NCAA Division I-A National Football Championship
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The NCAA Division I-A national football championship is the only Division I NCAA-sponsored sport without an organized tournament to determine its champion; in fact, while various other organizations (as described below) designate a national champion at the Division I level, the NCAA itself does not award a championship for Division I-A football. The manner in which a "champion" is crowned is probably unique in that it uses neither a fully quantitative season-long scoring system (as do, e.g., auto racing or tennis) nor a sequence-dependent playoff system. Because there is not a playoff system in which qualification is clear and the top contenders enter in a largely non-controversial manner (unlike professional football and other team sports), the current NCAA Division I-A national football championship format has received much criticism (see BCS controversies) and has led to what is known as the Mythical National Championship.
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[edit] The poll system
One of the first major media polls was the AP Poll released in 1936, which is still in use today. This poll utilizes a vast network of sportswriters to determine its rankings. Although modified slightly, another poll still in use today is the Coaches' Poll, which polls a random selection of 62 collegiate football head coaches to determine its rankings. However, both polls failed to take into account bowl game results, often between two top-ranked teams, thus calling into question their designation of a "national champion" prior to the actual end of the season. Until the 1968 college football season, the final AP poll of the season was released following the end of the regular season, with the exception of the 1965 season. Beginning in the 1968 season, a post bowl game poll was released and the AP championship reflected the bowl game results. The UPI did not follow suit with the Coaches' Poll until the 1974 season.
The tradition, and the controversy, is carried on today with the Bowl Championship Series ("BCS"), created for the 1998 season, and its predecessors — the Bowl Coalition from seasons 1992 to 1994, and the Bowl Alliance from seasons 1995 to 1997. The AP and Coaches' polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule, and performance against other top teams were combined into a formula, with the top two teams meeting in the BCS National Championship Game. But, the system has not been without controversy.
Most recently, in 2003 USC did not play in the BCS title game, despite finishing the regular season as #1 in both the AP and Coaches' polls. Both of these human polls were used in making the BCS rankings. Under the BCS formula, Oklahoma was ranked #1 at the end of the regular season with LSU #2. Under the BCS agreement, Oklahoma played LSU in the BCS National Championship game. LSU won the BCS title game, giving it the BCS national championship and the #1 ranking in the Coaches' Poll (the Coaches' Poll voters are contractually obligated to vote for the BCS title game winner), while the sportswriters voted USC #1 in the AP Poll. The resulting "split" national championship resulted in more tweaks to the system for 2004.
On three occasions, the BCS formula has worked as planned. In 1999, 2002, and 2005, there were only two undefeated teams at the end of the season. In 1999, the Florida State Seminoles and the Virginia Tech Hokies played for the title in the Sugar Bowl. Florida State won convincingly. In 2002, the teams were the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Miami Hurricanes.Ohio State defeated Miami in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl to claim the BCS title. Most recently, in 2005, the teams were the USC Trojans and the Texas Longhorns. Texas defeated USC in the Rose Bowl Game to claim the BCS title. The use of the Bowl Championship Series formula, however, has fostered debate amongst those college football fans who are proponents of a playoff system.
[edit] Football Bowl Subdivision
On August 3, 2006, the Division I Board of Directors took action regarding the two football subdivisions in Division I (Division I-A and I-AA); the Board approved new labels. The presidents approved a change in terminology to "Football Bowl Subdivision" for the former I-A classification and "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision" for the former I-AA group. The Collegiate Commissioners Association helped develop the new labels.
The presidents believe the new nomenclature, which became effective in December 2006, more accurately distinguishes Division I institutions for purposes of governing football, the only sport for which such a distinction is necessary. Members felt the old nomenclature inaccurately tiered Division I institutions in all sports, not just football, and produced instances in which media outlets and other entities incorrectly cited institutions as being Division I-AA in basketball or baseball, for example.
The new nomenclature does not affect the voting structure used in Division I governance matters.
[edit] Rankings overview
As mentioned previously, the NCAA does not award a consensus national champion for Division I-A football. The NCAA guide[1] lists 340 national championship selections in 137 seasons, an average of between two and three selections every year ever. On that list, Notre Dame is credited with 21 championships, Alabama and USC with 17, Oklahoma with 16, Michigan with 15, Ohio State with 14, Nebraska with 12 and Pittsburgh with 11--an amount exceeding claims by almost any university. Nebraska, for example, is credited with five consecutive titles from 1980 to 1984, a time period during which they were not once awarded a championship by the selectors recognized by the NCAA as consensus selectors. Such obscure schools as Centre (1919), Washington & Jefferson (1921) and Detroit (1928) are credited with titles in the same years as championships were also awarded to such national powers as Notre Dame (1919), Cornell (1921), and Georgia Tech (1928). Princeton and Yale are credited with 28 and 27 championships, respectively, the vast majority of which came before 1912 and during the period when the national sports media was focused on the Northeast U.S.
Note that prior to 1906, no governing organization existed for college football. The NCAA's predecessor organization was formed in 1906 and renamed in 1910.
Since 1936, human polls have been used to subjectively rank the teams believed to be the best. Even with the institution of these systems, these polls did not rank teams after the bowl games until 1968 (for the AP). The most widely accepted polls in use today are the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. In 1998, the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) became a system for crowning a national champion. The BCS uses both objective and subjective data, including human polls, to determine the top two teams at the end of the season, which then play each other in the BCS National Championship Game.
Determining national champions for the years prior to 1936 is more difficult. According to the website College Football Data Warehouse, the most acceptable selectors throughout history are the National Championship Foundation, Helms Athletic Foundation, and the College Football Researchers Association.[2] Following is a table of the polls that will be used for this ranking based on this criteria.[3] [4]
| Retroactive/research polls | |||
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National Championship Foundation |
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Table below reflects selections from 1869-1882 and 1924-1935 |
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College Football Researchers Association |
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Table below reflects selections from 1924-1935 |
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Helms Athletic Foundation |
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Table below reflects selections from 1883-1935 |
| Media/opinion polls | |||
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Associated Press |
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Before Bowls 1936-68 except 1965; then After Bowls 1969-current |
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United Press |
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After Bowls |
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Harris Interactive Poll |
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Used only for BCS Rankings |
| The Coaches' poll, published by: | |||
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United Press |
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Before Bowls |
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United Press International |
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Before Bowls 1958-73, After Bowls 1974-1990 |
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USA Today/CNN |
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After Bowls |
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USA Today/ESPN |
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After Bowls |
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USA Today/ESPN |
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Required to vote for BCS title game winner |
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USA Today |
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Required to vote for BCS title game winner |
[edit] By year
Bolding designates that game as being host to the BCS national championship game that year (years prior to 2006 simply rotated the national championship site between the 4 standard BCS games).
[edit] Most national championships
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This is a source of much debate. Before 1901 the national title was dominated by teams that are now members of the Ivy League. Yale and Princeton each claim as many as 24 national championships. However, Yale's last title was in 1927 and Princeton's was in 1935 (according to Dunkel, not reflected above). The University of Michigan won the first non-Ivy League national championship in 1901 (game played in January, 1902).
The following teams have won the most championships since 1901.[6] Note that this table differs significantly from the NCAA's own listing of champions prior to 1924, most notably excluding the NCF rankings form 1883 to 1923, but including them prior to and after that period.[7] This omission creates the misimpression that that there were almost exclusively single champions prior to 1924 when in fact co-champions were the rule, as leading teams rarely played each other, or even had common opponents. The proliferation of co-champions after 1924 in the CFDW table below makes this point obvious::
| Team | Championships | Winning years (from table above) |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 11 | 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 |
| Alabama | 10 | 1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992 |
| USC | 9 | 1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 |
| Michigan | 6 | 1901, 1902, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997 |
| Minnesota | 6 | 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 |
| Ohio State | 5 | 1942, 1954, 1957, 1968, 2002 |
| Miami(FL) | 5 | 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 | 1916, 1918, 1937, 1976 |
| Texas | 4 | 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005 |
| LSU | 4 | 1908, 1958, 2003, 2007 |
| Georgia Tech | 3 | 1917, 1928, 1990 |
[edit] National Championships Recognized by School
Many schools recognize national championships prior to the poll era but also rankings by other polling organizations.
| Team | Recognized titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 12 [8] | 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992 |
| USC | 11 [9] | 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 |
| Michigan | 11 [10] | 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997 |
| Notre Dame | 11 [11] | 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 |
| Pittsburgh | 9 [12] | 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976 |
| Ohio State | 7 [13] | 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002 |
| Oklahoma | 7 [14] | 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 |
| Tennessee | 6 [15] | 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998 |
| Michigan State | 6 [16] | 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966 |
| Minnesota | 6 [17] | 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 |
[edit] Most Associated Press National Championships
Since 1936, the Associated Press has polled sportwriters resulting in an annually awarded national championship. Until 1968, the final poll was conducted before the bowl games were played.
| Rank | Team | Total | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Notre Dame | 8 | 1988 |
| 2 | Oklahoma | 7 | 2000 |
| 3 | Alabama | 6 | 1992 |
| 4t | USC | 5 | 2004 |
| 4t | Miami (FL) | 5 | 2001 |
| 6t | Ohio State | 4 | 2002 |
| 6t | Nebraska | 4 | 1995 |
| 6t | Minnesota | 4 | 1960 |
| 9t | Texas | 3 | 2005 |
| 9t | Michigan | 3[5] | 1997 |
| 11t | LSU | 2 | 2007 |
| 11t | Florida | 2 | 2006 |
| 11t | Florida State | 2 | 1999 |
| 11t | Tennessee | 2 | 1998 |
| 11t | Penn State | 2 | 1986 |
| 11t | Pittsburgh | 2 | 1976 |
| 11t | Army | 2 | 1945 |
[edit] Most Coaches' Poll National Championships
Since 1950, various media organizations including the UPI, ESPN, USA Today and CNN have polled current head coaches resulting in an annually awarded national championship. Until 1973, the final poll was conducted before the bowl games were played. Beginning in 1998, it has been contractually bestowed upon the winner of the BCS National Championship game.
| Rank | Team | Total | Last |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1t | USC | 6 | 2004 |
| 1t | Oklahoma | 6 | 2000 |
| 3 | Alabama | 5 | 1992 |
| 4t | Texas | 4 | 2005 |
| 4t | Miami | 4 | 2001 |
| 4t | Nebraska | 4 | 1997 |
| 7t | LSU | 3 | 2007 |
| 7t | Ohio State | 3 | 2002 |
| 7t | Notre Dame | 3 | 1988 |
| 10t | Florida | 2 | 2006 |
| 10t | Florida State | 2 | 1999 |
| 10t | Tennessee | 2 | 1998 |
| 10t | Penn State | 2 | 1986 |
[edit] Most Poll Era National Championships
The "Poll Era" began in 1936, the first season a poll (Associated Press poll) determined the national champion. Some sources only recognize a consensus championship as one of the Poll Era.
| Team | Recognized titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Notre Dame | 8 | 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 |
| USC | 7 | 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 |
| Oklahoma | 7 | 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 |
| Alabama | 7 | 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992 |
| Ohio State | 5 | 1942, 1954, 1957, 1968, 2002 |
| Miami | 5 | 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 |
| Nebraska | 5 | 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 |
| Texas | 4 | 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005 |
| Minnesota | 4 | 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 |
| LSU | 3 | 1958, 2003, 2007 |
| Michigan | 3 | 1947, 1948, 1997 |
[edit] Most BCS National Championships
The BCS system began in 1998. The AP (later substituted with the Harris poll) and Coaches' polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule, and performance against other top teams were combined into a formula, with the top two teams meeting in the BCS National Championship Game.
| Team | Recognized titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| LSU | 2 | 2003, 2007 |
| Florida | 1 | 2006 |
| Texas | 1 | 2005 |
| USC | 1 | 2004 |
| Ohio State | 1 | 2002 |
| Miami | 1 | 2001 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 2000 |
| Florida State | 1 | 1999 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 1998 |
[edit] See also
- NCAA Division I FCS national football championship
- NCAA Division I FCS Consensus Mid-Major football national championship
- NCAA Division II national football championship
- NCAA Division III national football championship
- NAIA national football championship
- NJCAA National football championship
- List of college bowl games
- Mythical National Championship
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ NCAA Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions (HTML) (English). Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
- ^ National Championships (HTML) (English). College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on 2006-08-01.
- ^ (To be moved to main text after table is updated.) The proposed table recognizes these additional selections listed in the NCAA guide, but they are given less weight as the selectors are often considered less credible or subservient to other selectors (e.g., the computer polls in the BCS
- ^ (This note to be removed after table is updated.) The rationale for choosing these polls over others has NOT been documented elsewhere in this article, and thus should not be viewed as definitive or non-controversial. The CFDW opinion referenced is based on the opinion of two individuals. Note that this table differs significantly from the NCAA's own listing of champions prior to 1924, most notably excluding the NCF rankings form 1883 to 1923, but including them prior to and after that period. This omission creates the false impression that there were almost exclusively single champions prior to 1924 when in fact co-champions were the rule, as leading teams rarely played each other, or even had common opponents. The proliferation of co-champions after 1924 in the CFDW table below makes this point obvious.
- ^ a b Michigan and Notre Dame traded the #1 spot in the Associated Press poll during the regular season, with Michigan ranked #1 on 11/16/47 and Notre Dame taking the #1 spot in the final regular season poll on 11/23/47, taken before the bowls. Michigan won the 1948 Rose Bowl 49-0 over USC, a greater margin than Notre Dame had beaten USC in the regular season. While the final regular season poll had been considered the "official" determination of the AP's national champion, the AP held a special post-bowl poll, in which Michigan was selected as the national champion, 266-119. The two schools continued to debate which AP poll was "official" for years afterward. Natural Enemies, 142-7. ISBN 1589790901.
- ^ The rationale for choosing these polls over others has NOT been documented elsewhere in this article, and thus should not be viewed as definitive or non-controversial. The CFDW opinion referenced is based on the opinion of two individuals.
- ^ NCAA Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions (HTML) (English). Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
- ^ National Championships.
- ^ Traditions, USC National Titles.
- ^ MGoBlue.
- ^ Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
- ^ Panther History.
- ^ Buckeye Champions.
- ^ Oklahoma Sooners Official Athletic Site.
- ^ UT Sports Official Site.
- ^ Michigan State Football Records.
- ^ Minnesota Championships.
[edit] Other College Football links
- NCAA football page
- College Bowl Games. HickokSports.com. Retrieved on September 20, 2005.
- Historical Reality National College Football Champions. Retrieved on October 26, 2007.
