1916 college football season
The 1916 college football season had no very clear cut champion, with the Official NCAA Division I Football Records Book listing Army and Pittsburgh as national champions. Only Pittsburgh claims a national championship for the 1916 season. Georgetown led the nation in scoring with 464 points.
Conference changes
- Two conferences began play in 1916:
- * Pacific Coast Conference – a precursor to the modern Pac-12 Conference; four founding members from California, Oregon, and Washington.
- * Nebraska Intercollegiate Conference – an NAIA conference active through the 1976 season
- One conference played its final season in 1916:
- * Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Association – active since the 1914 season; several members subsequently joined the Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, an active NAIA conference now known as the River States Conference
Membership changes
Large scores
defeated Cumberland 222 to 0. Sewanee also beat Cumberland 107 to 0.Rose Bowl
defeated Penn, 14–0, in the 1917 Rose Bowl.Conference standings
Major conference standings
Independents
Minor conferences
Minor conference standings
Awards and honors
All-Americans
The consensus All-America team included:| Position | Name | Height | Weight | Class | Hometown | Team |
| QB | Ockie Anderson | 5'9" | 165 | Sr. | Erie, Pennsylvania | Colgate |
| HB | Chic Harley | 5'11" | 171 | So. | Chicago, Illinois | Ohio State |
| HB | Fritz Pollard | 5'9" | 165 | Sr. | Chicago, Illinois | Brown |
| FB | Elmer Oliphant | 5'7" | 180 | Jr. | Bloomfield, Indiana | Army |
| E | Bert Baston | 6'1" | 170 | Sr. | St. Louis Park, Minnesota | Minnesota |
| T | Belford West | 6'2" | 195 | Sr. | Hamilton, New York | Colgate |
| G | Clinton Black | Sr. | New York, New York | Yale | ||
| G | Harrie Dadmun | 6'0" | 235 | Sr. | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Harvard |
| C | Bob Peck | 5'9" | 179 | Jr. | Lock Haven, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
| G | Frank T. Hogg | 6'2" | 193 | Sr. | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Princeton |
| T | Steamer Horning | Sr. | Phoenix, New York | Colgate | ||
| E | James P. Herron | Sr. | New Kensington, Pennsylvania | Pittsburgh |
Statistical leaders
- Team scoring most points: Georgetown, 464 to 32.
- Player scoring most points: Johnny Gilroy, Georgetown, 160