List of NCAA college football rankings


The AP Poll and Coaches Poll are the two major polls used annually within the highest level of college football to determine the national championship. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes unofficially referred to as a "mythical national championship".
These polling systems began with the introduction of the AP poll in 1936, followed by the Coaches' Poll in 1950.
Currently, two widely recognized national champion selectors are the Associated Press, which conducts a poll of sportswriters, and the Coaches' Poll, a survey of active members of the American Football Coaches Association.
Until the 1968 college football season, the final AP Poll of the season was released following the end of the regular season, with the exception of the 1965 season.

NCAA Division I and FBS poll seasons (1936–present)

The AP Poll began with the 1936 college football season. The Coaches Poll began with the 1950 college football season and became the second major polling system. In 1978, Division I football was split into two distinct divisions and a second poll was added for the new Division I-AA.
Poll seasonBowl seasonChampion
19361936–37 bowl seasonMinnesota
19371937–38 bowl seasonPittsburgh
19381938–39 bowl seasonTCU
19391939–40 bowl seasonTexas A&M
19401940–41 bowl seasonMinnesota
19411941–42 bowl seasonMinnesota
19421942–43 bowl seasonOhio State
19431943–44 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19441944–45 bowl seasonArmy
19451945–46 bowl seasonArmy
19461946–47 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19471947–48 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19481948–49 bowl seasonMichigan
19491949–50 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19501950–51 bowl seasonOklahoma
19511951–52 bowl seasonTennessee
19521952–53 bowl seasonMichigan State
19531953–54 bowl seasonMaryland
19541954–55 bowl seasonOhio State, UCLA
19551955–56 bowl seasonOklahoma
19561956–57 bowl seasonOklahoma
19571957–58 bowl seasonAuburn, Ohio State
19581958–59 bowl seasonLSU
19591959–60 bowl seasonSyracuse
19601960–61 bowl seasonMinnesota
19611961–62 bowl seasonAlabama
19621962–63 bowl seasonUSC
19631963–64 bowl seasonTexas
19641964–65 bowl seasonAlabama
19651965–66 bowl seasonAlabama, Michigan State
19661966–67 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19671967–68 bowl seasonUSC
19681968–69 bowl seasonOhio State
19691969–70 bowl seasonTexas
19701970–71 bowl seasonNebraska, Texas
19711971–72 bowl seasonNebraska
19721972–73 bowl seasonUSC
19731973–74 bowl seasonNotre Dame, Alabama
19741974–75 bowl seasonOklahoma, USC
19751975–76 bowl seasonOklahoma
19761976–77 bowl seasonPittsburgh
19771977–78 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19781978–79 bowl seasonAlabama, USC
19791979–80 bowl seasonAlabama
19801980–81 bowl seasonGeorgia
19811981–82 bowl seasonClemson
19821982–83 bowl seasonPenn State
19831983–84 bowl seasonMiami
19841984–85 bowl seasonBYU
19851985–86 bowl seasonOklahoma
19861986–87 bowl seasonPenn State
19871987–88 bowl seasonMiami
19881988–89 bowl seasonNotre Dame
19891989–90 bowl seasonMiami
19901990–91 bowl seasonColorado, Georgia Tech
19911991–92 bowl seasonMiami , Washington
19921992–93 bowl seasonAlabama
19931993–94 bowl seasonFlorida State
19941994–95 bowl seasonNebraska
19951995–96 bowl seasonNebraska
19961996–97 bowl seasonFlorida
19971997–98 bowl seasonMichigan, Nebraska
19981998–99 bowl seasonTennessee
19991999–2000 bowl seasonFlorida State
20002000–01 bowl seasonOklahoma
20012001–02 bowl seasonMiami
20022002–03 bowl seasonOhio State
20032003–04 bowl seasonUSC, LSU
20042004–05 bowl seasonUSC
20052005–06 bowl seasonTexas
20062006–07 bowl seasonFlorida
20072007–08 bowl seasonLSU
20082008–09 bowl seasonFlorida
20092009–10 bowl seasonAlabama
20102010–11 bowl seasonAuburn
20112011–12 bowl seasonAlabama
20122012–13 bowl seasonAlabama
20132013–14 bowl seasonFlorida State
20142014–15 bowl seasonOhio State
20152015–16 bowl seasonAlabama
20162016–17 bowl seasonClemson
20172017–18 bowl seasonAlabama
20182018–19 bowl seasonClemson
20192019–20 bowl seasonLSU

NCAA Division I FCS poll seasons (1978–present)

football was divided into Division I-A and Division I-AA beginning with the inaugural 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football season, initially serving as a voluntary designation and later formalized with specific criteria in 1981. This split allowed independent polling of both divisions in the 1978 season. In 2006, Division I-AA was renamed as Division I FCS.
Poll seasonFCS seasonPlayoff Champion
19781978 seasonFlorida A&M
19791979 seasonEastern Kentucky
19801980 seasonBoise State
19811981 seasonIdaho State
19821982 seasonEastern Kentucky
19831983 seasonSouthern Illinois
19841984 seasonMontana State
19851985 seasonGeorgia Southern
19861986 seasonGeorgia Southern
19871987 seasonNortheast Louisiana
19881988 seasonFurman
19891989 seasonGeorgia Southern
19901990 seasonGeorgia Southern
19911991 seasonYoungstown State
19921992 seasonMarshall
19931993 seasonYoungstown State
19941994 seasonYoungstown State
19951995 seasonMontana
19961996 seasonMarshall
19971997 seasonYoungstown State
19981998 seasonUMass
19991999 seasonGeorgia Southern
20002000 seasonGeorgia Southern
20012001 seasonMontana
20022002 seasonWestern Kentucky
20032003 seasonDelaware
20042004 seasonJames Madison
20052005 seasonAppalachian State
20062006 seasonAppalachian State
20072007 seasonAppalachian State
20082008 seasonRichmond
20092009 seasonVillanova
20102010 seasonEastern Washington
20112011 seasonNorth Dakota State
20122012 seasonNorth Dakota State
20132013 seasonNorth Dakota State
20142014 seasonNorth Dakota State
20152015 seasonNorth Dakota State
20162016 seasonJames Madison
20172017 seasonNorth Dakota State
20182018 seasonNorth Dakota State
20192019 seasonNorth Dakota State