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.
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 |
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)