Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy


The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS college football.
In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers, the Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Benjamin and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, Henry. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters. The trophy, established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in Eastern college football, has since grown to recognize the best team in the East in Division I FBS. A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup is awarded to teams in Division I FCS, Division II, and Division III. The Metropolitan New York Football Writers, owned and operated by American Football Networks, Inc., took the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards back from the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2011.
Since 1936, there have been 19 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert Award, a school must be located in the "East." Teams in the "East" include teams located in New York, New Jersey, New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia. Additionally, while the Big East Conference was a football conference, members of that conference outside of the "East" were also made eligible if at least half their schedule was against Lambert-eligible teams.

Lambert Trophy winners

By year

YearSchoolRecordFinal AP RankBowl
1936Pittsburgh8–1–1#3Won Rose
1937Pittsburgh9–0–1#1No bowl
1938Carnegie Tech8–1–1#6Lost Sugar
1939Cornell8–0#4No bowl
1940Boston College11–0#5Won Sugar
1941Fordham8–1#6Won Sugar
1942Boston College8–2#8Lost Orange
1943Navy8–1#4No bowl
1944Army9–0#1No bowl
1945Army9–0#1No bowl
1946Army9–0–1#2No bowl
1947Penn State9–0–1#4Tied Cotton
1948Army8–0–1#6No bowl
1949Army9–0#4No bowl
1950Princeton9–0#6No bowl
1951Princeton9–0#6No bowl
1952Syracuse7–3#14Lost Orange
1953Army7–1–1#14No bowl
1954Navy8–2#5Won Sugar
1955Pittsburgh7–4#11Lost Sugar
1956Syracuse7–2#8Lost Cotton
1957Navy8–1–1#5Won Cotton
1958Army8–0–1#3No bowl
1959Syracuse11–0#1Won Cotton
1960Navy9–2#4Lost Orange
1960Yale9–0#14No bowl
1961Penn State8–3#17Won Gator
1962Penn State9–2#9Lost Gator
1963Navy9–2#2Lost Cotton
1964Penn State6–4NRNo bowl

YearSchoolRecordFinal AP RankBowl
1965Dartmouth9–0NRNo bowl
1966Syracuse8–3NRLost Gator
1967Penn State8–2–1#10Tied Gator
1968Penn State11–0#2Won Orange
1969Penn State11–0#2Won Orange
1970Dartmouth9–0#14No bowl
1971Penn State11–1#5Won Cotton
1972Penn State10–2#10Lost Sugar
1973Penn State12–0#5Won Orange
1974Penn State10–2#7Won Cotton
1975Penn State9–3#10Lost Sugar
1976Pittsburgh12–0#1Won Sugar
1977Penn State11–1#5Won Fiesta
1978Penn State11–1#4Lost Sugar
1979Pittsburgh11–1#7Won Fiesta
1980Pittsburgh11–1#2Won Gator
1981Penn State10–2#3Won Fiesta
1982Penn State11–1#1Won Sugar
1983Boston College9–3#19Lost Liberty
1984Boston College10–2#5Won Cotton
1985Penn State11–1#3Lost Orange
1986Penn State12–0#1Won Fiesta
1987Syracuse11–0–1#4Tied Sugar
1988West Virginia11–1#5Lost Fiesta
1989Penn State8–3–1#15Won Holiday
1990Penn State9–3#11Lost Blockbuster
1991Penn State11–2#3Won Fiesta
1992Syracuse10–2#6Won Fiesta
1993West Virginia11–1#7Lost Sugar
1994Penn State12–0#2Won Rose

YearSchoolRecordFinal AP RankBowl
1995Virginia Tech10–2#10Won Sugar
1996Penn State11–2#7Won Fiesta
1997Penn State9–3#16Lost Citrus
1998Penn State9–3#17Won Outback
1999Virginia Tech11–1#2Lost Sugar
2000Miami 11–1#2Won Sugar
2001Miami 12–0#1Won Rose
2002Miami 12–1#2Lost Fiesta
2003Miami 11–2#5Won Orange
2004Boston College9–3#21Won Continental Tire
2005Penn State11–1#3Won Orange
2006Louisville12–1#5Won Orange
2007West Virginia11–2#6Won Fiesta
2008Penn State11–2#8Lost Rose
2009Penn State11–2#9Won Capital One
2010Connecticut8–5NRLost Fiesta
2011West Virginia10–3#17Won Orange
2012Cincinnati10–3NRWon Belk
2013Penn State7–5NRNo Bowl
2014Rutgers8–5NRWon Quick Lane
2015Navy11–2#18Won Military
2016Penn State11–3#7Lost Rose
2017Penn State11–2#8Won Fiesta
2018Army11–2#19Won Armed Forces

By team

^ Now a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.

† Now a member of NCAA Division III.

Lambert Cup

Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA)

YearSchoolRecordPlayoff Results
198212–2Championship Game
19839–2–1First Round
198410–3Semifinals
198510–3Quarterfinals
1986Holy Cross10–1Did not play
1987Holy Cross11–0Did not play
19889–2Did not play
198910–1Did not play
1990William & Mary10–3Quarterfinals
1991Delaware10–2First Round
19929–3First Round
199312–1Quarterfinals
199410–3Quarterfinals
1995Delaware11–2Quarterfinals
1996William & Mary10–3Quarterfinals
1997Delaware12–2Semifinals
1998Massachusetts12–3National Champions
1999Hofstra11–2Quarterfinals
2000Delaware12–2Semifinals

YearSchoolRecordPlayoff Results
200111–1Quarterfinals
2002Villanova11–4Semifinals
2003Delaware15–1National Champions
2004James Madison13–2National Champions
2005New Hampshire11–2Quarterfinals
2006Massachusetts13–2Championship Game
2007Delaware11–4Championship Game
2008James Madison12–2Semifinals
2009Villanova14–1National Champions
2010Delaware12–3Championship Game
2011Lehigh11–2Quarterfinals
2012Old Dominion11–2Quarterfinals
2013Towson13–3Championship Game
2014New Hampshire12–2Semifinals
2015Dartmouth/Harvard/Penn9–1/9–1/7–3Did not play
2016James Madison14–1National Champions
2017James Madison14–1Championship Game
2018Colgate10–2Quarterfinals

NOTE: The Ivy League, and until 1997, the Patriot League, do/did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Tournament.

Most FCS Lambert Cups

† Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

‡ Discontinued football

Division II

YearSchoolRecordPlayoff Results -
1957Lehigh8–1No Playoffs-
1958Buffalo8–1Tangerine Bowl -
1959Delaware8–1No Playoffs-
1960Bucknell7–2No Playoffs-
1961Lehigh7–2No Playoffs-
1962Delaware7–2No Playoffs-
1963Delaware8–0No Playoffs-
1964Bucknell7–2No Playoffs-
1965Maine8–2Tangerine Bowl -
1966Gettysburg7–2Tangerine Bowl -
1967West Chester-
1968Delaware8–3Boardwalk Bowl-
1969Delaware9–2Boardwalk Bowl-
1969Wesleyan-
1970Delaware9–2Boardwalk Bowl-
1971Delaware10–1National Champions-
1972Delaware10–0National Champions-
1973Delaware8–4Quarterfinals-
1973Lehigh7–4–1Quarterfinals-
1974Delaware12–2Championship Game-
1975Lehigh9–3Quarterfinals-
1976Delaware8–3–1Quarterfinals-
1977Lehigh12–2National Champions-
1978Massachusetts9–4I-AA Championship Game-
1979Delaware13–1National Champions-
1980Lehigh9–1–2I-AA Semifinals-
1981Shippensburg12–1Div II Semifinals
1982East Stroudsburg-
1983Towson State10–2Quarterfinals-
1984Towson State9–4Semifinals-
1985Bloomsburg12–1Semifinals-
1986Towson State8–3–1Quarterfinals-

YearSchoolRecordPlayoff Results
1987Indiana 10–2Quarterfinals
1988Millersville
1989Indiana 11–2Semifinals
1990Indiana 12–2Championship Game
1991Indiana 12–1Semifinals
1992New Haven12–1Semifinals
1993Indiana 13–1Championship Game
1994Indiana 10–3Semifinals
1995New Haven10–1–1Quarterfinals
1996Clarion
1997New Haven12–2Championship Game
1998Slippery Rock
1999Indiana 9–4Semifinals
2000Bloomsburg12–3Championship Game
2001Indiana 8–2First Round
2002Indiana 11–2Quarterfinals
2003Indiana 10–1No Playoffs
2004West Chester
2005East Stroudsburg
2006West Chester
2007California
2008West Chester
2009California
2010Mercyhurst10–3Quarterfinals
2011New Haven11–2Quarterfinals
2012Indiana 12–2Quarterfinals
2013West Chester13–2Semifinals
2014Bloomsburg11–2Quarterfinals
2015Shepherd13–1Championship Game
2016Shepherd13–1Semifinals
2017Indiana 13–1Semifinals
2018LIU Post10–11st Round

Most D-II Lambert Cups

‡ Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision.

† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision.

^ Now a member of Division III.

Division III

YearSchool
1966Wilkes
1967Wagner
1968Wilkes
1969Merchant Marine
1970Edinboro
1971Alfred
1972Franklin & Marshall
1973C.W. Post
1974Ithaca
1975Ithaca
1976C.W. Post
1977Westminster
1978Ithaca
1979Carnegie Mellon
1980Ithaca
1981Widener
1982Plymouth State

YearSchool
1983Hofstra
1984Union
1984Ithaca
1985Ithaca
1986Salisbury State
1987Wagner
1988Ithaca
1989Union
1990Allegheny
1991Ithaca
1992Washington & Jefferson
1993Rowan
1994Washington & Jefferson
1995Rowan
1996Rowan
1997Lycoming
1998Rowan

YearSchool
1999Rowan
2000Widener
2001Rowan
2002Brockport
2003Rensselaer
2004Rowan
2005Rowan
2006St. John Fisher
2007Wesley
2008Cortland State
2009Wesley
2010Wesley
2011Wesley
2012Hobart
2013St. John Fisher
2014Wesley
2015Wesley

YearSchool
2016Alfred
2017Brockport
2018Johns Hopkins

Most D-III Lambert Cups

† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision.

‡ Now a member of Division II.

^ Discontinued football