This is a list of Pittsburgh Panthers football seasons. The Pittsburgh Panthers football team is the American football team of the University of Pittsburgh, which is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the Big East Conference. The Panthers have been members of the Big East since 1991. Before 1991 they competed as an Independent.
The Panthers began play in 1890. In total, the University officially recognizes nine national championships based on research published by Sports Illustrated in 1970.[1] The NCAA's record book lists Pittsburgh as being selected for a National Championship by "major selectors" in eleven different seasons.[2] Research by College Football Data Warehouse (CFBDW) has found that Pitt was selected as a national champion in 16 different seasons by at least one selector of championships.[3] Of these, CFBDW officially recognizes six as national championship seasons for the University of Pittsburgh.[4]
Contents |
| Season | Record | Bowl Results | Awards | AP Rank | National Championships | References | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Conference | |||||||||||||
| W | L | T | Membership | W | L | T | Peak | Final | Selectors | Source | ||||
| 1890 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1891 | 2 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1892 | 4 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1893 | 1 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1894 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1895 | 1 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1896 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1897 | 1 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1898 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1899 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1900 | 5 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1901 | 7 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1902 | 5 | 6 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1903 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1904 | 10 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1905 | 10 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1906 | 4 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1907 | 9 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1908 | 8 | 3 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1909 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1910 | 9 | 0 | 0 | NCF | CFBDW, NCAA | |||||||||
| 1911 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1912 | 3 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1913 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1914 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1915 | 8 | 0 | 0 | PD | NCAA, Pitt | |||||||||
| 1916 | 8 | 0 | 0 | BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD | CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt | |||||||||
| 1917 | 9 | 0 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1918 | 4 | 0 | 0 | HAF, HS, NCF | CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt | |||||||||
| 1919 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1920 | 6 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 1921 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1922 | 8 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1923 | 5 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1924 | 5 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1925 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1926 | 5 | 2 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 1927 | 8 | 1 | 1 | Rose Bowl | ||||||||||
| 1928 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1929 | 9 | 1 | 0 | Rose Bowl | PD | NCAA, Pitt | ||||||||
| 1930 | 6 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1931 | 8 | 1 | 0 | PD | NCAA, Pitt | |||||||||
| 1932 | 8 | 1 | 2 | Rose Bowl | ||||||||||
| 1933 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1934 | 8 | 1 | 0 | PD | Pitt | |||||||||
| 1935 | 7 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 1936 | 8 | 1 | 1 | Rose Bowl | #2 | #3 | BS, CFRA, HS | CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt | ||||||
| 1937 | 9 | 0 | 1 | #1 | #1 | AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS | CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt | |||||||
| 1938 | 8 | 2 | 0 | #1 | #8 | |||||||||
| 1939 | 5 | 4 | 0 | #1 | – | |||||||||
| 1940 | 3 | 4 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1941 | 3 | 6 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1942 | 3 | 6 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1943 | 3 | 5 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1944 | 4 | 5 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1945 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1946 | 3 | 5 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1947 | 1 | 8 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1948 | 6 | 3 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1949 | 6 | 3 | 0 | #15 | – | |||||||||
| 1950 | 1 | 8 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1951 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1952 | 6 | 3 | 0 | #14 | – | |||||||||
| 1953 | 3 | 5 | 1 | #15 | – | |||||||||
| 1954 | 4 | 5 | 0 | #20 | – | |||||||||
| 1955 | 7 | 4 | 0 | Sugar Bowl | #7 | #11 | ||||||||
| 1956 | 7 | 3 | 1 | Gator Bowl | #7 | #13 | ||||||||
| 1957 | 4 | 6 | 0 | #16 | – | |||||||||
| 1958 | 5 | 4 | 1 | #7 | – | |||||||||
| 1959 | 6 | 4 | 0 | #16 | #20 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 4 | 3 | 3 | #12 | – | |||||||||
| 1961 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1962 | 5 | 5 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1963 | 9 | 1 | 0 | #3 | #4 | |||||||||
| 1964 | 3 | 5 | 2 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1965 | 3 | 7 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1966 | 1 | 9 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1967 | 1 | 9 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1968 | 1 | 9 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1969 | 4 | 6 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1970 | 5 | 5 | 0 | #15 | – | |||||||||
| 1971 | 3 | 8 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1972 | 1 | 10 | 0 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1973 | 6 | 5 | 1 | Fiesta Bowl | #20 | – | ||||||||
| 1974 | 7 | 4 | 0 | #8 | – | |||||||||
| 1975 | 8 | 4 | 0 | Sun Bowl | #15 | #15 | ||||||||
| 1976 | 12 | 0 | 0 | Sugar Bowl | #1 | #1 | AP, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI | CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt | ||||||
| 1977 | 9 | 2 | 1 | Gator Bowl | #8 | #8 | ||||||||
| 1978 | 8 | 4 | 0 | Tangerine Bowl | #9 | – | ||||||||
| 1979 | 11 | 1 | 0 | Fiesta Bowl | #7 | #7 | ||||||||
| 1980 | 11 | 1 | 0 | Gator Bowl | #2 | #2 | CFRA, DeS, NYT, R(FACT), SR | NCAA | ||||||
| 1981 | 11 | 1 | 0 | Sugar Bowl | #1 | #4 | NCF | NCAA | ||||||
| 1982 | 9 | 3 | 0 | Cotton Bowl Classic | #1 | #10 | ||||||||
| 1983 | 8 | 3 | 1 | Fiesta Bowl | #15 | #18 | ||||||||
| 1984 | 3 | 7 | 1 | #17 | – | |||||||||
| 1985 | 5 | 5 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1986 | 6 | 4 | 1 | – | – | |||||||||
| 1987 | 8 | 4 | 0 | Bluebonnet Bowl | #16 | – | ||||||||
| 1988 | 6 | 5 | 0 | #16 | – | |||||||||
| 1989 | 8 | 3 | 1 | Sun Bowl | #7 | #17 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 3 | 7 | 1 | #13 | – | |||||||||
| 1991 | 6 | 5 | 0 | Big East | 3 | 2 | 0 | #12 | – | |||||
| 1992 | 3 | 9 | 0 | Big East | 1 | 3 | 0 | – | – | |||||
| 1993 | 3 | 8 | 0 | Big East | 2 | 5 | 0 | – | – | |||||
| 1994 | 3 | 8 | 0 | Big East | 2 | 5 | 0 | – | – | |||||
| 1995 | 2 | 9 | 0 | Big East | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | – | |||||
| 1996 | 4 | 7 | Big East | 3 | 4 | – | – | |||||||
| 1997 | 6 | 6 | Big East | 4 | 3 | Liberty Bowl | – | – | ||||||
| 1998 | 2 | 9 | Big East | 0 | 7 | – | – | |||||||
| 1999 | 5 | 6 | Big East | 2 | 5 | – | – | |||||||
| 2000 | 7 | 5 | Big East | 4 | 3 | Insight.com | – | – | ||||||
| 2001 | 7 | 4 | Big East | 4 | 3 | Tangerine Bowl | – | – | ||||||
| 2002 | 9 | 4 | Big East | 5 | 2 | Insight Bowl | #17 | #19 | ||||||
| 2003 | 8 | 5 | Big East | 5 | 2 | Continental Tire Bowl | #9 | – | ||||||
| 2004 | 8 | 4 | Big East | 4 | 2 | Fiesta Bowl | #19 | #25 | ||||||
| 2005 | 5 | 6 | Big East | 4 | 3 | #21 | – | |||||||
| 2006 | 6 | 6 | Big East | 2 | 5 | – | – | |||||||
| 2007 | 5 | 7 | Big East | 3 | 4 | – | – | |||||||
| 2008 | 9 | 4 | Big East | 5 | 2 | Sun Bowl | #17 | – | ||||||
| 2009 | 10 | 3 | Big East | 5 | 2 | Meineke Car Care Bowl | #8 | #15 | ||||||
| 2010 | 8 | 5 | Big East | 5 | 2 | BBVA Compass Bowl | ||||||||
| CFBDW recognized National Championships[4] |
NCAA record book listed & Pitt claimed National Championships |
National Championship listed in the NCAA record book but not claimed by Pitt |
National Championship claimed by Pitt but not listed in the NCAA record book |
Big East Conference Championship (1991–present) |
Undefeated Season |
Polls have been the most prominent form of championship selection since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. The following systems have at one point in their history have named Pitt as a national champion or are still active today. Retroactive designations are marked in italics.
| Selector | Name | Years | Selector | Name | Years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematical | Poll | |||||
| BCS* | Bowl Championship Series | 1998–present | AP | Associated Press | 1936–present | |
| BR | Billingsley Report | 1869–1870, 1872–1969, 1970–2006 | CFRA | College Football Researchers Association | 1919–1935, 1936–1981, 1982–1992 | |
| BS | Boand System | 1919–1929, 1930–1960 | FN | Football News | 1958–2002 | |
| CCR | Congrove Computer Rankings | 1993–Present | FWAA | Football Writers Association of America | 1954–present | |
| DeS | DeVold System | 1939–1944, 1945–2006 | HAF | Helms Athletic Foundation | 1883–1935, 1936–1940, 1941–1982 | |
| DiS | Dickinson System | 1924–1925, 1926–1940 | NCF | National Championship Foundation | 1869–1870, 1872–1935, 1936–1979, 1980–2000 | |
| HS | Houlgate System | 1885, 1887–1905, 1907–1926, 1927–1949 | NFF† | National Football Foundation | 1959–1990, 1995–present | |
| L | Litkenhous | 1934–1972, 1974, 1978, 1981–1984 | SN | Sporting News | 1975–2006 | |
| NYT | New York Times | 1979–2004 | UPI* | United Press International | 1950–1990, 1993–1995 | |
| PS | Poling System | 1924–1934, 1935–1955, 1957–1984 | USAT*†‡ | USA Today | 2006–present | |
| R(FACT) | Rothman (FACT) | 1968–2006 | * The USA Today (USAT) Coaches' Poll is used as part of the BCS formula. † The NFF merged with UPI from 1991–1992 and was known as the UPI/NFF. Prior to 1991 the UPI had published the Coaches' Poll, which has been published by USA Today under various names and sponsorships since 1991.[5] ‡ The USA Today Poll was sponsored by CNN from 1982–1996, known as CNN/USA Today, and ESPN from 1997–2005, known as the ESPN/USA Today. The NFF briefly merged with USA Today poll from 1993–1994 and was known as the USAT/NFF. |
|||
| SR | Sagarin Ratings | 1919–1977, 1978–2006 | ||||
| WS | Williamson System | 1931, 1932–1963 | ||||
| Research | ||||||
| PD | Parke H. Davis | 1869–1870, 1872–1909, 1911–1916, 1919–1932, 1933 | ||||
The University of Pittsburgh claims nine National Championships for the Panthers football team: 4 that are mostly unanimous, (1916, 1918, 1937, and 1976) and 5 shared titles (1915, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936).
The University bases its claim for the first 8 national championships on a study conducted in 1970 by Sports Illustrated [6]. These championships, together with its unanimous championship of 1976, are the basis for the university's claim of 9 national championship seasons.
Furthermore, according to research conducted by College Football Data Warehouse[7], in 8 additional years at least one selector of national championships has declared Pitt as its National Champion. Combined with the Sports Illustrated study, Pitt has been recognized as the National Champion by at least one selector in 17 different seasons. According to the Official NCAA Division 1 Football Records Book, Pitt has been named a national champion by a "Major Selector" in 12 separate seasons.[8].
Note: The table lists all known National Championship selections for the University of Pittsburgh. The list of national championship selecting organizations choosing Pitt for any particular year is not necessarily comprehensive. For more information see College Football Data Warehouse Total National Championships Additional notations include the following:
| Pitt Panthers National Championships | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Coach | Record | Selectors | Recognized | ||||||
| 1910 | Joseph H. Thompson | 9-0-0 | 1st-N-Goal Century Football Index Cliff Morgan Mel Smith National Championship Foundation Patrick Premo |
NCAA CFBDW |
||||||
| 1915 | Glenn "Pop" Warner | 8-0-0 | Bill Libby Jim Koger Mel Smith Parke H. Davis |
NCAA Pitt |
||||||
| 1916 | Glenn Warner | 8-0-0 | consensus | NCAA Pitt CFBDW |
||||||
| 1917 | Glenn Warner | 10-0-0 | Alexander Weyand David Wilson Earl Jessen Jim Koger Mel Smith Nutshell Sports Football Ratings |
|||||||
| 1918 | Glenn Warner | 4-1-0 | consensus | NCAA Pitt CFBDW |
||||||
| 1925 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-0 | Soren Sorensen | |||||||
| 1927 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-1 | Esso Gas | |||||||
| 1929 | Jock Sutherland | 9-1-0 | Parke H. Davis | NCAA Pitt |
||||||
| 1931 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-0 | 1st-N-Goal Bob Kirlin Parke H. Davis |
NCAA Pitt |
||||||
| 1933 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-0 | Bob Kirlin | |||||||
| 1934 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-0 | Parke H. Davis | Pitt | ||||||
| 1936 | Jock Sutherland | 8-1-1 | 1st-N-Goal Angelo Louisa Boand System Bob Kirlin College Football Researchers Association Earl Jessen Esso Gas Houlgate System Jim Koger Loren Maxwell Patrick Premo |
NCAA Pitt CFBDW |
||||||
| 1937 | Jock Sutherland | 9-0-1 | consensus | NCAA Pitt CFBDW |
||||||
| 1938 | Jock Sutherland | 8-2-0 | Patrick Premo | |||||||
| 1976 | Johnny Majors | 12-0-0 | consensus | NCAA Pitt CFBDW |
||||||
| 1980 | Jackie Sherrill | 11-1-0 | 1st-N-Goal Angelo Louisa ARGH Power Ratings College Football Researchers Association Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments Harry DeVold James Howell Jeff Self New York Times Quality Champions Sagarin Ratings Steve Eck The Fleming System |
NCAA | ||||||
| 1981 | Jackie Sherrill | 11-1-0 | Montgomery Full Season Championship National Championship Foundation |
NCAA | ||||||
The following table summarizes the source and totals for Pitt's national championship seasons.
| Source | Championships | Years |
|---|---|---|
| AP/Coaches' Poll (1936–present) | Two | 1937, 1976 |
| CFBDW (recognized)[4] | Six | 1910, 1916, 1918, 1936, 1937, 1976 |
| Sports Illustrated (1970 study)[12] | Nine | 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937 |
| NCAA ("major" selectors)[5] | Eleven | 1910, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1976, 1980, 1981 |
| CFBDW (all)[3] | Sixteen | 1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1976, 1980, 1981 |
| Total unique seasons | Seventeen | 1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1976, 1980, 1981 |
| Claimed by Pitt[12] | Nine | 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976 |
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