# 1937 college football season

The 1937 college football season ended with the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh being named the nation's No. 1 team (and "mythical national champion") by 30 of the 33 voters in the Associated Press writers' poll. The AP poll was in its second year, and seven votes were taken during the final weeks of the 1937 season, starting with October 18. Each writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the twenty teams with the highest number of points. With 33 writers polled, Pitt received 30 first place votes and 3 second-place, for a total of 327 points.
The NCAA began keeping official game statistics in 1937.

## Conference and program changes

| School | 1936 Conference | 1937 Conference |
| Akron Zippers | Ohio Athletic | Independent |
| Saint Louis Billikens | Independent | Missouri Valley |

## September

September 25 The defending champion Minnesota Gophers opened their season with a 69–7 win over visiting North Dakota State. LSU beat Florida, 19–0. Alabama beat Samford 41–0. California won 30–7 over St. Mary's. In Seattle, Washington beat Iowa, 14–0. The day before, Pittsburgh had opened with a 59–0 win over Ohio Wesleyan.

## October

October 2 Minnesota lost at Nebraska, 14–9. LSU defeated Texas 9–0. Pittsburgh won at West Virginia, 20–0. In Birmingham, Alabama beat Sewanee, 65–0. In Los Angeles, Washington defeated USC, 7–0. California beat Oregon State, 24–6. Yale beat Maine, 26–0.
October 9 In Houston, LSU defeated Rice, 13–0. Pittsburgh beat its cross-town rival, Duquesne, 6–0. Alabama beat South Carolina, 20–0. All three teams had held their opposition scoreless. California defeated Washington State 27–0. Washington lost to Oregon State, 6–3. Yale beat Penn, 27–7. Minnesota recovered from its Nebraska loss to beat Indiana 6–0.
October 16 LSU registered its fourth shutout in four starts, a 13–0 win over Ole Miss. Pittsburgh and Fordham played to a 0–0 tie in New York. Alabama yielded its first points, but won at Tennessee, 14–7. California beat the California Aggies (later UC-Davis) 14–0 and Pacific, 20–0, in a doubleheader. Yale defeated Army, 15–7. Minnesota won at Michigan, 39–6. In the first poll taken, California was No. 1, followed by Alabama, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and Yale. LSU, despite a 54–0 scoring edge over its opposition, was sixth.
October 23 No. 1 California beat No. 11 USC 20–6. In Washington, No. 2 Alabama defeated GWU, 19–0. No. 3 Pittsburgh won at No. 16 Wisconsin 26–6. No. 4 Minnesota was idle. No. 5 Yale beat No. 19 Cornell, 9–0. The next top five was No. 1 California, No. 2 Pittsburgh, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Minnesota, and No. 5 Yale
October 30 In Los Angeles, No. 1 California defeated UCLA 27–14, while in Pittsburgh, the No. 2 Pitt Panthers beat Carnegie Tech, 25–14. No. 3 Alabama beat Kentucky, 41–0. No. 4 Minnesota lost to Notre Dame, 7–6, and No. 5 Yale and No. 9 Dartmouth played to a 9–9 tie. No. 6 Baylor, which reached 6–0–0 with a 6–0 win over TCU, and No. 10 Fordham, which won at No. 15 North Carolina, 14–0, moved up to fourth and fifth place in the next Top Five, behind California, Alabama, and Pittsburgh.

## November

November 6 No. 1 California and Washington played to a 0–0 tie. In New Orleans, No. 2 Alabama beat No. 19 Tulane, 9–6. No. 3 Pittsburgh won at No. 12 Notre Dame, 21–6 to take the top spot in the next poll. No. 4 Baylor lost to unranked Texas, 9–6. No. 5 Fordham beat Purdue, 21–3. No. 9 Dartmouth, which beat Princeton 33–9, reached the next Top Five: No. 1 Pittsburgh, No. 2 California, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Fordham, and No. 5 Dartmouth.
November 13 No. 1 Pittsburgh defeated visiting No. 11 Nebraska, 13–7. In Portland, No. 2 California beat Oregon, 26–0. In Birmingham, No. 3 Alabama beat Georgia Tech, 7–0. No. 4 Fordham was idle. No. 5 Dartmouth and Cornell played to a 6–6 tie. No. 6 Yale returned to the Top Five with a 26–0 win over Princeton, ranking fifth behind Pittsburgh, California, Alabama, and Fordham.
November 20 No. 1 Pittsburgh beat Penn State, 28–7. No. 2 California won at No. 13 Stanford, 13–0, to finish at 9–0–1. No. 3 Alabama was idle. No. 4 Fordham beat St. Mary's, 6–0. No. 5 Yale lost its final game of the season, 13–6, at Harvard. No. 7 Minnesota closed its season with a 13–6 win over Wisconsin and moved up to fifth place behind Pittsburgh, California, Fordham, and Alabama.
On Thanksgiving Day, No. 4 Alabama beat No. 12 Vanderbilt 9–7 in Nashville. Then, on November 27 No. 1 Pittsburgh closed its season unbeaten (8–0–1) with a 10–0 win at No. 18 Duke. No. 3 Fordham closed its season unbeaten (7–0–1) with a 20–7 win over NYU at Yankee Stadium. No. 2 California and No. 5 Minnesota had completed their seasons, and the top five remained unchanged from the previous week.

## Conference standings
### Major conference standings

1937 Big Six Conference football standings :
| 1937 Big Six Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Nebraska $ 3 –0 –26 –1 –2 Oklahoma 3 –1 –15 –2 –2 Kansas 2 –1 –23 –4 –2 Missouri 2 –2 –13 –6 –1 Iowa State 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Kansas State 1 –4 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1937 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Minnesota $ 5 –0 –06 –2 –0 No. 13 Ohio State 5 –1 –06 –2 –0 Indiana 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Michigan 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Northwestern 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Purdue 2 –2 –14 –3 –1 Wisconsin 2 –2 –14 –3 –1 Illinois 2 –3 –03 –3 –2 Chicago 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 Iowa 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1937 Border Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Texas Tech $ 3 –0 –08 –4 –0 New Mexico A&M 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Arizona 3 –1 –08 –2 –0 Texas Mines 2 –1 –17 –1 –2 New Mexico 2 –3 –14 –4 –1 Arizona State–Flagstaff 1 –4 –05 –5 –0 Arizona State 0 –5 –00 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Pacific Coast Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 California $ 6 –0 –110 –0 –1 Stanford 4 –2 –14 –3 –2 Washington 4 –2 –27 –2 –2 Washington State 3 –3 –23 –3 –3 Idaho 2 –2 –04 –3 –1 Oregon State 2 –3 –33 –3 –3 USC 2 –3 –24 –4 –2 Oregon 2 –5 –04 –6 –0 UCLA 1 –5 –12 –6 –1 Montana 0 –1 –07 –1 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1937 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Colorado $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –0 BYU 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Denver 5 –2 –06 –3 –0 Utah 5 –2 –05 –3 –0 Western State (CO) 3 –1 –05 –3 –0 Colorado College 3 –3 –05 –4 –0 Utah State 2 –4 –12 –4 –2 Wyoming 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Colorado State–Greeley 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Montana State 0 –3 –13 –4 –1 Colorado Mines 1 –5 –02 –5 –0 Colorado A&M 1 –6 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1937 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConfOverall Team W L W L  No. 4 Alabama $ 6 –0 –09 –1 –0 No. 8 LSU 5 –1 –09 –2 –0 Auburn 4 –1 –26 –2 –3 Vanderbilt 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Mississippi State 3 –2 –05 –4 –1 Georgia Tech 3 –2 –16 –3 –1 Tennessee 4 –3 –06 –3 –1 Florida 3 –4 –04 –7 –0 Tulane 2 –3 –15 –4 –1 Georgia 1 –2 –26 –3 –2 Ole Miss 0 –4 –04 –5 –1 Kentucky 0 –5 –04 –6 –0 Sewanee 0 –6 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Southern Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Maryland $ 2 –0 –08 –2 –0 No. 19 North Carolina 4 –0 –17 –1 –1 Clemson 2 –0 –14 –4 –1 No. 20 Duke 5 –1 –07 –2 –1 VMI 4 –2 –05 –5 –0 NC State 4 –2 –15 –3 –1 South Carolina 2 –2 –15 –6 –1 Washington and Lee 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 The Citadel 2 –3 –07 –4 –0 Richmond 2 –3 –05 –4 –1 Furman 1 –2 –24 –3 –2 VPI 2 –4 –05 –5 –0 William & Mary 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Wake Forest 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Davidson 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1937 Southwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 18 Rice $ 4 –1 –16 –3 –2 No. 16 TCU 3 –1 –24 –4 –2 No. T–14 Arkansas 3 –2 –16 –2 –2 Baylor 3 –3 –07 –3 –0 Texas A&M 2 –2 –25 –2 –2 SMU 2 –4 –05 –6 –0 Texas 1 –5 –02 –6 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |

### Independents

1937 Eastern college football independents records :
| 1937 Eastern college football independents records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Pittsburgh   –  9 –0 –1 No. 6 Villanova   –  8 –0 –1 No. 3 Fordham   –  7 –0 –1 No. 7 Dartmouth   –  7 –0 –2 No. T–14 Holy Cross   –  8 –0 –2 St. Thomas (PA)   –  6 –1 –1 No. 12 Yale   –  6 –1 –1 Army   –  7 –2 –0 Boston University   –  6 –2 –0 Cornell   –  5 –2 –1 Harvard   –  5 –2 –1 Syracuse   –  5 –2 –1 CCNY   –  5 –2 –0 No. 12 Manhattan   –  6 –3 –1 Penn State   –  5 –3 –0 Duquesne   –  6 –4 –0 Brown   –  5 –4 –0 NYU   –  5 –4 –0 Temple   –  3 –2 –4 Boston College   –  4 –4 –1 Bucknell   –  3 –3 –2 Buffalo   –  4 –4 –0 Princeton   –  4 –4 –0 Tufts   –  3 –4 –1 Colgate   –  3 –5 –0 Columbia   –  2 –5 –2 Hofstra   –  2 –4 –0 Carnegie Tech   –  2 –5 –1 Penn   –  2 –5 –1 Providence   –  2 –6 –0 Vermont   –  2 –6 –0 La Salle   –  2 –7 –0 Massachusetts State   –  1 –7 –1 Rankings from AP Poll | 1937 Midwestern college football independents records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Michigan State   –  8 –2 –0 Akron   –  7 –2 –0 Central Michigan   –  6 –2 –0 DePaul   –  5 –1 –2 Wayne   –  6 –2 –0 No. T–9 Notre Dame   –  6 –2 –1 Detroit   –  7 –3 –0 Michigan State Normal   –  5 –2 –1 Western State Teachers (MI)   –  5 –3 –0 Xavier   –  4 –5 –1 Marquette   –  3 –6 –0 Haskell   –  2 –7 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1937 Southern college football independents records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Delaware State   –  1 –0 –0 Hardin–Simmons   –  8 –0 –1 West Virginia   –  8 –1 –1 Catholic University   –  5 –3 –0 William & Mary Norfolk   –  5 –3 –0 Roanoke   –  6 –4 –0 Navy   –  4 –4 –1 George Washington   –  3 –4 –1 Georgetown   –  2 –4 –2 Oglethorpe   –  3 –6 –1 Western Maryland   –  3 –6 –0 East Carolina   –  2 –5 –0 Loyola (LA)   –  2 –6 –1 Virginia   –  2 –7 –0 South Georgia Teachers   –  2 –9 –0 Delaware   –  1 –7 –0 Oklahoma City   –  1 –9 –0 Jacksonville State   –  0 –5 –0 |
| 1937 Western college football independents records vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T No. T–9 Santa Clara   –  9 –0 –0 San Jose State   –  11 –2 –1 Pomona   –  6 –2 –1 Humboldt State   –  4 –2 –0 Idaho Southern Branch   –  6 –3 –0 Cal Poly   –  4 –2 –2 Portland   –  4 –3 –1 Saint Mary's   –  4 –3 –2 San Francisco   –  4 –5 –1 Loyola (CA)   –  4 –7 –0 Gonzaga   –  2 –6 –2 Hawaii   –  2 –6 –0 San Francisco State   –  1 –6 –1 Rankings from AP Poll |

### Minor conferences

| Conference | Champion(s) | Record |
| Alamo Conference | Texas A&I | — |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | Morgan College | 6–0 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Wichita | 4–0 |
| Eastern Pennsylvania Conference | Drexel | 3–1 |
| Far Western Conference | Fresno State Normal | 4–0 |
| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference | Butler | 3–0 |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Saint Ambrose Upper Iowa | 5–0 6–0 |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Baker | 4–1 |
| Lone Star Conference | East Texas State Teachers | 4–0 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kalamazoo | 4–0 |
| Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference | Ferris State Lawrence Technological University | – |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Cornell College | 7–0 |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Gustavus Adolphus | 5–0 |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Southeast Missouri State Teachers | 5–0 |
| Nebraska College Athletic Conference | Hastings | 2–0–1 |
| Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Nebraska State Teachers–Chadron | 2–0 |
| North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | North Dakota | 3–0 |
| North Dakota College Athletic Conference | North Dakota Science | 4–0–1 |
| Northern Teachers Athletic Conference | St. Cloud State Teachers | 4–0 |
| Northern Teachers Athletic Conference | Duluth State Teachers | 3–0 |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Baldwin Wallace | 4–0 |
| Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference | Central State Teachers (OK) | 5–0–1 |
| Pacific Northwest Conference | Willamette | 3–0 |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | Lock Haven State Teachers | 5–0–1 |
| South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference | Augustana (SD) | 4–0 |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | San Diego State | 4–1 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Florida A&M College | 5–0–1 |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Texas College | 5–0–1 |
| Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Howard Payne | 7–0 |
| Tri-Normal Conference | Eastern Washington | 2–0 |
| Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference | North: Superior State Teachers South: Whitewater State Teachers | 3–0 4–0 |

### Minor conference standings

1937 Alamo Conference football standings :
| 1937 Alamo Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T St. Mary's (TX) + 1 –0 –17 –2 –2 Texas A&I + 1 –0 –14 –3 –1 Sul Ross 0 –2 –02 –4 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1937 Buckeye Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Marshall $ 4 –0 –19 –0 –1 Dayton 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Ohio 3 –1 –15 –3 –1 Miami (OH) 2 –3 –04 –4 –1 Ohio Wesleyan 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Cincinnati 0 –5 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wichita $ 4 –0 –07 –3 –0 Emporia State 3 –1 –05 –2 –2 Fort Hays State 2 –2 –06 –2 –1 Pittsburg State 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Southwestern (KS) 0 –4 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Morgan $ 6 –0 –07 –0 –0 Virginia Union 7 –2 –07 –2 –0 Virginia State 7 –1 –08 –1 –0 Lincoln (PA) 3 –2 –16 –2 –1 Johnson C. Smith 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Bluefield State 1 –3 –21 –5 –3 Howard 2 –2 –03 –2 –1 North Carolina College 3 –3 –13 –4 –1 North Carolina A&T 2 –4 –22 –4 –3 Hampton 3 –4 –03 –6 –0 Saint Paul's (VA) 2 –5 –02 –5 –0 Shaw 0 –6 –01 –6 –0 St. Augustine's 0 –4 –00 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Dixie Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Birmingham–Southern $ 6 –1 –06 –2 –0 Howard (AL) 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Southwestern (TN) 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Mississippi College 2 –1 –13 –6 –1 Chattanooga 2 –3 –04 –3 –2 Loyola (LA) 1 –2 –02 –6 –1 Millsaps 1 –3 –13 –5 –2 Mercer 0 –3 –04 –5 –0 Spring Hill 0 –5 –01 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Drexel $ 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Franklin & Marshall 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Muhlenberg 2 –2 –05 –5 –0 Gettysburg 2 –2 –03 –5 –0 Ursinus 1 –3 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Far Western Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Fresno State $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –1 Pacific (CA) 3 –1 –03 –5 –2 Cal Aggies 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Nevada 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 Chico State 0 –4 –00 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Illinois College + 5 –0 –07 –2 –0 Bradley + 5 –0 –06 –3 –0 Illinois State Normal + 4 –0 –25 –1 –2 St. Viator 2 –0 –16 –2 –1 Monmouth (IL) 1 –0 –34 –1 –4 Augustana (IL) 4 –1 –15 –2 –1 Western Illinois 3 –1 –13 –4 –1 Knox (IL) 2 –1 –13 –4 –1 Illinois Wesleyan 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Northern Illinois State 3 –2 –13 –2 –3 Lake Forest 1 –1 –13 –1 –2 Wheaton (IL) 3 –3 –03 –5 –0 Shurtleff 1 –1 –01 –5 –0 Elmhurst 2 –3 –13 –3 –2 McKendree 2 –3 –13 –5 –1 Southern Illinois 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 North Central 1 –2 –31 –3 –3 Eastern Illinois 1 –4 –13 –4 –1 Carthage 1 –5 –01 –6 –0 Eureka 0 –6 –00 –6 –0 Millikin 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1937 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Butler $ 3 –0 –15 –2 –1 DePauw 7 –1 –07 –1 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 4 –1 –04 –2 –1 Ball State 5 –1 –15 –2 –1 Earlham 2 –1 –24 –1 –2 Hanover 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Valparaiso 4 –2 –04 –4 –0 Wabash 3 –2 –23 –3 –2 Franklin (IN) 3 –3 –13 –4 –1 Rose Poly 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Manchester 1 –3 –04 –3 –0 Indiana State 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Central Normal 1 –4 –11 –5 –1 Oakland City 0 –5 –00 –7 –0 Evansville 0 –7 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Iowa Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Upper Iowa + 6 –0 –06 –0 –0 St. Ambrose + 5 –0 –08 –0 –0 Dubuque 3 –1 –13 –4 –1 Luther 2 –1 –34 –1 –3 Buena Vista 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Parsons 3 –2 –15 –3 –1 Central (IA) 3 –2 –13 –5 –1 Columbia (IA) 2 –3 –14 –5 –1 Western Union 1 –2 –04 –4 –0 Iowa Wesleyan 2 –4 –13 –4 –2 Wartburg 0 –2 –11 –4 –2 Penn (IA) 0 –5 –11 –5 –1 Simpson (IA) 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1937 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Baker $ 4 –1 –05 –4 –0 Kansas Wesleyan 3 –2 –05 –3 –1 Bethany (KS) 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Ottawa 2 –2 –05 –2 –0 College of Emporia 1 –3 –02 –6 –0 McPherson 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T East Texas State $ 4 –0 –08 –2 –0 North Texas State 2 –1 –14 –4 –2 Southwest Texas State 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 Sam Houston State 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Stephen F. Austin 0 –3 –11 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Kalamazoo $ 4 –0 –07 –1 –0 Alma 2 –2 –04 –4 –1 Hillsdale 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Albion 1 –3 –04 –4 –0 Hope 1 –3 –03 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Middle Atlantic Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Bordentown $ 4 –0 –1 ? – ? – ? Cheyney 1 –0 –21 –3 –3 Storer 3 –1 –1 ? – ? – ? Princess Anne 2 –2 –0 ? – ? – ? Bowie 1 –4 –0 ? – ? – ? Downingtown 0 –4 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference championBordentown was declared by the conference champion based on the Dickinson System. | 1937 Middle Three Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lafayette $ 2 –0 –08 –0 –0 Rutgers 1 –1 –05 –4 –0 Lehigh 0 –2 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Midwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Cornell (IA) $ 7 –0 –09 –0 –0 Monmouth (IL) 2 –1 –24 –1 –4 Carleton 3 –2 –05 –3 –0 Coe 2 –2 –14 –3 –2 Ripon 1 –2 –12 –4 –1 Lawrence 1 –3 –12 –4 –1 Beloit 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Knox 0 –3 –13 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus $ 5 –0 –06 –0 –0 Concordia (MN) 3 –1 –03 –3 –0 Saint John's (MN) 2 –2 –05 –3 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 1 –1 –22 –3 –2 Hamline 1 –2 –13 –2 –2 Saint Mary's (MN) 1 –2 –11 –4 –2 Macalester 1 –4 –01 –5 –1 St. Olaf 0 –2 –21 –4 –2 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Tarkio + 2 –0 –14 –2 –2 William Jewell + 3 –0 –13 –3 –1 Culver–Stockton 1 –2 –05 –4 –0 Missouri Valley 1 –3 –03 –4 –1 Central (MO) 1 –3 –01 –6 –1 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1937 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Cape Girardeau $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Warrensburg 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 Missouri–Rolla 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Kirksville 1 –2 –21 –4 –2 Maryville (MO) 1 –3 –12 –5 –2 Springfield (MO) 0 –5 –00 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Missouri Valley Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Tulsa $ 3 –0 –06 –2 –2 Drake 4 –1 –08 –2 –0 Saint Louis 2 –1 –07 –2 –1 Oklahoma A&M 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Washington University 2 –2 –04 –6 –0 Grinnell 1 –3 –02 –6 –1 Creighton 1 –3 –02 –7 –0 Washburn 0 –3 –00 –10 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Nebraska College Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Hastings $ 2 –0 –16 –2 –1 Doane 2 –1 –06 –1 –1 Midland 1 –1 –15 –1 –2 Nebraska Wesleyan 0 –3 –02 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Chadron State $ 2 –0 –03 –3 –0 Kearney State 1 –1 –15 –3 –1 Wayne State (NE) 1 –1 –13 –5 –1 Peru State 0 –2 –02 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 New England Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T New Hampshire + 1 –0 –07 –1 –0 Connecticut State + 1 –0 –06 –2 –1 Maine 0 –1 –12 –3 –2 Rhode Island State 0 –2 –13 –4 –1 + – Conference co-champions | 1937 North Central Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T North Dakota $ 3 –0 –04 –4 –0 South Dakota 4 –1 –06 –4 –0 Morningside 2 –2 –14 –2 –2 North Dakota Agricultural 2 –2 –05 –4 –0 Iowa State Teachers 2 –2 –12 –4 –3 South Dakota State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Omaha 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Wahpeton $ 4 –0 –16 –0 –1 Minot State 4 –1 –14 –3 –1 Jamestown 3 –1 –14 –3 –1 Bottineau 3 –2 –03 –2 –0 Valley City State 2 –2 –22 –2 –3 Ellendale 1 –2 –21 –3 –2 Mayville State 0 –4 –10 –4 –1 Dickinson State 0 –5 –02 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Northern Teachers College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Duluth State $ 3 –0 –05 –2 –0 St. Cloud State 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Moorhead State 2 –1 –04 –3 –0 Bemidji State 2 –3 –03 –4 –0 Mankato State 1 –2 –01 –7 –0 Winona State 0 –4 –02 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 North State Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Appalachian State $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –1 Elon 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 Catawba 3 –2 –08 –2 –0 Lenoir Rhyne 2 –3 –04 –5 –2 Western Carolina 0 –3 –01 –6 –2 Guilford 0 –3 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Northwest Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Willamette $ 3 –0 –06 –3 –0 Pacific (OR) 3 –1 –14 –3 –1 Puget Sound 3 –2 –03 –4 –0 Whitman 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 College of Idaho 0 –2 –12 –5 –1 Albany (OR) 0 –3 –02 –4 –1 Linfield   –  3 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Baldwin–Wallace $ 4 –0 –06 –2 –0 Case 4 –1 –06 –2 –1 Marietta 4 –1 –04 –4 –0 Ohio Northern 4 –1 –24 –1 –3 Wooster 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 Muskingum 3 –2 –24 –3 –2 Heidelberg 4 –3 –14 –4 –1 Mount Union 2 –2 –23 –3 –3 Kent State 3 –3 –13 –4 –1 Kenyon 1 –1 –12 –4 –1 Capital 3 –4 –04 –4 –0 Bowling Green 2 –3 –13 –4 –1 Oberlin 1 –2 –12 –3 –3 John Carroll 1 –2 –03 –5 –0 Wittenberg 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Ashland 2 –5 –02 –6 –0 Findlay 1 –4 –13 –4 –1 Otterbein 1 –6 –02 –6 –0 Toledo 0 –0 –06 –3 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Central State (OK) $ 5 –0 –16 –2 –2 Oklahoma Baptist 4 –1 –16 –4 –1 Northeastern State 2 –2 –23 –3 –3 SW Oklahoma State 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 NW Oklahoma State 2 –2 –22 –5 –2 East Central 2 –4 –02 –6 –1 SE Oklahoma State 0 –6 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Pennsylvania State Teachers Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Lock Haven $ 4 –0 –16 –0 –2 Indiana (PA) 6 –1 –16 –1 –1 Mansfield 4 –1 –03 –2 –0 Shippensburg 3 –1 –25 –1 –2 West Chester 2 –1 –06 –3 –1 Clarion 2 –1 –03 –3 –0 Kutztown 1 –2 –04 –2 –1 California (PA) 1 –2 –14 –3 –1 Bloomsburg 2 –4 –03 –4 –0 Millersville 0 –3 –03 –4 –0 Slippery Rock 0 –3 –03 –6 –0 East Stroudsburg 0 –3 –02 –6 –0 Edinboro 0 –3 –10 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Carson–Newman $ 6 –0 –17 –1 –1 Appalachian State 4 –0 –18 –2 –1 Maryville (TN) 4 –1 –05 –2 –1 East Tennessee State Teachers 4 –4 –04 –5 –0 King 2 –3 –14 –6 –1 Milligan 2 –3 –05 –3 –1 Cumberland (TN) 1 –4 –02 –6 –1 Tusculum 0 –5 –20 –5 –3 Western Carolina 0 –3 –11 –6 –2 $ – Conference champion | 1937 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Augustana (SD) $ 4 –0 –08 –0 –0 South Dakota Mines 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Southern Normal 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Yankton 4 –2 –04 –2 –1 Northern Normal 3 –2 –04 –5 –0 Dakota Wesleyan 1 –2 –03 –4 –0 Sioux Falls 1 –3 –04 –4 –0 Spearfish 1 –4 –02 –5 –0 Huron 1 –5 –01 –6 –1 Eastern Normal 0 –3 –01 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Southern California Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T San Diego State $ 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 Santa Barbara State 3 –1 –15 –2 –2 Redlands 2 –1 –23 –3 –2 Whittier 2 –2 –12 –6 –2 Occidental 1 –2 –22 –2 –3 La Verne 0 –5 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Murray State $ 6 –0 –18 –1 –1 Erskine 5 –0 –06 –4 –0 Centre 3 –0 –06 –2 –1 Western Kentucky State Teachers 3 –0 –17 –1 –1 Centenary 1 –0 –26 –3 –3 Miami (FL) 1 –0 –04 –4 –1 Morehead State 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 Louisiana Tech 3 –1 –26 –3 –2 Louisiana Normal 3 –1 –14 –4 –1 Middle Tennessee State Teachers 2 –1 –16 –1 –1 Mississippi State Teachers 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 Union (KY) 2 –1 –04 –3 –0 Eastern Kentucky State Teachers 3 –2 –15 –2 –1 Rollins 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 Oglethorpe 3 –3 –03 –6 –1 SW Louisiana 2 –3 –14 –3 –1 Stetson 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Mississippi College 2 –3 –13 –6 –1 Wofford 2 –3 –02 –7 –0 Newberry 2 –3 –02 –8 –0 Transylvania 2 –4 –03 –5 –0 Louisiana College 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Millsaps 1 –3 –23 –5 –2 Georgetown (KY) 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Louisville 1 –3 –12 –5 –1 Troy State 1 –3 –02 –7 –2 Tennessee Tech 1 –5 –13 –5 –1 West Tennessee State Teachers 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 Presbyterian 0 –3 –00 –10 –0 Union (TN) 0 –5 –11 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Texas College $ 5 –0 –18 –0 –1 Arkansas AM&N 3 –0 –37 –0 –3 Prairie View 4 –2 –07 –4 –0 Langston 3 –3 –03 –4 –1 Wiley 2 –3 –15 –5 –1 Southern 1 –4 –14 –4 –1 Bishop 0 –6 –01 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1937 Texas Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Howard Payne $ 7 –0 –08 –1 –1 Austin 6 –1 –08 –2 –0 McMurry 5 –2 –07 –2 –1 Texas Wesleyan 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Daniel Baker 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 Southwestern (TX) 2 –4 –06 –5 –0 Trinity (TX) 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 St. Edward's 1 –5 –02 –8 –0 Abilene Christian 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 Tri-Normal Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Eastern Washington $ 2 –0 –06 –1 –0 Western Washington 1 –1 –04 –2 –1 Central Washington 0 –2 –03 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1937 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Potomac State + 4 –0 –04 –0 –0 Glenville State + 4 –0 –04 –2 –0 Concord 3 –1 –15 –2 –1 Morris Harvey 3 –4 –05 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|West Liberty State]] 2 –3 –14 –1 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Fairmont State]] 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Salem]] 0 –5 –20 –6 –2 Marshall * 2 –0 –09 –0 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Davis & Elkins]] * 2 –0 –02 –6 –0 [[{{{school}}}|New River State]] * 2 –1 –05 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Bethany (WV)]] * 1 –2 –02 –6 –0 [[{{{school}}}|West Virginia Wesleyan]] * 1 –2 –01 –7 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Shepherd]] * 0 –2 –12 –4 –1 + – Conference co-champions * – Did not qualify for conference standings Ties did not count in conference standings. |
| 1937 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings vteConfOverall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division [[{{{school}}}|Superior State]] x 3 –0 –06 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|La Crosse State]] 2 –0 –14 –2 –1 [[{{{school}}}|River Falls State]] 1 –2 –14 –2 –2 [[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]] 1 –2 –12 –4 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Stout Institute]] 0 –3 –10 –6 –1 Southern Division [[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]] x 4 –0 –06 –0 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]] 3 –1 –03 –3 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Platteville State]] 1 –2 –13 –4 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]] 1 –2 –12 –3 –2 [[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]] 0 –4 –00 –7 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions |

## Awards and honors
### All-Americans

The consensus All-America team included:
| Position | Name | Height | Weight (lbs.) | Class | Hometown | Team |
| QB | Clint Frank | 5'10" | 190 | Sr. | Evanston, Illinois | Yale |
| HB | Marshall Goldberg | 5'11" | 185 | Jr. | Elkins, West Virginia | Pittsburgh |
| HB | Byron White | 6'1" | 185 | Sr. | Wellington, Colorado | Colorado |
| FB | Sam Chapman | 6'0" | 180 | Sr. | Mill Valley, California | California |
| E | Chuck Sweeney | 6'0" | 190 | Sr. | Bloomington, Indiana | Notre Dame |
| T | Ed Franco | 5'8" | 196 | Sr. | Jersey City, New Jersey | Fordham |
| G | Joe Routt | 6'0" | 193 | Sr. | Brenham, Texas | Texas A&M |
| C | Alex Wojciechowicz | 5'11" | 192 | Sr. | South River, New Jersey | Fordham |
| G | Leroy Monsky | 5'10" | 185 | Sr. | Montgomery, Alabama | Alabama |
| T | Tony Matisi | 6'0" | 224 | Sr. | New York, New York | Pittsburgh |
| E | Andy Bershak | 6'0" | 190 | Sr. | Clairton, Pennsylvania | North Carolina |

### Individual leaders

* Rushing yards (total): Byron White, Colorado, 1,121 yards
* Rushing yards (per carry): Dick Cassiano, Pittsburgh, 9.0 yards/carry
* Passing yards (total): Billy Patterson, Baylor, 1,109 yards
* Receiving yards (total): Jim Benton, Arkansas, 814 yards
* Points scored: Byron White, Colorado, 122 points
* Punting: Johnny Pingel, Michigan State, 42.9 yards/punt

### Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | Total |
| Clint Frank | Yale | HB/QB | 524 |
| Byron White | Colorado | HB | 264 |
| Marshall Goldberg | Pittsburgh | HB | 211 |
| Alex Wojciechowicz | Fordham | C | 85 |

## Bowl games

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Rose Bowl | No. 2 California | 13 | No. 4 Alabama | 0 |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 9 Santa Clara | 6 | No. 8 LSU | 0 |
| Orange Bowl | Auburn | 6 | Michigan State | 0 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | No. 18 Rice | 28 | No. 17 Colorado | 14 |
| Sun Bowl | West Virginia | 7 | Texas Tech | 6 |
| Charity Bowl | Fresno State | 27 | Arkansas State Teachers | 26 |