Which college football teams have won back-to-back titles?

ByKeith Jenkins ESPN logo
Saturday, September 7, 2024

Deciding a college football national champion was a complicated endeavor for decades. The sport implemented theCollege Football Playoff in 2014 to simplify the process.



Only one FBS team (Georgia) has won back-to-back national titles in the College Football Playoff era. Alabama and USC are the only teams that claimed back-to-back national championships during the Bowl Championship Series era that preceded it, beginning in 1998.



USC has a rightful claim to the 2003 title despite not playing in the Sugar Bowl (that season's designated national championship game). The Trojans were one of three one-loss teams vying for a spot in the title game but were held out despite finishing No. 1 in the Associated Press and coaches' polls. LSU and Oklahoma played for the national championship that year, with LSU winning the game. But USC remained in the top spot in the final AP poll after beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl. The NCAA recognizes LSU and USC as 2003 co-national champions.



USC won a second straight title in 2004, but that championship was vacated due to NCAA violations.



Fourteen teams can claim back-to-back national championships since the AP began naming a champion in 1936. Prior to 1936, five teams can claim at least a share of three straight national titles.



Here's a look at the major college football teams that have won consecutive national championships.



Georgia - 2021, 2022



Alabama - 2011, 2012



Nebraska - 1994, 1995



Alabama - 1978 (co-champion), 1979



Oklahoma - 1974 (co-champion), 1975



Nebraska - 1970 (co-champion), 1971



Texas- 1969, 1970 (co-champion)



Michigan State - 1965, 1966 (co-champion both seasons)



Alabama - 1964, 1965 (co-champion both seasons)



Oklahoma - 1955, 1956



Notre Dame - 1946, 1947



Army - 1944, 1945



Minnesota - 1940, 1941



Minnesota - 1934, 1935, 1936



USC - 1931, 1932



Notre Dame - 1929, 1930 (co-champion)



Alabama - 1925, 1926 (co-champion)



California - 1920, 1921 (co-champion), 1922 (co-champion)



Cornell - 1921 (co-champion), 1922 (co-champion)



Harvard - 1912 (co-champion), 1913



Michigan - 1901, 1902, 1903 (co-champion), 1904 (co-champion)



Harvard - 1898, 1899



Yale - 1891, 1892



Yale - 1886, 1887, 1888



Yale - 1880 (co-champion), 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884



Princeton - 1878, 1879, 1880 (co-champion)



Yale - 1876, 1877



Princeton - 1872, 1873



Princeton - 1869, 1870



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