1964 NCAA University Division football season
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In 1964, seven entities named college football champions, due to the fact that there is no NCAA playoff for Division 1-A football. At the time, the two most notable polls, the Associated Press and United Press International, named national champions after the completion of the college football regular season, but before teams competed in Bowl games. Due to this, both the Associated Press and United Press International named the University of Alabama as National Champions. However, the Crimson Tide lost to the University of Texas at Austin in the Orange Bowl, to finish the season with a 10-1 record.
The University of Arkansas completed a 10-0 regular season in 1964. Additionally, Arkansas defeated the University of Nebraska 10-7 in the Cotton Bowl, to go through both the regular season and the bowl game as the only undefeated team in Division I football (11-0). Two less notable groups than the Associated Press and United Press International waited until after the bowls were complete to name their own National Champions. By virtue of Alabama's bowl loss to Texas and Arkansas's win over Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl, the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation both named the University of Arkansas Razorbacks as 1964 National Champions. Notre Dame and Michigan were also named National Champions by even lesser known entities.
As a direct result of the 1964 season, the Associated Press changed its practice of naming National Champions after the regular season beginning with the 1965 college football season. United Press International changed their practice of doing so in 1974.
Both the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama claim National Championships for the year 1964. However, by the standards of today and by the standards adopted by the Associated Press for the 1965 season, the University of Arkansas would be recognized as National Champions. Further, the fact that Arkansas was the only undefeated team of the 1964 season has caused many to recognize the University of Arkansas as the 1964 National Champions, despite the fact that the most recognizable organizations did not award their National Championship designation to Arkansas for that year. It also interesting to note that only four teams that Arkansas beat that year had winning seasons.
Notable members of the 1964 Arkansas National Championship team include Jerry Jones, billionaire owner of the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL; Ken Hatfield, who went on to coach the University of Arkansas, Clemson University, and Rice University in football; Assistant Coach Johnny Majors, who went on to coach both the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Tennessee in football; Jimmy Johnson, who went on to coaching success at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and with the Dallas Cowboys; and Jim Lindsey, a well-known real estate developer and businessman in the state of Arkansas.
| Preceded by: 1963 NCAA University Division football season |
University Division football seasons 1964 |
Succeeded by: 1965 NCAA University Division football season |
