The National Championship Foundation (NCF) was established by Mike Riter of Hudson, New York. The NCF retroactively selected[citation needed] college football 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.

Champions

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

SeasonChampion(s)RecordCoach
1869Princeton1–1
1870Princeton1–0
1871NoneNo games played
1872Princeton1–0
1873Princeton2–0
1874Yale3–0
1875Harvard4–0
1876Yale3–0
1877Yale3–0–1
1878Princeton6–0
1879Princeton4–0–1
1880Princeton Yale4–0–1 4–0–1
1881Yale5–0–1
1882Yale8–0
1883Yale9–0
1884Yale8–0–1
1885Princeton9–0
1886Yale9–0–1
1887Yale9–0
1888Yale13–0Walter Camp
1889Princeton10–0
1890Harvard11–0George C. Adams, George A. Stewart
1891Yale13–0Walter Camp
1892Yale13–0Walter Camp
1893Princeton11–0
1894Yale16–0William Rhodes
1895Penn14–0George Washington Woodruff
1896Lafayette Princeton11–0–1 10–0–1Parke H. Davis
1897Penn15–0George Washington Woodruff
1898Harvard11–0William Cameron Forbes
1899Harvard10–0–1Benjamin Dibblee
1900Yale12–0Malcolm McBride
1901Michigan11–0Fielding H. Yost
1902Michigan11–0Fielding H. Yost
1903Michigan Princeton11–0–1 11–0Fielding H. Yost Art Hillebrand
1904Michigan Penn10–0 12–0Fielding H. Yost Carl S. Williams
1905Chicago10–0Amos Alonzo Stagg
1906Princeton9–0–1William Roper
1907Yale9–0–1William F. Knox
1908LSU Penn10–0 11–0–1Edgar Wingard Sol Metzger
1909Yale10–0Howard Jones
1910Harvard Pittsburgh8–0–1 9–0Percy Haughton Joseph H. Thompson
1911Penn State Princeton8–0–1 8–0–2Bill Hollenback William Roper
1912Harvard Penn State9–0 8–0Percy Haughton Bill Hollenback
1913Harvard9–0Percy Haughton
1914Army9–0Charles Daly
1915Cornell9–0Albert Sharpe
1916Pittsburgh8–0Glenn "Pop" Warner
1917Georgia Tech9–0John Heisman
1918Michigan Pittsburgh5–0 4–1Fielding H. Yost Glenn "Pop" Warner
1919Harvard Notre Dame Texas A&M9–0–1 9–0 10–0Bob Fisher Knute Rockne Dana X. Bible
1920California9–0Andy Smith
1921Cornell8–0Gil Dobie
1922California Princeton9–0 8–0Andy Smith William Roper
1923Illinois Michigan8–0 8–0Robert Zuppke Fielding H. Yost
1924Notre Dame10–0Knute Rockne
1925Alabama10–0Wallace Wade
1926Alabama Stanford9–0–1 10–0–1Wallace Wade Glenn "Pop" Warner
1927Illinois7–0–1Robert Zuppke
1928Georgia Tech10–0William Alexander
1929Notre Dame9–0Knute Rockne
1930Notre Dame10–0Knute Rockne
1931USC10–1Howard Jones
1932USC10–0Howard Jones
1933Michigan7–0–1Harry Kipke
1934Minnesota8–0Bernie Bierman
1935Minnesota8–0Bernie Bierman
1936Minnesota7–1Bernie Bierman
1937Pittsburgh9–0–1Jock Sutherland
1938TCU11–0Dutch Meyer
1939Texas A&M11–0Homer Norton
1940Minnesota8–0Bernie Bierman
1941Minnesota8–0Bernie Bierman
1942Ohio State9–1Paul Brown
1943Notre Dame9–1Frank Leahy
1944Army Ohio State9–0 9–0Earl Blaik Carroll Widdoes
1945Alabama Army10–0 9–0Frank Thomas Earl Blaik
1946Notre Dame8–0–1Frank Leahy
1947Michigan10–0Fritz Crisler
1948Michigan9–0Bennie Oosterbaan
1949Notre Dame10–0Frank Leahy
1950Tennessee11–1Robert Neyland
1951Maryland10–0Jim Tatum
1952Michigan State9–0Biggie Munn
1953Notre Dame9–0–1Frank Leahy
1954Ohio State UCLA10–0 9–0Woody Hayes Henry Sanders
1955Oklahoma11–0Bud Wilkinson
1956Oklahoma10–0Bud Wilkinson
1957Auburn10–0Ralph Jordan
1958LSU11–0Paul Dietzel
1959Syracuse11–0Ben Schwartzwalder
1960Ole Miss10–0–1Johnny Vaught
1961Alabama11–0Paul "Bear" Bryant
1962USC11–0John McKay
1963Texas11–0Darrell Royal
1964Arkansas11–0Frank Broyles
1965Alabama9–1–1Paul "Bear" Bryant
1966Notre Dame9–0–1Ara Parseghian
1967USC10–1John McKay
1968Ohio State10–0Woody Hayes
1969Texas11–0Darrell Royal
1970Nebraska11–0–1Bob Devaney
1971Nebraska13–0Bob Devaney
1972USC12–0John McKay
1973Michigan Notre Dame Ohio State10–0–1 11–0 10–0–1Bo Schembechler Ara Parseghian Woody Hayes
1974Oklahoma USC11–0 10–1–1Barry Switzer John McKay
1975Arizona State Oklahoma12–0 11–1Frank Kush Barry Switzer
1976Pittsburgh12–0Johnny Majors
1977Notre Dame11–1Dan Devine
1978Alabama USC11–1 12–1Paul "Bear" Bryant John Robinson
1979Alabama12–0Paul "Bear" Bryant
1980Georgia12–0Vince Dooley
1981Clemson Nebraska Pittsburgh SMU Texas12–0 9–3 11–1 10–1 10–1–1Danny Ford Tom Osborne Jackie Sherrill Ron Meyer Fred Akers
1982Penn State11–1Joe Paterno
1983Miami (FL)11–1Howard Schnellenberger
1984BYU Washington13–0 11–1LaVell Edwards Don James
1985Oklahoma11–1Barry Switzer
1986Penn State12–0Joe Paterno
1987Miami (FL)12–0Jimmy Johnson
1988Notre Dame12–0Lou Holtz
1989Miami (FL)11–1Dennis Erickson
1990Colorado Georgia Tech11–1–1 11–0–1Bill McCartney Bobby Ross
1991Miami (FL) Washington12–0 12–0Dennis Erickson Don James
1992Alabama13–0Gene Stallings
1993Auburn Florida State Nebraska Notre Dame11–0 12–1 11–1 11–1Terry Bowden Bobby Bowden Tom Osborne Lou Holtz
1994Nebraska Penn State13–0 12–0Tom Osborne Joe Paterno
1995Nebraska12–0Tom Osborne
1996Florida12–1Steve Spurrier
1997Michigan Nebraska12–0 13–0Lloyd Carr Tom Osborne
1998Tennessee13–0Phillip Fulmer
1999Florida State12–0Bobby Bowden
2000Oklahoma13–0Bob Stoops

See also