# List of NCAA college football rankings

The AP Poll and Coaches Poll are the two major polls used annually within the highest level of college football to determine the national championship. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes unofficially referred to as a "mythical national championship".
These polling systems began with the introduction of the AP poll in 1936, followed by the Coaches' Poll in 1950.
Currently, two widely recognized national champion selectors are the Associated Press, which conducts a poll of sportswriters, and the Coaches' Poll, a survey of active members of the American Football Coaches Association.
Until the 1968 NCAA University Division 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.

## NCAA Division I and FBS poll seasons (1936–present)

The AP Poll began with the 1936 college football season. The Coaches Poll began with the 1950 college football season and became the second major polling system. In 1978, Division I football was split into two distinct divisions and a second poll was added for the new Division I-AA.
| Poll season | Bowl season | Champion |
| 1936 | 1936–37 bowl season | Minnesota |
| 1937 | 1937–38 bowl season | Pittsburgh |
| 1938 | 1938–39 bowl season | Texas Christian |
| 1939 | 1939–40 bowl season | Texas A&M |
| 1940 | 1940–41 bowl season | Minnesota |
| 1941 | 1941–42 bowl season | Minnesota |
| 1942 | 1942–43 bowl season | Ohio State |
| 1943 | 1943–44 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1944 | 1944–45 bowl season | Army |
| 1945 | 1945–46 bowl season | Army |
| 1946 | 1946–47 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1947 | 1947–48 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1948 | 1948–49 bowl season | Michigan |
| 1949 | 1949–50 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1950 | 1950–51 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 1951 | 1951–52 bowl season | Tennessee |
| 1952 | 1952–53 bowl season | Michigan State |
| 1953 | 1953–54 bowl season | Maryland |
| 1954 | 1954–55 bowl season | Ohio State (AP), California, Los Angeles (Coaches) |
| 1955 | 1955–56 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 1956 | 1956–57 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 1957 | 1957–58 bowl season | Auburn (AP), Ohio State (Coaches) |
| 1958 | 1958–59 bowl season | Louisiana State |
| 1959 | 1959–60 bowl season | Syracuse |
| 1960 | 1960–61 bowl season | Minnesota |
| 1961 | 1961–62 bowl season | Alabama |
| 1962 | 1962–63 bowl season | Southern California |
| 1963 | 1963–64 bowl season | Texas |
| 1964 | 1964–65 bowl season | Alabama |
| 1965 | 1965–66 bowl season | Alabama (AP), Michigan State (Coaches) |
| 1966 | 1966–67 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1967 | 1967–68 bowl season | Southern California |
| 1968 | 1968–69 bowl season | Ohio State |
| 1969 | 1969–70 bowl season | Texas |
| 1970 | 1970–71 bowl season | Nebraska (AP), Texas (Coaches) |
| 1971 | 1971–72 bowl season | Nebraska |
| 1972 | 1972–73 bowl season | Southern California |
| 1973 | 1973–74 bowl season | Notre Dame (AP), Alabama (Coaches) |
| 1974 | 1974–75 bowl season | Oklahoma (AP), Southern California (Coaches) |
| 1975 | 1975–76 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 1976 | 1976–77 bowl season | Pittsburgh |
| 1977 | 1977–78 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1978 | 1978–79 bowl season | Alabama (AP), Southern California (Coaches) |
| 1979 | 1979–80 bowl season | Alabama |
| 1980 | 1980–81 bowl season | Georgia |
| 1981 | 1981–82 bowl season | Clemson |
| 1982 | 1982–83 bowl season | Pennsylvania State |
| 1983 | 1983–84 bowl season | Miami (FL) |
| 1984 | 1984–85 bowl season | Brigham Young |
| 1985 | 1985–86 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 1986 | 1986–87 bowl season | Pennsylvania State |
| 1987 | 1987–88 bowl season | Miami (FL) |
| 1988 | 1988–89 bowl season | Notre Dame |
| 1989 | 1989–90 bowl season | Miami (FL) |
| 1990 | 1990–91 bowl season | Colorado (AP), Georgia Tech (Coaches) |
| 1991 | 1991–92 bowl season | Miami (FL) (AP), Washington (Coaches) |
| 1992 | 1992–93 bowl season | Alabama |
| 1993 | 1993–94 bowl season | Florida State |
| 1994 | 1994–95 bowl season | Nebraska |
| 1995 | 1995–96 bowl season | Nebraska |
| 1996 | 1996–97 bowl season | Florida |
| 1997 | 1997–98 bowl season | Michigan (AP), Nebraska (Coaches) |
| 1998 | 1998–99 bowl season | Tennessee |
| 1999 | 1999–2000 bowl season | Florida State |
| 2000 | 2000–01 bowl season | Oklahoma |
| 2001 | 2001–02 bowl season | Miami (FL) |
| 2002 | 2002–03 bowl season | Ohio State |
| 2003 | 2003–04 bowl season | Southern California (AP), Louisiana State (Coaches) |
| 2004 | 2004–05 bowl season | Southern California |
| 2005 | 2005–06 bowl season | Texas |
| 2006 | 2006–07 bowl season | Florida |
| 2007 | 2007–08 bowl season | Louisiana State |
| 2008 | 2008–09 bowl season | Florida |
| 2009 | 2009–10 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2010 | 2010–11 bowl season | Auburn |
| 2011 | 2011–12 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2012 | 2012–13 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2013 | 2013–14 bowl season | Florida State |
| 2014 | 2014–15 bowl season | Ohio State |
| 2015 | 2015–16 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2016 | 2016–17 bowl season | Clemson |
| 2017 | 2017–18 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2018 | 2018–19 bowl season | Clemson |
| 2019 | 2019–20 bowl season | Louisiana State |
| 2020 | 2020–21 bowl season | Alabama |
| 2021 | 2021–22 bowl season | Georgia |
| 2022 | 2022–23 bowl season | Georgia |
| 2023 | 2023–24 bowl season | Michigan |

## NCAA Division I FCS poll seasons (1978–present)

NCAA Division I football was divided into Division I-A and Division I-AA beginning with the inaugural 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season, initially serving as a voluntary designation and later formalized with specific criteria in 1981. This split allowed independent polling of both divisions in the 1978 season. In 2006, Division I-AA was renamed as Division I FCS.
| Poll season | FCS season | Playoff Champion |
| 1978 | 1978 season | Florida A&M |
| 1979 | 1979 season | Eastern Kentucky |
| 1980 | 1980 season | Boise State |
| 1981 | 1981 season | Idaho State |
| 1982 | 1982 season | Eastern Kentucky |
| 1983 | 1983 season | Southern Illinois |
| 1984 | 1984 season | Montana State |
| 1985 | 1985 season | Georgia Southern |
| 1986 | 1986 season | Georgia Southern |
| 1987 | 1987 season | Northeast Louisiana |
| 1988 | 1988 season | Furman |
| 1989 | 1989 season | Georgia Southern |
| 1990 | 1990 season | Georgia Southern |
| 1991 | 1991 season | Youngstown State |
| 1992 | 1992 season | Marshall |
| 1993 | 1993 season | Youngstown State |
| 1994 | 1994 season | Youngstown State |
| 1995 | 1995 season | Montana |
| 1996 | 1996 season | Marshall |
| 1997 | 1997 season | Youngstown State |
| 1998 | 1998 season | Massachusetts |
| 1999 | 1999 season | Georgia Southern |
| 2000 | 2000 season | Georgia Southern |
| 2001 | 2001 season | Montana |
| 2002 | 2002 season | Western Kentucky |
| 2003 | 2003 season | Delaware |
| 2004 | 2004 season | James Madison |
| 2005 | 2005 season | Appalachian State |
| 2006 | 2006 season | Appalachian State |
| 2007 | 2007 season | Appalachian State |
| 2008 | 2008 season | Richmond |
| 2009 | 2009 season | Villanova |
| 2010 | 2010 season | Eastern Washington |
| 2011 | 2011 season | North Dakota State |
| 2012 | 2012 season | North Dakota State |
| 2013 | 2013 season | North Dakota State |
| 2014 | 2014 season | North Dakota State |
| 2015 | 2015 season | North Dakota State |
| 2016 | 2016 season | James Madison |
| 2017 | 2017 season | North Dakota State |
| 2018 | 2018 season | North Dakota State |
| 2019 | 2019 season | North Dakota State |
| 2020 | 2020 season | Sam Houston State |