Trying to figure out who owns the most national championships in college football is not for the weak of heart. The sport has changed considerably since the sport’s inaugural season — 1869 — when Princeton and Rutgers played twice and, conveniently, split those two games.
For decades after that, even as the sport expanded, the definition of “champion” remained uncertain. Many seasons featured a handful of winners, thanks in large part to no definitive ranking. In all, 42 different national polls have been used to select champions throughout the sport’s history, per the NCAA record book. If you look at the 1936 season, when the Associated Press — which would become the preeminent ranking system — arrived on the scene, four different teams were named champion. One outlet dubbed Duke the champion, three named LSU, eight crowned Minnesota and three chose Pittsburgh. Many of those selections were retroactive, too.
The most straightforward way to answer “Who has the most national championships?” is to go by the NCAA-recognized titles at the highest level of collegiate football, and that’s the criteria used below — for the most part. The figures are updated through Ohio State’s 34-23 win over Notre Dame on Monday night.
10. Minnesota, 6
Championships: 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960
It’s been a while, but the Golden Gophers were a powerhouse in the 1930s and 1940s, with 1941 Heisman Trophy winner Bruce Smith among the stars. Minnesota reached the mountaintop again in 1960, splitting the title with Ole Miss despite losing to Washington in the Rose Bowl.
9. Oklahoma, 7
Championships: 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000
Oklahoma’s seven titles came across four different decades, with the program’s first three national championships (all outright) coming under Bud Wilkinson in the 1950s. Then came consecutive titles in 1974 and 1975 under Barry Switzer and another title under Switzer in 1985. Bob Stoops led Oklahoma to its most recent title, in 2000, with a perfect 13-0 record in just his second season in Norman.
8. Harvard, 8
Championships: 1875, 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919
Harvard no longer plays at the highest level of college football (FBS). In fact, the Ivy League doesn’t even participate in the FCS playoffs, though that changes next season, but the Crimson used to dominate in the earliest days of the sport. Again, things have changed a lot. Percy Haughton led the Crimson to consecutive 9-0 seasons in 1912 and 1913.
T-6. Ohio State, 9
Championships: 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014, 2024
The Buckeyes have produced many of the game’s all-time greats, and now, they have tied the sixth-most NCAA-recognized national titles, too. Interestingly, Ohio State won both the first four-team College Football Playoff and the first 12-team College Football Playoff. Woody Hayes led the program to five of its nine championships.
T-6. USC, 9
Championships: 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004
Like Ohio State, USC has produced some of the game’s greatest talents and has nine titles to show for it. The Trojans earned their first two titles in the early 1930s and then went three decades before returning to titletown in the 1960s (twice) and 1970s (three times). After another long wait, Pete Carroll led the Trojans to consecutive titles in 2003 and 2004.
5. Michigan, 10
Championships: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997, 2024
Michigan is college football’s all-time winningest program, and its long run of dominance reflects that. The Wolverines went back-to-back-to-back-to-back around the turn of the 20th century and racked up four more titles by 1948. Then it took a while — until 1997, to be exact, behind Lloyd Carr and Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. Jim Harbaugh’s bunch won it all in 2024 to give Michigan double-digit championships.
4. Notre Dame, 11
Championships: 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988
While the Fighting Irish couldn’t add to their total Monday night against the Buckeyes, they can still claim more championships overall. Knute Rockne led the Irish to their first three titles before Frank Leahy led them to four more in the 1940s. The current drought, though, spans 36 years, the longest in program history. The NCAA recognizes Notre Dame as a 13-time champion, but the Fighting Irish claim just 11 of those championships as the consensus winner, and that is the number CBS Sports research goes with, too.
3. Princeton, 15
Championships: 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, 1889, 1893, 1896, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922
Princeton claims 28 titles, but the NCAA recognizes 15, all of which came in the first 54 seasons of the sport existing. The Tigers even won four of the first five national championships, which makes sense given there were only a handful of teams in those days.
2. Alabama, 16
Championships: 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020
Alabama is known for two dynasties — Nick Saban’s six national championships in the 2000s and Bear Bryant’s six from 1961 to 1979 — but the Crimson Tide also won three titles in the early days of the sport under Wallace Wade.
1. Yale, 18
Championships: 1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1900, 1907, 1909, 1927
Sleep on the Ivy League at your own risk. Yale, much like Princeton and Harvard, goes way, way back to the sport’s early years, and the Bulldogs were absolutely dominant then. They won three titles in the 1870s and an incredible eight in the 1880s. Yale celebrates the 100th anniversary of its most recent champion in a few years, but for now, it remains on top.
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