# 1940 college football season

The 1940 college football season was the 72nd season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs.
The teams ranked highest in the final Associated Press poll in December 1940 were:
* 1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team - Led by head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an 8–0 record, won the Big Ten championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 154 to 71. Halfback George Franck was a consensus All-American and placed third in the Heisman Trophy voting. Quarterback Bob Paffrath was selected as the team's most valuable player. Minnesota was selected as national champions by the Associated Press (AP) poll.
* 1940 Stanford Indians football team - Led by head coach Clark Shaughnessy, the Indians compiled a perfect 10–0 record, including a victory over No. 7 Nebraska in the 1941 Rose Bowl. The final AP poll was conducted before the Rose Bowl with Stanford receiving 44 first place votes, narrowly trailing Minnesota's 65 votes. Stanford was selected as national champions by the Poling System and Williamson System and retroactively by the Helms Athletic Foundation and Billingsley Report.
* 1940 Michigan Wolverines football team - Led by head coach Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines compiled a 7–1 record with its only loss coming against national champion Minnesota by a 7–6 score. Halfback Tom Harmon won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award and shared the backfield with quarterback Forest Evashevski and fullback Bob Westfall.
* 1940 Tennessee Volunteers football team - Led by head coach Robert Neyland, the Volunteers compiled a 10–0 record in the regular season but lost to Boston College in the 1941 Sugar Bowl. Tennessee was selected as national champions by the Dunkel System. Guard Bob Suffridge was a unanimous pick on the 1940 All-America team.
* 1940 Boston College Eagles football team - In their final season under head coach Frank Leahy, the Eagles compiled a perfect 11–0, including a 19–13 victory over No. 4 Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl. End Gene Goodreault was a consensus pick on the All-America team.
* 1940 Texas A&M Aggies football team - The Aggies compiled a 9–1 record and defeated Fordham in the 1941 Cotton Bowl Classic. Fullback John Kimbrough was a unanimous pick on the 1940 All-America team.
The year's statistical leaders included Al Ghesquiere of Detroit with 958 rushing yards, Johnny Knolla of Creighton with 1,420 yards of total offense, Johnny Supulski of Manhattan with 1,190 passing yards, Hank Stanton of Arizona with 820 receiving yards, and Tom Harmon with 117 points scored.

## Conference and program changes
### Conference changes

* One conference began play during 1940:
** New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference – an NCAA College Division and NAIA conference active through the 1962 season; later known as the Frontier Conference
* One conference played its final season in 1940:
** Alamo Conference – conference active since the 1936 season

### Membership changes

| School | 1939 Conference | 1940 Conference |
| Chicago Maroons | Big Ten | Dropped Program |
| Loyola (LA) Wolf Pack | Dixie | Dropped Program |
| St. Joseph's (PA) Hawks | Independent | Dropped Program |

## September

September 28 Defending champion Texas A&M beat Texas A&I (later the university's Kingsville campus), 26–0. Tennessee beat Mercer 49–0. USC and Washington State played to a 14–14 tie. Tulane lost to Boston College 27–7. Michigan won at California 41–0. Minnesota defeated Washington 19–14 in Minneapolis.

## October

October 5 In San Antonio, Texas A&M beat Tulsa 41–6. Tennessee beat Duke 13–0. Cornell beat Colgate 34–0. Northwestern won at Syracuse, 40–0. Minnesota beat Nebraska 13–7. Michigan beat Michigan State 21–14.
October 12 Cornell won at Army 45–0. In Los Angeles, Texas A&M beat UCLA 7–0. Tennessee beat Chattanooga 53–0. Northwestern beat Ohio State 6–3. Michigan won at Harvard 26–0. The top five in the year's first AP Poll were No. 1 Cornell, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Northwestern, and No. 5 Tennessee.
October 19 No. 1 Cornell beat Syracuse 33–6. No. 2 Texas A&M beat TCU 21–7. No. 3 Michigan beat Illinois 28–0. In Birmingham, No. 5 Tennessee beat Alabama, 27–12. No. 6 Notre Dame beat Carnegie Tech 61–0. The resulting AP Poll was No. 1 Cornell, No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Texas A&M, and No. 5 Tennessee. Despite a 27–7 win at Wisconsin, Northwestern fell from 4th to 7th; previous No. 7 Minnesota moved up one spot with a 13-7 win over No. 15 Ohio State in Columbus.
October 26 No. 1 Cornell beat Ohio State 21–7. No. 2 Notre Dame won at Illinois 26–0. No. 3 Michigan beat Pennsylvania 14–0. No. 4 Texas A&M won at Baylor 14–7. No. 5 Tennessee beat Florida 14–0. No. 6 Minnesota beat Iowa 34–6. Cornell, Notre Dame, and Michigan remained as the top three, followed by Minnesota and Texas A&M.

## November

November 2 No. 1 Cornell beat Columbia 27–0. No. 2 Notre Dame beat Army 7–0 at Yankee Stadium. No. 3 Michigan was idle. No. 4 Minnesota narrowly won at No. 8 Northwestern, 13–12. No. 5 Texas A&M beat Arkansas 17–0. No. 7 Tennessee beat LSU 28–0. The next AP Poll ranked Cornell, Minnesota, Michigan, Texas A&M, and Tennessee as the top five. Notre Dame fell from No. 2 to No. 7 after their close win over a weak Army team (the Cadets would finish 1-7-1).
November 9 No. 1 Cornell beat Yale 21–0, but dropped to second in the next poll. No. 2 Minnesota and No. 3 Michigan, both unbeaten (5–0–0), met in Minneapolis, with the Gophers winning by one point, 7–6. No. 4 Texas A&M won at No. 14 SMU 19–7. No. 5 Tennessee won at Rhodes College 41–0. No. 6 Stanford beat No. 11 Washington 20–10 to advance its record to 7–0–0. The resulting AP Poll was No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Cornell, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Stanford, and No. 5 Tennessee.
November 16 No. 1 Minnesota beat Purdue 33–6. No. 2 Cornell lost at Dartmouth 3–0 in the famous "Fifth Down" game. No. 3 Texas A&M beat Rice 25–0. No. 4 Stanford beat No. 19 Oregon State 28–14. No. 8 Boston College beat No. 9 Georgetown 19–18 to extend its record to 8–0–0. The next AP Poll featured No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Texas A&M, No. 3 Stanford, No. 4 Boston College, and No. 5 Cornell. Previous No. 5 Tennessee fell to No. 6 despite an 8-0-0 record and a 41–14 win over Virginia.
November 23 No. 1 Minnesota closed its season with a 22–13 win at Wisconsin. No. 2 Texas A&M and No. 3 Stanford were idle. No. 4 Boston College beat Auburn 33–7. No. 5 Cornell lost 22-20 to Pennsylvania. No. 7 Michigan won at Ohio State to close its season at 7–1–0 and moved into fifth place behind Minnesota, Texas A&M, Stanford, and Boston College.
On Thanksgiving Day No. 2 Texas A&M lost at Texas 7–0. On November 30 No. 3 Stanford closed its season with a 13–7 win at California, No. 4 Boston College defeated Holy Cross 7–0, and No. 6 Tennessee beat Vanderbilt 20–0. The top five of the final AP Poll were No. 1 Minnesota, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Michigan, No. 4 Tennessee, and No. 5 Boston College.

## Conference standings
### Major conference standings

1940 Big Six Conference football standings :
| 1940 Big Six Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 7 Nebraska $ 5 –0 –08 –2 –0 Oklahoma 4 –1 –06 –3 –0 Missouri 3 –2 –06 –3 –0 Iowa State 2 –3 –04 –5 –0 Kansas State 1 –4 –02 –7 –0 Kansas 0 –5 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1940 Big Ten Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 1 Minnesota $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 No. 3 Michigan 3 –1 –07 –1 –0 No. 8 Northwestern 4 –2 –06 –2 –0 Ohio State 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Wisconsin 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Iowa 2 –3 –04 –4 –0 Indiana 2 –3 –03 –5 –0 Purdue 1 –4 –02 –6 –0 Illinois 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1940 Border Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Arizona State $ 3 –0 –17 –2 –2 Arizona 3 –1 –07 –2 –0 Texas Mines 3 –1 –14 –4 –1 New Mexico 3 –2 –05 –4 –0 New Mexico A&M 1 –4 –03 –6 –0 Texas Tech 0 –1 –09 –1 –1 Arizona State–Flagstaff 0 –5 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Middle Three Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 19 Lafayette $ 2 –0 –09 –0 –0 Rutgers 1 –1 –05 –3 –0 Lehigh 0 –2 –02 –7 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1940 Mountain States Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Utah $ 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Denver 4 –1 –16 –2 –1 Colorado 4 –1 –15 –3 –1 BYU 2 –3 –12 –4 –2 Colorado A&M 1 –3 –23 –4 –2 Utah State 2 –4 –02 –5 –1 Wyoming 0 –5 –11 –7 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Pacific Coast Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 2 Stanford $ 7 –0 –010 –0 –0 No. 10 Washington 7 –1 –07 –2 –0 Oregon State 4 –3 –15 –3 –1 Washington State 3 –4 –24 –4 –2 Oregon 3 –4 –14 –4 –1 California 3 –4 –04 –6 –0 USC 2 –3 –23 –4 –2 Montana 1 –2 –04 –4 –1 UCLA 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Idaho 0 –4 –01 –7 –1 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |
| 1940 Southeastern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall Team W L W L  No. 4 Tennessee $ 5 –0 –010 –1 –0 No. 9 Mississippi State 4 –0 –110 –0 –1 Ole Miss 3 –1 –09 –2 –0 Alabama 4 –2 –07 –2 –0 Auburn 3 –2 –16 –4 –1 LSU 3 –3 –06 –4 –0 Georgia 2 –3 –15 –4 –1 Florida 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Kentucky 1 –2 –25 –3 –2 Tulane 1 –3 –05 –5 –0 Vanderbilt 1 –5 –13 –6 –1 Georgia Tech 1 –5 –03 –7 –0 Sewanee 0 –1 –03 –5 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1940 Southern Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Clemson $ 4 –0 –06 –2 –1 No. 18 Duke 4 –1 –07 –2 –0 Wake Forest 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 William & Mary 2 –1 –16 –2 –1 North Carolina 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Richmond 3 –2 –07 –3 –0 VMI 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 Furman 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Washington and Lee 1 –1 –12 –7 –1 VPI 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 NC State 3 –5 –03 –6 –0 Maryland 0 –1 –12 –6 –1 South Carolina 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Davidson 1 –5 –05 –5 –0 The Citadel 0 –4 –04 –5 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll | 1940 Southwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 6 Texas A&M $ 5 –1 –09 –1 –0 No. 16 SMU 5 –1 –08 –1 –1 Texas 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 Rice 4 –2 –07 –3 –0 TCU 2 –4 –03 –7 –0 Arkansas 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 Baylor 0 –6 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference championRankings from AP Poll |

### Independents

1940 Eastern college football independents records :
| 1940 Eastern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 5 Boston College   –  11 –0 –0 Duquesne   –  7 –1 –0 No. 14 Penn   –  6 –1 –1 Penn State   –  6 –1 –1 No. 12 Fordham   –  7 –2 –0 No. 15 Cornell   –  6 –2 –0 La Salle   –  6 –2 –0 Princeton   –  5 –2 –1 Columbia   –  5 –2 –2 Brown   –  6 –3 –1 Bucknell   –  4 –2 –2 Boston University   –  5 –3 –0 Colgate   –  5 –3 –0 Hofstra   –  4 –3 –0 Harvard   –  3 –2 –3 Dartmouth   –  5 –4 –0 Temple   –  4 –4 –1 Tufts   –  4 –4 –0 Vermont   –  4 –4 –0 Villanova   –  4 –5 –0 Pittsburgh   –  3 –4 –1 Syracuse   –  3 –4 –1 Buffalo   –  3 –5 –0 Carnegie Tech   –  3 –5 –0 Manhattan   –  3 –6 –0 Providence   –  3 –6 –0 NYU   –  2 –7 –0 Yale   –  1 –7 –0 Army   –  1 –7 –1 CCNY   –  1 –5 –1 Massachusetts State   –  1 –8 –0 Rankings from AP Poll | 1940 Midwestern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Wayne   –  4 –1 –3 Detroit   –  7 –2 –0 Notre Dame   –  7 –2 –0 Xavier   –  7 –3 –0 Ohio   –  5 –2 –2 Dayton   –  6 –3 –0 Cincinnati   –  5 –3 –1 Wichita   –  6 –4 –0 Central Michigan   –  4 –3 –1 Marquette   –  4 –4 –0 Michigan State   –  3 –4 –1 Ohio Wesleyan   –  2 –4 –3 Akron   –  2 –5 –2 Western State Teachers (MI)   –  2 –5 –0 Michigan State Normal   –  1 –5 –1 Miami (OH)   –  0 –7 –1 | 1940 Southern college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 17 Hardin–Simmons   –  9 –0 –0 No. 13 Georgetown   –  8 –2 –0 Navy   –  6 –2 –1 Delaware   –  5 –3 –0 East Carolina   –  5 –3 –0 Western Maryland   –  5 –3 –0 George Washington   –  5 –3 –1 Catholic University   –  4 –3 –1 West Virginia   –  4 –4 –1 Virginia   –  4 –5 –0 Georgia Teachers   –  3 –5 –0 Roanoke   –  2 –6 –0 Oklahoma City   –  1 –7 –3 William & Mary Norfolk   –  0 –6 –0 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 1940 Western college football independents records vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T No. 11 Santa Clara   –  6 –1 –1 Cal Poly   –  6 –3 –0 Saint Mary's   –  5 –3 –0 Gonzaga   –  5 –4 –1 Nevada   –  4 –4 –1 Humboldt State   –  3 –4 –0 Idaho Southern Branch   –  3 –5 –0 San Francisco State   –  3 –5 –0 Loyola (CA)   –  3 –7 –0 Portland   –  2 –3 –1 Hawaii   –  2 –5 –0 San Francisco   –  1 –6 –1 La Verne   –  0 –6 –0 Rankings from AP Poll |

### Minor conferences

| Conference | Champion(s) | Record |
| Alamo Conference | West Texas State Teachers | 2–0 |
| California Collegiate Athletic Association | San Jose State | 3–0 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association | Morgan State College | 6–0–1 |
| Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | St. Benedict's (KS) | 4–0 |
| Far Western Conference | Pacific (OR) | 2–0 |
| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference | Butler Manchester College | 4–0 |
| Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Dubuque | 7–0 |
| Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Kansas Wesleyan | 5–1 |
| Lone Star Conference | North Texas State Teachers | 4–0 |
| Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Albion | 5–0 |
| Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference | Assumption (ON) DeSales (OH) Lawrence Tech | 3–1 3–1 3–1 |
| Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference | Beloit | 5–1–1 |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Gustavus Adolphus | 5–0 |
| Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Southwest Missouri State Teachers | 5–0 |
| Nebraska College Athletic Conference | Doane Hastings | 3–1 |
| Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Nebraska State Teachers | 2–0–1 |
| New Mexico Intercollegiate Conference | Western New Mexico | 3–0 |
| North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Iowa State Teachers | 5–0 |
| North Dakota College Athletic Conference | Mayville State | 6–0 |
| Northern Teachers Athletic Conference | St. Cloud State Teachers | 4–0 |
| Ohio Athletic Conference | Wittenberg | 6–0 |
| Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference | Oklahoma Baptist | 5–0–1 |
| Pacific Northwest Conference | Willamette | 4–0 |
| Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | Indiana State Teachers Millersville State Teachers | 7–1 4–0 |
| Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference | Colorado College | 2–0–1 |
| South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference | Northern State Teachers | 3–0 |
| Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Redlands | 3–0–1 |
| Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Morris Brown | 6–1 |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Langston Southern | 5–1 |
| Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference | Abilene Christian Howard Payne Texas Western | 5–1 |
| Washington Intercollegiate Conference | Pacific Lutheran | 4–0–1 |
| Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference | North: La Crosse Teachers South: Whitewater State Teachers | 4–0 4–0 |

### Minor conference standings

1940 Alamo Conference football standings :
| 1940 Alamo Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T West Texas State $ 2 –0 –07 –3 –0 Texas A&I 1 –1 –06 –3 –0 St. Mary's (TX) 0 –2 –04 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Bi-State Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Tillotson $ 3 –0 –07 –1 –0 Jarvis Christian 3 –1 –03 –4 –0 Louisiana Normal (Grambling) 1 –2 –02 –4 –2 Samuel Huston 0 –1 –0 ? – ? – ? Paul Quinn 0 –3 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion | 1940 California Collegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T San Jose State $ 3 –0 –011 –1 –0 Fresno State 1 –1 –19 –2 –1 San Diego State 1 –1 –15 –3 –1 Santa Barbara State 0 –3 –05 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Central Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T St. Benedict's $ 4 –0 –06 –4 –0 Emporia State 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Fort Hays State 1 –3 –03 –3 –3 Southwestern (KS) 1 –3 –03 –5 –1 Pittsburg State 1 –3 –03 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Morgan State $ 6 –0 –17 –0 –1 Johnson C. Smith 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Virginia Union 4 –2 –25 –2 –2 North Carolina A&T 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 North Carolina College 4 –2 –05 –2 –1 Bluefield State 2 –4 –12 –6 –1 Virginia State 2 –3 –23 –3 –2 Shaw 2 –4 –22 –4 –2 Hampton 3 –4 –13 –4 –1 Saint Paul's (VA) 2 –6 –02 –6 –0 Howard 1 –6 –01 –7 –0 Lincoln (PA) 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 St. Augustine's 0 –3 –02 –3 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Dixie Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Chattanooga + 3 –0 –17 –1 –1 Mississippi College + 3 –0 –15 –1 –1 Howard (AL) 4 –1 –04 –5 –0 Spring Hill 1 –3 –03 –5 –0 Southwestern (TN) 0 –1 –03 –5 –1 Millsaps 0 –3 –04 –4 –1 Mercer 0 –3 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1940 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Franklin & Marshall $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0 Muhlenberg 2 –1 –04 –6 –0 Gettysburg 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Drexel 1 –1 –02 –6 –0 Ursinus 0 –4 –01 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Far Western Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pacific (CA) $ 2 –0 –04 –5 –0 Cal Aggies 2 –1 –04 –4 –1 Chico State 1 –2 –03 –3 –1 Humboldt State 0 –2 –03 –4 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Illinois College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Lake Forest + 3 –0 –06 –0 –1 Illinois Wesleyan + 3 –0 –07 –1 –0 Augustana (IL) 2 –1 –14 –2 –2 Millikin 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Knox (IL) 1 –1 –04 –3 –1 Monmouth (IL) 0 –1 –10 –7 –2 North Central (IL) 1 –3 –04 –3 –0 Wheaton (IL) 0 –1 –01 –6 –1 Bradley 0 –2 –04 –4 –0 Illinois College 0 –3 –04 –4 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1940 Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Illinois State Normal $ 4 –0 –05 –3 –1 Carthage 2 –0 –05 –2 –1 Eastern Illinois 4 –1 –06 –1 –1 Northern Illinois State 2 –2 –06 –3 –0 Elmhurst 1 –2 –02 –5 –1 Western Illinois 0 –3 –11 –6 –1 Southern Illinois 0 –3 –12 –5 –1 Eureka 0 –2 –02 –5 –1 | 1940 Indiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Manchester + 4 –0 –05 –2 –1 Butler + 4 –0 –04 –4 –1 Evansville 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Rose Poly 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Saint Joseph's (IN) 3 –1 –04 –2 –1 Indiana State 2 –1 –05 –2 –1 Wabash 4 –2 –04 –4 –1 DePauw 3 –3 –03 –4 –0 Ball State 2 –3 –03 –4 –1 Valparaiso 2 –3 –03 –4 –1 Hanover 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 Earlham 1 –4 –11 –5 –1 Central Normal 0 –4 –10 –5 –1 Franklin (IN) 0 –7 –00 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1940 Iowa Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Dubuque $ 7 –0 –07 –1 –0 St. Ambrose * 2 –0 –18 –0 –1 Loras 4 –1 –16 –2 –2 Western Union 2 –1 –07 –1 –0 Central (IA) 5 –3 –06 –3 –0 Buena Vista 2 –2 –04 –3 –1 Parsons 3 –3 –14 –4 –1 Upper Iowa 3 –3 –03 –3 –0 Iowa Wesleyan 2 –3 –02 –6 –1 Luther 1 –3 –03 –4 –1 Simpson (IA) 1 –4 –11 –7 –1 Penn (IA) 1 –5 –02 –6 –0 Wartburg 0 –5 –00 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion * – ineligible for conference title |
| 1940 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Kansas Wesleyan $ 5 –0 –16 –1 –2 Baker 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Ottawa 3 –2 –14 –4 –1 Bethany (KS) 3 –3 –04 –5 –0 College of Emporia 2 –4 –02 –6 –1 McPherson 2 –4 –02 –7 –0 Bethel (KS) 1 –5 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Lone Star Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T North Texas State $ 4 –0 –06 –3 –0 Sam Houston State 3 –1 –08 –2 –0 East Texas State 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Stephen F. Austin 1 –3 –04 –5 –0 Southwest Texas State 0 –4 –03 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Southwestern Louisiana $ 4 –0 –06 –3 –1 Louisiana Normal 3 –1 –16 –3 –1 Louisiana Tech 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 Louisiana College 0 –2 –12 –5 –2 Centenary 0 –2 –03 –7 –0 Southeastern Louisiana 0 –3 –03 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Michigan-Ontario Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Lawrence Tech + 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Assumption (ON) + 3 –1 –0 ? – ? – ? DeSales (OH) + 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 St. Mary's (MI) 1 –3 –02 –3 –0 Ferris Institute 0 –4 –01 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1940 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Albion $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –0 Alma 4 –1 –05 –2 –0 Hope 2 –2 –13 –3 –1 Hillsdale 2 –2 –12 –4 –1 Adrian 1 –4 –01 –7 –0 Kalamazoo 0 –5 –01 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Midwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Beloit $ 5 –1 –15 –1 –1 Carleton 4 –1 –16 –1 –1 Grinnell 4 –2 –05 –4 –0 Cornell (IA) 4 –2 –16 –2 –1 Knox 3 –2 –14 –3 –1 Ripon 2 –3 –13 –4 –1 Coe 3 –5 –03 –5 –0 Lawrence 2 –5 –02 –5 –0 Monmouth (IL) 0 –6 –10 –7 –2 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Gustavus Adolphus $ 5 –0 –07 –1 –0 St. Thomas (MN) 4 –1 –05 –3 –0 Macalester 4 –1 –15 –1 –1 Saint Mary's (MN) 4 –2 –05 –3 –0 Saint John's (MN) 2 –3 –14 –3 –1 Concordia (MN) 2 –3 –04 –4 –1 Hamline 2 –4 –02 –4 –0 Augsburg 0 –4 –01 –5 –0 St. Olaf 0 –5 –00 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Missouri College Athletic Union football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Culver–Stockton $ 4 –0 –04 –2 –1 Central (MO) 2 –1 –12 –5 –1 Missouri Valley 2 –2 –02 –5 –1 William Jewell 1 –2 –11 –7 –1 Tarkio 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Springfield (MO) $ 5 –0 –010 –0 –0 Maryville (MO) 3 –2 –07 –2 –0 Missouri Mines 2 –2 –13 –3 –2 Warrensburg 2 –3 –05 –4 –0 Cape Girardeau 1 –3 –14 –5 –1 Kirksville 1 –4 –04 –4 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Missouri Valley Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Tulsa $ 4 –0 –07 –3 –0 Oklahoma A&M 4 –1 –06 –3 –1 Creighton 2 –2 –06 –2 –2 Drake 2 –2 –04 –5 –0 Saint Louis 2 –3 –03 –6 –0 Washington University 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Washburn 0 –4 –04 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Nebraska College Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Doane + 3 –0 –15 –2 –1 Hastings + 3 –0 –14 –4 –1 Midland 2 –2 –03 –6 –0 Nebraska Wesleyan 1 –3 –01 –7 –0 York (NE) 0 –4 –01 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1940 Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Peru State $ 2 –0 –17 –0 –2 Kearney State 2 –1 –07 –2 –0 Chadron State 1 –2 –05 –4 –0 Wayne State (NE) 0 –2 –14 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 New England Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T New Hampshire $ 2 –0 –05 –3 –0 Rhode Island State 2 –1 –05 –3 –0 Connecticut 1 –2 –04 –4 –0 Maine 1 –2 –01 –6 –0 Northeastern 0 –1 –02 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 North Central Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Iowa State Teachers $ 5 –0 –08 –1 –0 North Dakota 3 –1 –05 –4 –0 South Dakota 2 –1 –14 –5 –0 Morningside 2 –2 –13 –2 –2 South Dakota State 2 –3 –14 –3 –1 Omaha 1 –3 –12 –3 –2 North Dakota Agricultural 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 North Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Mayville State $ 5 –1 –05 –3 –0 Jamestown 3 –1 –14 –2 –1 Ellendale 2 –1 –22 –2 –2 Wahpeton 3 –2 –04 –3 –0 Dickinson State 3 –2 –13 –3 –1 Minot State 2 –4 –02 –4 –1 Valley City State 1 –3 –21 –4 –2 Bottineau 0 –5 –00 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 North State Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Catawba $ 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Elon 5 –1 –05 –2 –1 Lenoir Rhyne 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Appalachian State 2 –2 –06 –4 –0 High Point 2 –3 –05 –4 –1 Western Carolina 1 –4 –02 –5 –1 Guilford 0 –6 –00 –9 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Northern Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T St. Cloud State $ 4 –0 –05 –2 –0 Moorhead State 3 –1 –04 –3 –0 Bemidji State 3 –2 –04 –2 –1 Duluth State 2 –3 –02 –5 –0 Winona State 1 –3 –01 –4 –1 Mankato State 0 –4 –00 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Northwest Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Willamette $ 4 –0 –04 –5 –0 College of Idaho 2 –0 –24 –2 –2 Pacific (OR) 2 –1 –22 –4 –2 Puget Sound 2 –2 –13 –3 –1 Whitman 1 –3 –12 –4 –1 Linfield 0 –5 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Wittenberg $ 6 –0 –08 –0 –0 Kent State 4 –0 –08 –1 –0 Case 3 –0 –07 –1 –0 Muskingum 3 –1 –05 –2 –1 Heidelberg 5 –3 –05 –4 –0 Wooster 3 –2 –04 –3 –1 Capital 3 –2 –13 –3 –1 Ohio Northern 4 –3 –05 –3 –0 Toledo 1 –1 –06 –3 –0 Baldwin–Wallace 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 Bowling Green 2 –2 –13 –4 –1 Kenyon 1 –2 –12 –4 –1 Marietta 1 –2 –11 –5 –1 Findlay 1 –2 –04 –4 –0 Otterbein 1 –4 –03 –5 –0 Oberlin 0 –2 –04 –3 –0 Ashland 0 –3 –01 –4 –1 John Carroll 0 –3 –02 –6 –0 Mount Union 0 –6 –00 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Oklahoma Collegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Oklahoma Baptist $ 5 –0 –18 –2 –1 SW Oklahoma State 4 –2 –08 –2 –0 SE Oklahoma State 3 –2 –17 –2 –1 East Central 3 –2 –17 –2 –2 Central State (OK) 2 –2 –22 –5 –2 NW Oklahoma State 0 –4 –23 –6 –2 Northeastern State 0 –5 –10 –8 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Pennsylvania State Teachers Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Millersville + 4 –0 –07 –0 –0 Indiana (PA) + 7 –0 –17 –0 –1 West Chester 2 –0 –05 –2 –1 East Stroudsburg 4 –1 –07 –1 –0 Clarion 2 –1 –04 –3 –0 Slippery Rock 1 –1 –14 –3 –1 Kutztown 2 –2 –03 –5 –0 Shippensburg 2 –3 –23 –3 –2 Mansfield 2 –4 –03 –4 –0 California (PA) 1 –2 –01 –5 –0 Lock Haven 2 –5 –02 –7 –0 Bloomsburg 1 –6 –01 –6 –0 Edinboro 0 –5 –00 –7 –0 + – Conference co-champions |
| 1940 Rocky Mountain Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Colorado College $ 2 –0 –15 –2 –1 Colorado Mines 3 –1 –03 –4 –0 Montana State 2 –1 –04 –4 –0 Colorado State–Greeley 1 –3 –02 –5 –1 Western State (CO) 0 –3 –12 –6 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Smoky Mountain Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Milligan $ 5 –0 –09 –0 –0 Carson–Newman 4 –1 –04 –4 –0 East Tennessee State Teachers 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Maryville 2 –3 –05 –5 –0 Cumberland (TN) 1 –4 –01 –9 –0 Tusculum 0 –4 –01 –7 –0 $ – Conference champion | 1940 South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northern State $ 3 –0 –07 –2 –0 Spearfish 2 –0 –14 –2 –2 South Dakota Mines 1 –1 –12 –5 –1 Eastern Normal 1 –2 –01 –5 –0 Southern Normal 0 –4 –00 –8 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 Southern California Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Redlands $ 3 –0 –14 –4 –1 Pomona 3 –1 –04 –4 –0 Occidental 2 –2 –03 –4 –1 Whittier 1 –2 –12 –6 –1 Caltech 0 –4 –02 –5 –1 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Rollins $ 6 –0 –08 –1 –0 Newberry 4 –0 –07 –2 –1 Mississippi College 2 –0 –05 –1 –1 Eastern Kentucky 1 –0 –08 –0 –0 Western Kentucky State Teachers 4 –1 –17 –1 –1 Louisiana Normal 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 SW Louisiana 4 –1 –06 –3 –1 Union (TN) 3 –1 –06 –3 –0 Georgetown (KY) 2 –1 –05 –3 –2 Murray State 4 –2 –14 –3 –2 Centre 2 –1 –03 –6 –0 Miami (FL) 2 –1 –03 –7 –0 Presbyterian 5 –3 –06 –4 –0 Mississippi Southern 3 –2 –07 –4 –0 Louisiana Tech 3 –2 –06 –4 –0 West Tennessee State Teachers 4 –3 –05 –5 –0 Morehead State 1 –1 –23 –3 –2 Wofford 2 –2 –13 –4 –2 Middle Tennessee State Teachers 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Tampa 2 –4 –03 –6 –0 Oglethorpe 2 –4 –02 –6 –0 Tennessee Tech 1 –2 –02 –6 –0 Transylvania 1 –2 –15 –3 –1 Stetson 2 –5 –12 –5 –1 Troy State 1 –3 –03 –6 –0 Louisiana College 1 –4 –22 –5 –2 Union (KY) 0 –1 –15 –1 –1 Centenary 0 –2 –03 –7 –0 Louisville 0 –2 –03 –5 –1 Jacksonville State 0 –2 –03 –5 –0 Erskine 0 –5 –01 –8 –0 Delta State 0 –5 –10 –8 –2 $ – Conference champion | 1940 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Morris Brown $ 6 –1 –09 –1 –0 Alabama State 5 –2 –07 –2 –0 Florida A&M 5 –1 –06 –1 –3 Xavier (LA) 3 –3 –04 –4 –0 Tuskegee 4 –3 –05 –4 –0 Clark (GA) 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Lane 2 –2 –15 –3 –1 Knoxville 2 –3 –1 ? – ? – ? Morehouse 1 –5 –11 –6 –1 Benedict 1 –4 –1 ? – ? – ? South Carolina State 1 –5 –03 –6 –0 LeMoyne * 2 –1 –0 ? – ? – ? Talladega * 1 –2 –0 ? – ? – ? Fisk * 0 –3 –0 ? – ? – ? $ – Conference champion * Conference standings were based on the Dickinson System. Teams that played less than five conference games did not figure in final standings. |
| 1940 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Southern + 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Langston + 5 –1 –06 –3 –0 Prairie View 4 –2 –06 –3 –0 Texas College 3 –2 –14 –2 –1 Bishop 2 –4 –04 –4 –0 Wiley 1 –4 –13 –5 –1 Arkansas AM&N 0 –6 –03 –8 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1940 Texas Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Abilene Christian + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Texas Wesleyan + 5 –1 –07 –2 –0 Howard Payne + 5 –1 –06 –4 –0 Austin 3 –2 –0 ? – ? – ? Trinity (TX) 4 –3 –04 –5 –1 Southwestern (TX) 2 –5 –05 –6 –0 McMurry 1 –6 –01 –9 –0 Daniel Baker 0 –6 –00 –11 –0 + – Conference co-champions | 1940 Washington Intercollegiate Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Pacific Lutheran $ 4 –0 –08 –0 –0 Eastern Washington 3 –1 –06 –2 –0 Central Washington 2 –2 –04 –3 –0 Western Washington 1 –3 –03 –4 –0 Saint Martin's 0 –4 –01 –6 –0 $ – Conference champion |
| 1940 West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T West Liberty State $ 4 –0 –06 –2 –0 Concord 5 –1 –08 –1 –0 Morris Harvey 4 –1 –16 –3 –1 West Virginia Wesleyan 3 –2 –03 –5 –0 Bethany (WV) 2 –2 –06 –2 –0 Fairmont State 2 –4 –13 –4 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Glenville State]] 2 –4 –02 –5 –1 [[{{{school}}}|New River State]] 1 –2 –10 –2 –3 [[{{{school}}}|Potomac State]] 1 –4 –01 –8 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Salem]] 1 –6 –02 –8 –0 Marshall * 2 –0 –08 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Davis & Elkins]] * 1 –1 –11 –7 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Shepherd]] * 1 –2 –01 –5 –0 $ – Conference champion * – Did not qualify for conference standings Ties did not count in conference standings. | 1940 Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference football standings vteConf.Overall TeamW L TW L T Northern Division La Crosse State x 4 –0 –06 –0 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Superior State]] 3 –1 –06 –1 –0 [[{{{school}}}|River Falls State]] 2 –2 –04 –3 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stout Institute]] 0 –3 –11 –5 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Eau Claire State]] 0 –3 –10 –5 –3 Southern Division [[{{{school}}}|Whitewater State]] x 4 –0 –05 –2 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Stevens Point State]] 3 –1 –05 –2 –1 [[{{{school}}}|Milwaukee State]] 2 –2 –04 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Platteville State]] 1 –3 –01 –4 –0 [[{{{school}}}|Oshkosh State]] 0 –4 –01 –5 –0 x – Division champion/co-champions |

## Heisman Trophy voting

The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | Total |
| Tom Harmon | Michigan | HB | 1,303 |
| John Kimbrough | Texas A&M | FB | 841 |
| George Franck | Minnesota | HB | 102 |
| Frankie Albert | Stanford | QB | 90 |
| Paul Christman | Missouri | QB | 66 |

## Bowl games

| Bowl game | Winning team | Winning team | Losing team | Losing team |
| Rose Bowl | No. 2 Stanford | 21 | No. 7 Nebraska | 13 |
| Sugar Bowl | No. 5 Boston College | 19 | No. 4 Tennessee | 13 |
| Orange Bowl | No. 9 Mississippi State | 14 | No. 13 Georgetown | 7 |
| Cotton Bowl Classic | No. 6 Texas A&M | 20 | No. 12 Fordham | 12 |
| Sun Bowl | Western Reserve | 26 | Arizona State | 13 |