NCAA Division I-A national football champions

Division I-A football is the only NCAA-sponsored sport without an organized tournament to determine its champion. It is also, ironically, the most popular NCAA sport and the one in which public interest in the "championship" is highest.

Related Topics:
Division I - Football - NCAA

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Over the years various polls and formulas have been used to determine a "mythical champion". For champions prior to 1936, retro polls and research were used to determine the champion of major college football. The method has evolved over the years, as have the polls being used.

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The tradition, and the controversy, is carried on today with the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), created for the 1998 season, and its predecessors—the Bowl Coalition from seasons 1992 to 1994, and the Bowl Alliance from seasons 1995 to 1997. The AP and coaches' polls, computer rankings, strength of schedule and performance against other top teams were combined into a formula, and the top two teams played in a championship game.

Related Topics:
Bowl Championship Series - 1998 - Bowl Coalition - Bowl Alliance - AP - Championship game

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In 2003, LSU won the BCS title game, giving them the BCS title and #1 in the coaches poll, while the sportswriters voted USC #1 in their AP poll. Consequently, for the 2004 season, the BCS formula was once again tweaked. For more detail, see the Bowl Championship Series article.

Related Topics:
LSU - BCS title game - USC - Bowl Championship Series

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The term Division I-A was not used until 1978, and before that the term 'major college champion' was often used. Below are some of the selectors:

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Media/Opinion Polls

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The Coaches' Poll, published by:

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