# National Championship Foundation

The National Championship Foundation (NCF) was established by Mike Riter of Hudson, New York. The NCF retroactively selected college football national champions for each year from 1869 to 1979, and its selections are among the historic national champions recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in its Football Bowl Subdivision record book.

## Champions

The following list identifies the college football national champions as selected by the National Championship Foundation.
| Season | Champion(s) | Record | Coach | Ref. |
| 1869 | Princeton | 1–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1870 | Princeton | 1–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1871 | None | No games played | No games played | |
| 1872 | Princeton | 1–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1873 | Princeton | 2–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1874 | Yale | 3–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1875 | Harvard | 4–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1876 | Yale | 3–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1877 | Yale | 3–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1878 | Princeton | 6–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1879 | Princeton | 4–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1880 | Princeton Yale | 4–0–1 4–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1881 | Yale | 5–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1882 | Yale | 8–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1883 | Yale | 9–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1884 | Yale | 8–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1885 | Princeton | 9–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1886 | Yale | 9–0–1 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1887 | Yale | 9–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1888 | Yale | 13–0 | Walter Camp | $^{:118}$ |
| 1889 | Princeton | 10–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1890 | Harvard | 11–0 | George C. Adams, George A. Stewart | $^{:118}$ |
| 1891 | Yale | 13–0 | Walter Camp | $^{:118}$ |
| 1892 | Yale | 13–0 | Walter Camp | $^{:118}$ |
| 1893 | Princeton | 11–0 | | $^{:118}$ |
| 1894 | Yale | 16–0 | William Rhodes | $^{:118}$ |
| 1895 | Penn | 14–0 | George Washington Woodruff | $^{:118}$ |
| 1896 | Lafayette Princeton | 11–0–1 10–0–1 | Parke H. Davis | $^{:118}$ |
| 1897 | Penn | 15–0 | George Washington Woodruff | $^{:118}$ |
| 1898 | Harvard | 11–0 | William Cameron Forbes | $^{:118}$ |
| 1899 | Harvard | 10–0–1 | Benjamin Dibblee | $^{:119}$ |
| 1900 | Yale | 12–0 | Malcolm McBride | $^{:119}$ |
| 1901 | Michigan | 11–0 | Fielding H. Yost | $^{:119}$ |
| 1902 | Michigan | 11–0 | Fielding H. Yost | $^{:119}$ |
| 1903 | Michigan Princeton | 11–0–1 11–0 | Fielding H. Yost Art Hillebrand | $^{:119}$ |
| 1904 | Michigan Penn | 10–0 12–0 | Fielding H. Yost Carl S. Williams | $^{:119}$ |
| 1905 | Chicago | 10–0 | Amos Alonzo Stagg | $^{:119}$ |
| 1906 | Princeton | 9–0–1 | William Roper | $^{:119}$ |
| 1907 | Yale | 9–0–1 | William F. Knox | $^{:119}$ |
| 1908 | LSU Penn | 10–0 11–0–1 | Edgar Wingard Sol Metzger | $^{:119}$ |
| 1909 | Yale | 10–0 | Howard Jones | $^{:119}$ |
| 1910 | Harvard Pittsburgh | 8–0–1 9–0 | Percy Haughton Joseph H. Thompson | $^{:119}$ |
| 1911 | Penn State Princeton | 8–0–1 8–0–2 | Bill Hollenback William Roper | $^{:119}$ |
| 1912 | Harvard Penn State | 9–0 8–0 | Percy Haughton Bill Hollenback | $^{:119}$ |
| 1913 | Harvard | 9–0 | Percy Haughton | $^{:119}$ |
| 1914 | Army | 9–0 | Charles Daly | $^{:119}$ |
| 1915 | Cornell | 9–0 | Albert Sharpe | $^{:119}$ |
| 1916 | Pittsburgh | 8–0 | Glenn "Pop" Warner | $^{:119}$ |
| 1917 | Georgia Tech | 9–0 | John Heisman | $^{:119}$ |
| 1918 | Michigan Pittsburgh | 5–0 4–1 | Fielding H. Yost Glenn "Pop" Warner | $^{:119}$ |
| 1919 | Harvard Notre Dame Texas A&M | 9–0–1 9–0 10–0 | Bob Fisher Knute Rockne Dana X. Bible | $^{:119}$ |
| 1920 | California | 9–0 | Andy Smith | $^{:119}$ |
| 1921 | Cornell | 8–0 | Gil Dobie | $^{:119}$ |
| 1922 | California Princeton | 9–0 8–0 | Andy Smith William Roper | $^{:119}$ |
| 1923 | Illinois Michigan | 8–0 8–0 | Robert Zuppke Fielding H. Yost | $^{:119}$ |
| 1924 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Knute Rockne | $^{:119}$ |
| 1925 | Alabama | 10–0 | Wallace Wade | $^{:119}$ |
| 1926 | Alabama Stanford | 9–0–1 10–0–1 | Wallace Wade Glenn "Pop" Warner | $^{:119}$ |
| 1927 | Illinois | 7–0–1 | Robert Zuppke | $^{:116}$ |
| 1928 | Georgia Tech | 10–0 | William Alexander | $^{:116}$ |
| 1929 | Notre Dame | 9–0 | Knute Rockne | $^{:116}$ |
| 1930 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Knute Rockne | $^{:116}$ |
| 1931 | USC | 10–1 | Howard Jones | $^{:116}$ |
| 1932 | USC | 10–0 | Howard Jones | $^{:116}$ |
| 1933 | Michigan | 7–0–1 | Harry Kipke | $^{:116}$ |
| 1934 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman | $^{:116}$ |
| 1935 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman | $^{:116}$ |
| 1936 | Minnesota | 7–1 | Bernie Bierman | $^{:116}$ |
| 1937 | Pittsburgh | 9–0–1 | Jock Sutherland | $^{:116}$ |
| 1938 | TCU | 11–0 | Dutch Meyer | $^{:116}$ |
| 1939 | Texas A&M | 11–0 | Homer Norton | $^{:116}$ |
| 1940 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman | $^{:116}$ |
| 1941 | Minnesota | 8–0 | Bernie Bierman | $^{:116}$ |
| 1942 | Ohio State | 9–1 | Paul Brown | $^{:116}$ |
| 1943 | Notre Dame | 9–1 | Frank Leahy | $^{:116}$ |
| 1944 | Army Ohio State | 9–0 9–0 | Earl Blaik Carroll Widdoes | $^{:116}$ |
| 1945 | Alabama Army | 10–0 9–0 | Frank Thomas Earl Blaik | $^{:116}$ |
| 1946 | Notre Dame | 8–0–1 | Frank Leahy | $^{:116}$ |
| 1947 | Michigan | 10–0 | Fritz Crisler | $^{:116}$ |
| 1948 | Michigan | 9–0 | Bennie Oosterbaan | $^{:116}$ |
| 1949 | Notre Dame | 10–0 | Frank Leahy | $^{:116}$ |
| 1950 | Tennessee | 11–1 | Robert Neyland | $^{:117}$ |
| 1951 | Maryland | 10–0 | Jim Tatum | $^{:117}$ |
| 1952 | Michigan State | 9–0 | Biggie Munn | $^{:117}$ |
| 1953 | Notre Dame | 9–0–1 | Frank Leahy | $^{:117}$ |
| 1954 | Ohio State UCLA | 10–0 9–0 | Woody Hayes Henry Sanders | $^{:117}$ |
| 1955 | Oklahoma | 11–0 | Bud Wilkinson | $^{:117}$ |
| 1956 | Oklahoma | 10–0 | Bud Wilkinson | $^{:117}$ |
| 1957 | Auburn | 10–0 | Ralph Jordan | $^{:117}$ |
| 1958 | LSU | 11–0 | Paul Dietzel | $^{:117}$ |
| 1959 | Syracuse | 11–0 | Ben Schwartzwalder | $^{:117}$ |
| 1960 | Ole Miss | 10–0–1 | Johnny Vaught | $^{:117}$ |
| 1961 | Alabama | 11–0 | Paul "Bear" Bryant | $^{:117}$ |
| 1962 | USC | 11–0 | John McKay | $^{:117}$ |
| 1963 | Texas | 11–0 | Darrell Royal | $^{:117}$ |
| 1964 | Arkansas | 11–0 | Frank Broyles | $^{:117}$ |
| 1965 | Alabama | 9–1–1 | Paul "Bear" Bryant | $^{:117}$ |
| 1966 | Notre Dame | 9–0–1 | Ara Parseghian | $^{:117}$ |
| 1967 | USC | 10–1 | John McKay | $^{:117}$ |
| 1968 | Ohio State | 10–0 | Woody Hayes | $^{:117}$ |
| 1969 | Texas | 11–0 | Darrell Royal | $^{:117}$ |
| 1970 | Nebraska | 11–0–1 | Bob Devaney | $^{:117}$ |
| 1971 | Nebraska | 13–0 | Bob Devaney | $^{:117}$ |
| 1972 | USC | 12–0 | John McKay | $^{:117}$ |
| 1973 | Michigan Notre Dame Ohio State | 10–0–1 11–0 10–0–1 | Bo Schembechler Ara Parseghian Woody Hayes | $^{:117}$ |
| 1974 | Oklahoma USC | 11–0 10–1–1 | Barry Switzer John McKay | $^{:118}$ |
| 1975 | Arizona State Oklahoma | 12–0 11–1 | Frank Kush Barry Switzer | $^{:118}$ |
| 1976 | Pittsburgh | 12–0 | Johnny Majors | $^{:118}$ |
| 1977 | Notre Dame | 11–1 | Dan Devine | $^{:118}$ |
| 1978 | Alabama USC | 11–1 12–1 | Paul "Bear" Bryant John Robinson | $^{:118}$ |
| 1979 | Alabama | 12–0 | Paul "Bear" Bryant | $^{:118}$ |
| 1980 | Georgia | 12–0 | Vince Dooley | $^{:118}$ |
| 1981 | Clemson Nebraska Pittsburgh SMU Texas | 12–0 9–3 11–1 10–1 10–1–1 | Danny Ford Tom Osborne Jackie Sherrill Ron Meyer Fred Akers | $^{:118}$ |
| 1982 | Penn State | 11–1 | Joe Paterno | $^{:118}$ |
| 1983 | Miami (FL) | 11–1 | Howard Schnellenberger | $^{:118}$ |
| 1984 | BYU Washington | 13–0 11–1 | LaVell Edwards Don James | $^{:118}$ |
| 1985 | Oklahoma | 11–1 | Barry Switzer | $^{:118}$ |
| 1986 | Penn State | 12–0 | Joe Paterno | $^{:118}$ |
| 1987 | Miami (FL) | 12–0 | Jimmy Johnson | $^{:118}$ |
| 1988 | Notre Dame | 12–0 | Lou Holtz | $^{:118}$ |
| 1989 | Miami (FL) | 11–1 | Dennis Erickson | $^{:118}$ |
| 1990 | Colorado Georgia Tech | 11–1–1 11–0–1 | Bill McCartney Bobby Ross | $^{:118}$ |
| 1991 | Miami (FL) Washington | 12–0 12–0 | Dennis Erickson Don James | $^{:118}$ |
| 1992 | Alabama | 13–0 | Gene Stallings | $^{:118}$ |
| 1993 | Auburn Florida State Nebraska Notre Dame | 11–0 12–1 11–1 11–1 | Terry Bowden Bobby Bowden Tom Osborne Lou Holtz | $^{:118}$ |
| 1994 | Nebraska Penn State | 13–0 12–0 | Tom Osborne Joe Paterno | $^{:118–119}$ |
| 1995 | Nebraska | 12–0 | Tom Osborne | $^{:119}$ |
| 1996 | Florida | 12–1 | Steve Spurrier | $^{:119}$ |
| 1997 | Michigan Nebraska | 12–0 13–0 | Lloyd Carr Tom Osborne | $^{:119}$ |
| 1998 | Tennessee | 13–0 | Phillip Fulmer | $^{:119}$ |
| 1999 | Florida State | 12–0 | Bobby Bowden | $^{:119}$ |
| 2000 | Oklahoma | 13–0 | Bob Stoops | $^{:119}$ |