The most successful college football teams
College football is a giant in the USA, in some states it’s even bigger than professional football. For example, in the South and the Midwest, college football is more popular than pro football and some college teams play in 100,000 + capacity stadiums.
Unlike most other sports in North America like soccer and baseball, there’s no official minor league feeder system in the USA and Canada. While football is played in high school, college football is the official feeder system and generally considered to be the second tier of American football.
The best college players always declare for a professional draft and every year 256 players are selected by the NFL. Those not selected can still land an NFL roster spot as an undrafted free agent.
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Most successful teams
Counting titles is never easy so we have to look at this according to the NCAA records. So we’re basing this article on the AP Top 25 era because it’s generally considered the starting point of modern college football. However if we were dating this before then, Yale would top the list as they have won 18 national championships, but all of these were pre 1936. Princeton have won 15 but again all were pre 36.
5. Ohio State – Ohio State Buckeyes – 6 titles
The Buckeyes won six national titles in 1942, 1954, 1957, 1968, 2002, 2014. In an important piece of college football history, Ohio State won the first-ever national title in the college football playoff era.
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3. USC – USC Trojans – 7
Dating back to 1888 and now play from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the University of Southern California won seven national championships in 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004. They are the most successful West Coast team and are set to join the Big Ten conference in 2024.
3. Oklahoma – Oklahoma Sooners – 7 titles
Tied in third place is Oklahoma who won in 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000. The Oklahoma football program program also claim a massive 50 conference championships and are the only school in history with four 100-win coaches.
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2. Notre Dame – Fighting Irish – 8 titles
Notre Dame is one of the most beloved teams in college football and the second most successful with 8 titles in 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988. The Fighting Irish are unique among sports teams in the US, being the only team, professional or college, to have all their games broadcast nationally on the radio, as well as the only team to have all of their home games broadcast nationally on television.
1. Alabama – Alabama Crimson Tide – 14
Alabama is far the most successful college football team in the AP Top 25 era. 14 national titles in 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020 and 33 conference tile give them a massive lead.
Playing out of Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. With a capacity of 101,821, Bama have the eight biggest stadium in the USA. Alabama lost to Georgia Bulldogs 18-33 in the 2021/22 College Football National Championship
The others
We have to mention Yale here, they won 18 national championships, including every one of them in the 1,800’s apart from 1885 and 1889.
Princeton have won 15, their first championship in 1869 and last one in 1922.
Minnesota have won 6 championship titles but nothing since 1960.
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