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College football national champions by year

National champions by season since 1981. Years where the polls split carry a row per selector, because both titles are real.

45 seasons listed, 1981 to 2025. That is 49 titles in all, because some seasons have more than one.

Earliest season listed: Clemson (1981).

Latest season listed: Indiana (2025).

22 different school names appear on the list, 1981 to 2025.

Every college football national champion since 1981, year by year

College football national champions in the 2020s

Season

Champion

Selector

Result

Coach

2025

Indiana

CFP

Beat Miami (FL) 27-21

Curt Cignetti

2024

Ohio State

CFP

Beat Notre Dame 34-23

Ryan Day

2023

Michigan

CFP

Beat Washington 34-13

Jim Harbaugh

2022

Georgia

CFP

Beat TCU 65-7

Kirby Smart

2021

Georgia

CFP

Beat Alabama 33-18

Kirby Smart

2020

Alabama

CFP

Beat Ohio State 52-24

Nick Saban

College football national champions in the 2010s

Season

Champion

Selector

Result

Coach

2019

LSU

CFP

Beat Clemson 42-25

Ed Orgeron

2018

Clemson

CFP

Beat Alabama 44-16

Dabo Swinney

2017

Alabama

CFP

Beat Georgia 26-23 in OT

Nick Saban

2016

Clemson

CFP

Beat Alabama 35-31

Dabo Swinney

2015

Alabama

CFP

Beat Clemson 45-40

Nick Saban

2014

Ohio State

CFP

Beat Oregon 42-20

Urban Meyer

2013

Florida State

BCS

Beat Auburn 34-31

Jimbo Fisher

2012

Alabama

BCS

Beat Notre Dame 42-14

Nick Saban

2011

Alabama

BCS

Beat LSU 21-0

Nick Saban

2010

Auburn

BCS

Beat Oregon 22-19

Gene Chizik

College football national champions in the 2000s

Season

Champion

Selector

Result

Coach

2009

Alabama

BCS

Beat Texas 37-21

Nick Saban

2008

Florida

BCS

Beat Oklahoma 24-14

Urban Meyer

2007

LSU

BCS

Beat Ohio State 38-24

Les Miles

2006

Florida

BCS

Beat Ohio State 41-14

Urban Meyer

2005

Texas

BCS

Beat USC 41-38, Rose Bowl

Mack Brown

2004

USC

BCS

Beat Oklahoma 55-19

Pete Carroll

2003

LSU

BCS

Beat Oklahoma 21-14

Nick Saban

2003

USC

AP Poll

Beat Michigan 28-14, Rose Bowl

Pete Carroll

2002

Ohio State

BCS

Beat Miami (FL) 31-24 in 2OT

Jim Tressel

2001

Miami (FL)

BCS

Beat Nebraska 37-14

Larry Coker

2000

Oklahoma

BCS

Beat Florida State 13-2

Bob Stoops

College football national champions in the 1990s

Season

Champion

Selector

Result

Coach

1999

Florida State

BCS

Beat Virginia Tech 46-29

Bobby Bowden

1998

Tennessee

BCS

Beat Florida State 23-16

Phillip Fulmer

1997

Michigan

AP Poll

Beat Washington State 21-16, Rose Bowl

Lloyd Carr

1997

Nebraska

Coaches Poll

Beat Tennessee 42-17, Orange Bowl

Tom Osborne

1996

Florida

AP & Coaches

Beat Florida State 52-20, Sugar Bowl

Steve Spurrier

1995

Nebraska

AP & Coaches

Beat Florida 62-24, Fiesta Bowl

Tom Osborne

1994

Nebraska

AP & Coaches

Beat Miami (FL) 24-17, Orange Bowl

Tom Osborne

1993

Florida State

AP & Coaches

Beat Nebraska 18-16, Orange Bowl

Bobby Bowden

1992

Alabama

AP & Coaches

Beat Miami (FL) 34-13, Sugar Bowl

Gene Stallings

1991

Miami (FL)

AP Poll

12-0 season

Dennis Erickson

1991

Washington

Coaches Poll

12-0 season

Don James

1990

Colorado

AP Poll

11-1-1 season

Bill McCartney

1990

Georgia Tech

Coaches Poll

11-0-1 season

Bobby Ross

College football national champions from 1981 to 1989

Season

Champion

Selector

Result

Coach

1989

Miami (FL)

AP & Coaches

11-1 season

Dennis Erickson

1988

Notre Dame

AP & Coaches

Beat West Virginia 34-21, Fiesta Bowl

Lou Holtz

1987

Miami (FL)

AP & Coaches

Beat Oklahoma 20-14, Orange Bowl

Jimmy Johnson

1986

Penn State

AP & Coaches

Beat Miami (FL) 14-10, Fiesta Bowl

Joe Paterno

1985

Oklahoma

AP & Coaches

Beat Penn State 25-10, Orange Bowl

Barry Switzer

1984

BYU

AP & Coaches

13-0 season

LaVell Edwards

1983

Miami (FL)

AP & Coaches

Beat Nebraska 31-30, Orange Bowl

Howard Schnellenberger

1982

Penn State

AP & Coaches

Beat Georgia 27-23, Sugar Bowl

Joe Paterno

1981

Clemson

AP & Coaches

Beat Nebraska 22-15, Orange Bowl

Danny Ford

Most college football national titles since 1981

How we counted: each line in the year by year tables counts for the school name exactly as the table writes it, so a school the table writes two ways counts separately under each. The table does not always use the name of the day, so a renamed school may sit under one name or several. 1990, 1991, 1997 and 2003 have more than one line, and every school named in those seasons gets one title.

Out in front: Alabama, 7 titles.

School

Titles under this name

Years

Alabama

7

1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020

Miami (FL)

5

1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001

Clemson

3

1981, 2016, 2018

Florida

3

1996, 2006, 2008

Florida State

3

1993, 1999, 2013

LSU

3

2003, 2007, 2019

Nebraska

3

1994, 1995, 1997

Ohio State

3

2002, 2014, 2024

Georgia

2

2021, 2022

Michigan

2

1997, 2023

Oklahoma

2

1985, 2000

Penn State

2

1982, 1986

USC

2

2003, 2004

9 more school names appear once.

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Where this comes from

Each table was verified against at least two independent sources, and the checks run on every build: winner lists are audited answer by answer, split titles and vacated seasons are pinned so they can never quietly change, and a blank cell means the detail was never verified rather than papered over. Spot something that looks wrong anyway? The Report a bug button below lands straight in our inbox.

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