The Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the Northeast in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football.
The Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, August. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters. The trophy, established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in northeastern college football, has since grown to recognize the best team in the Northeast in Division I FBS. A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup is awarded to teams in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), Division II, and Division III. The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, operator of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, took over the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards in 1983.
The Penn State Nittany Lions won the award after the 2009 season for a then record 28th time and the second consecutive year.[1] On January 10, 2011, the NJSEA announced that the University of Connecticut had won the trophy for the very first time, after winning the Big East in 2010 and making their first appearance in the BCS. West Virginia won its fourth trophy for 2011, the final year they were eligible for the trophy, as they will are now ineligible by moving to the Big 12 Conference in 2012. The Cincinnati Bearcats won their first trophy in 2012 after first becoming eligible after joining the former Big East Conference in 2005. Penn State won the trophy for a record 29th time for its 2013 Season.[2]
Since 1936, there have been 18 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert-Meadowlands Award, a school must be located in the Northeast or play half its schedule against eligible Lambert teams. The territory includes New York, New Jersey, New England and Pennsylvania, while teams in the bordering states of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify if half their schedule features eligible teams. With the establishment of the Big East Conference as a major football conference, members of that conference outside of the Northeast were also made eligible. While they were members of the Big East Conference, Virginia Tech and Miami of Florida were also eligible. Former Big East Conference members, which became the American Athletic Conference in 2013 Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida and University of Central Florida are now eligible.
Lambert Trophy winners
By Year
By School
| School | Total | Years won |
| Penn State | 29 | 1947, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013 |
| Army | 7 | 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1958 |
| Pittsburgh | 6 | 1936, 1937, 1955, 1976, 1979, 1980 |
| Syracuse | 6 | 1952, 1956, 1959, 1966, 1987, 1992 |
| Boston College | 5 | 1940, 1942, 1983, 1984, 2004 |
| Navy | 4½ | 1943, 1954, 1957, 1960 (½), 1963 |
| Miami | 4 | 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| West Virginia | 4 | 1988, 1993, 2007, 2011 |
| Dartmouth ^ | 2 | 1965, 1970 |
| Princeton ^ | 2 | 1950, 1951 |
| Virginia Tech | 2 | 1995, 1999 |
| Carnegie Tech † | 1 | 1938 |
| Cincinnati | 1 | 2012 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 2010 |
| Cornell ^ | 1 | 1939 |
| Fordham ^ | 1 | 1941 |
| Louisville | 1 | 2006 |
| Yale ^ | ½ | 1960 (½) |
^ Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
† Now a member of Division III.
Lambert Cup
Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA)
| Year | School | Record | Playoff Results |
| 1982 | Delaware | 12-2 | Championship Game |
| 1983 | Holy Cross | 9-2-1 | First Round |
| 1984 | Rhode Island | 10-3 | Semifinals |
| 1985 | Rhode Island | 10-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 1986 | Holy Cross | 10-1 | No Playoffs |
| 1987 | Holy Cross | 11-0 | No Playoffs |
| 1988 | Holy Cross | 9-2 | No Playoffs |
| 1989 | Holy Cross | 10-1 | No Playoffs |
| 1990 | William & Mary | 10-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 1991 | Delaware | 10-2 | First Round |
| 1992 | Villanova | 9-3 | First Round |
| 1993 | Boston Univ. | 12-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 1994 | James Madison | 10-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 1995 | Delaware | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 1996 | William & Mary | 10-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 1997 | Delaware | 12-2 | Semifinals |
|
| Year | School | Record | Playoff Results |
| 1998 | Massachusetts | 12-3 | National Champions |
| 1999 | Hofstra | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2000 | Delaware | 12-2 | Semifinals |
| 2001 | Lehigh | 11-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 2002 | Villanova | 11-4 | Semifinals |
| 2003 | Delaware | 15-1 | National Champions |
| 2004 | James Madison | 13-2 | National Champions |
| 2005 | New Hampshire | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2006 | Massachusetts | 13-2 | Championship Game |
| 2007 | Delaware | 11-4 | Championship Game |
| 2008 | James Madison | 12-2 | Semifinals |
| 2009 | Villanova | 14-1 | National Champions |
| 2010 | Delaware | 12-3 | Championship Game |
| 2011 | Lehigh | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2012 | Old Dominion | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2013 | Towson | 13-3 | Championship Game |
|
Most FCS Lambert Cups
| School | Total | Years won |
| Delaware | 7 | 1982, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010 |
| Holy Cross | 5 | 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989 |
| James Madison | 3 | 1994, 2004, 2008 |
| Villanova | 3 | 1992, 2002, 2009 |
| Lehigh | 2 | 2001, 2011 |
| Massachusetts † | 2 | 1998, 2006 |
| Rhode Island | 2 | 1984, 1985 |
| William & Mary | 2 | 1990, 1996 |
| Boston University ‡ | 1 | 1993 |
| Hofstra ‡ | 1 | 1999 |
| New Hampshire | 1 | 2005 |
| Old Dominion † | 1 | 2012 |
| Towson | 1 | 2013 |
† Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
‡ Discontinued football
Division II
| Year | School | Record | Playoff Results (Start 1973) |
| 1957 | Lehigh | 8-1 | No Playoffs |
| 1958 | Buffalo | 8-1 | No Playoffs |
| 1959 | Delaware | 8-1 | No Playoffs |
| 1960 | Bucknell | 7-2 | No Playoffs |
| 1961 | Lehigh | 7-2 | No Playoffs |
| 1962 | Delaware | 7-2 | No Playoffs |
| 1963 | Delaware | 8-0 | National Champions |
| 1964 | Bucknell | 7-2 | No Playoffs |
| 1965 | Maine | 8-2 | Tangerine Bowl (L) |
| 1966 | Gettysburg | | |
| 1967 | West Chester | | |
| 1968 | Delaware | 8-3 | Boardwalk Bowl |
| 1969 | Delaware | 9-2 | Boardwalk Bowl |
| Wesleyan | | |
| 1970 | Delaware | 9-2 | Boardwalk Bowl |
| 1971 | Delaware | 10-1 | National Champions |
| 1972 | Delaware | 10-0 | National Champions |
| 1973 | Delaware | 8-4 | Quarterfinals |
| Lehigh | 7-4-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 1974 | Delaware | 12-2 | Championship Game |
| 1975 | Lehigh | 9-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 1976 | Delaware | 8-3-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 1977 | Lehigh | 12-2 | National Champions |
| 1978 | Massachusetts | 9-4 | I-AA Championship Game |
| 1979 | Delaware | 13-1 | National Champions |
| 1980 | Lehigh | 9-1-2 | I-AA Semifinals |
| 1981 | Shippensburg | | |
| 1982 | East Stroudsburg | | |
| 1983 | Towson State | 10-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 1984 | Towson State | 9-4 | Semifinals |
|
| Year | School | Record | Playoff Results |
| 1985 | Bloomsburg | 12-1 | Semifinals |
| 1986 | Towson State | 8-3-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 1987 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 1988 | Millersville | | |
| 1989 | Indiana (Pa.) | 11-2 | Semifinals |
| 1990 | Indiana (Pa.) | 12-2 | Championship Game |
| 1991 | Indiana (Pa.) | 12-1 | Semifinals |
| 1992 | New Haven | 12-1 | Semifinals |
| 1993 | Indiana (Pa.) | 13-1 | Championship Game |
| 1994 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-3 | Semifinals |
| 1995 | New Haven | 10-1-1 | Quarterfinals |
| 1996 | Clarion | | |
| 1997 | New Haven | 12-2 | Championship Game |
| 1998 | Slippery Rock | | |
| 1999 | Indiana (Pa.) | 9-4 | Semifinals |
| 2000 | Bloomsburg | 12-3 | Championship Game |
| 2001 | Indiana (Pa.) | 8-2 | First Round |
| 2002 | Indiana (Pa.) | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2003 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-1 | No Playoffs |
| 2004 | West Chester | | |
| 2005 | East Stroudsburg | | |
| 2006 | West Chester | | |
| 2007 | California (Pa.) | | |
| 2008 | West Chester | | |
| 2009 | California (Pa.)[1] | | |
| 2010 | Mercyhurst | 10-3 | Quarterfinals |
| 2011 | New Haven | 11-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2012 | Indiana (Pa.) | 12-2 | Quarterfinals |
| 2013 | West Chester | 13-2 | Semifinals |
|
Most D-II Lambert Cups
| School | Total | Years won |
| Delaware † | 11 | 1959, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969(½), 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973(½), 1974, 1976, 1979 |
| Indiana (PA) | 11 | 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012 |
| Lehigh † | 5½ | 1957, 1961, 1973 (½), 1975, 1977, 1980 |
| West Chester | 5 | 1967, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013 |
| New Haven | 4 | 1992, 1995, 1997, 2011 |
| Towson State † | 3 | 1983, 1984, 1986 |
| Bloomsburg | 2 | 1985, 2000 |
| Bucknell † | 2 | 1960, 1964 |
| California (PA) | 2 | 2007, 2009 |
| East Stroudsburg | 2 | 1982, 2005 |
| Buffalo ‡ | 1 | 1958 |
| Clarion | 1 | 1996 |
| Gettysburg ^ | 1 | 1966 |
| Maine † | 1 | 1965 |
| Massachusetts ‡ | 1 | 1978 |
| Mercyhurst | 1 | 2010 |
| Millersville | 1 | 1988 |
| Shippensburg | 1 | 1981 |
| Slippery Rock | 1 | 1998 |
| Wesleyan ^ | ½ | 1969 (½) |
‡ Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
^ Now a member of Division III.
Division III
Most D-III Lambert Cups
| School | Total | Years won |
| Rowan | 8 | 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 |
| Ithaca | 7½ | 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984 (½), 1985, 1988, 1991 |
| Wesley | 4 | 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| C.W. Post ‡ | 2 | 1973, 1976 |
| St. John Fisher | 2 | 2006, 2013 |
| Wagner † | 2 | 1967, 1987 |
| Washington & Jefferson | 2 | 1992, 1994 |
| Widener | 2 | 1981, 2000 |
| Wilkes | 2 | 1966, 1968 |
| Union | 1½ | 1984 (½), 1989 |
| Allegheny | 1 | 1990 |
| Brockport | 1 | 2002 |
| Carnegie Mellon | 1 | 1979 |
| Cortland State | 1 | 2008 |
| Edinboro ‡ | 1 | 1970 |
| Franklin & Marshall | 1 | 1972 |
| Hofstra ^ | 1 | 1983 |
| Lycoming | 1 | 1997 |
| Merchant Marine | 1 | 1969 |
| Plymouth State | 1 | 1982 |
| Rensselaer | 1 | 2003 |
| Salisbury State | 1 | 1986 |
| Westminster | 1 | 1977 |
† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
‡ Now a member of Division II.
^ Discontinued football
References