<P> Because there is no one governing or official body that regulates, recognizes, or awards national championships in college football, and because many independent selectors of championships exist, many of the claims by the schools listed below are shared, contradict each other, or are controversial . In addition, because there is no one body overseeing national championships, no standardized requirements exist in order for a school to make a claim on a national championship, as any particular institution is free to make any declaration it deems to be fit . However, all known national championship claims are for seasons in which a national championship, or share of a championship, was believed to be awarded to that particular school by at least one independent third - party selector . The majority of these claims, but not all, are based on championships awarded from selectors listed as "major" in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records . Not all championships awarded by third party selectors, nor those listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, are necessarily claimed by each school . Therefore, these claims represent how each individual school sees their own history on the subject of national championships . </P> <P> This table below includes only national championship claims originating from each particular school and therefore represents the point - of - view of each individual institution . Each total number of championships, and the years for which they are claimed, are documented by the particular school on its official website, in its football media guide, or in other official publications or literature (see Source). If a championship is not mentioned by a school for any particular season, regardless of whether it was awarded by a selector or listed in a third - party publication such as the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records, it is not considered to be claimed by that institution . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> School </Th> <Th> Claimed national championships </Th> <Th> Seasons </Th> <Th> Source </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Princeton </Td> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> 1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1889, 1893, 1894, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1920, 1922, 1933, 1935, 1950 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yale </Td> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> 1872, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1897, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1909, 1927 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Alabama </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 1925, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1941, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Michigan </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Notre Dame </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> USC </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pittsburgh </Td> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ohio State </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Harvard </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Minnesota </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Oklahoma </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Penn </Td> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 1894, 1895, 1897, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1924 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Michigan State </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tennessee </Td> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> California </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cornell </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1915, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1939 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Georgia </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1927, 1942, 1946, 1968, 1980 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Illinois </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Miami (FL) </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Nebraska </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Georgia Tech </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1917, 1928, 1952, 1990 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Iowa </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1921, 1956, 1958, 1960 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Texas </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1963, 1969, 1970, 2005 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Washington </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1960, 1984, 1990, 1991 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Army </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1944, 1945, 1946 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Florida </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1996, 2006, 2008 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Florida State </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1993, 1999, 2013 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lafayette </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1896, 1921, 1926 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> LSU </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1958, 2003, 2007 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ole Miss </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1959, 1960, 1962 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> SMU </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1935, 1981, 1982 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Texas A&M </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1919, 1927, 1939 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Auburn </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1957, 2010 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chicago </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1905, 1913 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Clemson </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1981, 2016 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Penn State </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1982, 1986 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> TCU </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1935, 1938 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Stanford </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1926, 1940 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Arkansas </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1964 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Boston College </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1940 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> BYU </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1984 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Colorado </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1990 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Dartmouth </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1925 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Kentucky </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1950 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Maryland </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1953 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Navy </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1926 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Oklahoma State </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1945 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Rutgers </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1869 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Syracuse </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1959 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> UCLA </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 1954 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> School </Th> <Th> Claimed national championships </Th> <Th> Seasons </Th> <Th> Source </Th> </Tr>

Who holds the most national championships in college football