000 | Oklahoma | BCS, AP | 13-0 | Won Orange | |
| 2001 | Miami (FL) | BCS, AP | 12-0 | Won Rose | |
| 2002 | Ohio St. | BCS, AP | 14-0 | Won Fiesta | |
| 2003 | LSU USC | BCS AP | 13-1 12-1 | Won Sugar Won Rose | |
| 2004 | USC | BCS, AP | 13-0 | Won Orange | |
| 2005 | Texas | BCS, AP | 13-0 | Won Rose |
[edit] Poll Legend
- H- Helms Athletic Foundation
- D- Dickinson System
- AP- Associated Press
- UPI- United Press
- CNN- USA Today/CNN
- ESPN- USA Today/ESPN
- BCS- Bowl Champion Series Champion (USA Today/ESPN poll required to vote for BCS winner)
