The TRUTH on National Championships

[05IONREDLINE]

The Truth on National Championships

(of 4 of the NCAA's most recognizable teams)




The teams in question are: Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, and USC (Southern Cal). Each of these teams have claimed between 8 and 12 national championships (depending on where you look). I have done some research and these are my findings on how many national championships each claims and how many they really have.

There have been a number of polls that have named national champions since 1869. Only a select number were used as CONSENSUS polls.

They are:

1869-1870: National Championship Foundation (NCF)

1872-1935: National Championship Foundation (NCF)

1883-1935: Helms Athletic Foundation (HAF)

1919-1935: College Football Researchers Association (CFRA)

1936-Present: Associated Press (AP)

1950- 1990: United Press International (UPI)

1954-Present: Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)

1959-1990: National Football Foundation (NFF)

1982-1996: USA-Today/CNN (USAT-CNN)

1991-1992: United Press International/National Football Foundation

(UPI-NFF)

1993-1995: United Press International (UPI)

1995-Present: National Football Foundation (NFF)

1997-2005: USA-Today/ESPN (USAT-ESPN)

1998-Present: Bowl Championship Series (BCS)

2006-Present: USA-Today (USAT)

2007-Present: Southern Fans (SF)




When doing my research and coming to my conclusion these are the only polls I used (due to their use as CONSENSUS polls). Here are the national championship years that each school claims, along with the teams that really won the national championship, starting with Alabama.



* Denotes agreement on national championship year

> Denotes co-champions

N/A = Not Applicable or No Championship



Alabama:

*1925- CFRA/HAF/NCF

*1926- CFRA/HAF/NCF

*>1930- CFRA (Notre Dame- HAF/NCF)

1934- N/A (Minnesota- CFRA/HAF/NCF)

1941- N/A (Minnesota- AP)

*1961- AP/NFF/UPI

*1964- AP/UPI

*1965- AP/FWAA

*>1973- UPI (Notre Dame- AP/FWAA/NFF)

*1978- AP/FWAA/NFF

*1979- AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI

*1992- AP/USAT-NFF/FWAA/UPI-NFF)

Total: 10 CONSENSUS national championships



Michigan:

*1901- HAF/NCF

*1902- HAF/NCF

*>1903- NCF (Princeton- HAF/NCF)

*>1904- NCF (Pennsylvania- HAF/NCF)

*>1918- NCF (Pittsburgh- HAF/NCF)

*>1923- NCF (Illinois- CFRA/HAF/NCF)

*>1932- CFRA/HAF/NCF (USC- CFRA/HAF/NCF)

*1933- CFRA/HAF/NCF

1947- N/A (Notre Dame- AP)

*1948- AP

*1997- AP/FWAA/NFF

Total: 10 CONSENSUS National Championships



Notre Dame:

*1924- CFRA/HAF/NCF

*1929- CFRA/HAF/NCF

*>1930- HAF/NCF (Alabama- CFRA)

*1943- AP

*1947- AP

*1949- AP

*>1966- AP/FWAA (Michigan State- NFF)

*>1973- AP/FWAA/NFF (Alabama- UPI)

*1977- AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI

*1988- AP/USAT-CNN/FWAA/NFF/UPI

Total: 11 CONSENSUS National Championships



USC (Southern Cal):

1928- N/A (Georgia Tech-CFRA/HAF/NCF)

*1931- CFRA/HAF/NCF

*1932- CFRA/HAF/NCF

1939- N/A (Texas A&M- AP)

*1962- AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI

*1967- AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI

*1972- AP/FWAA/NFF/UPI

*>1974- FWAA/NFF/UPI (Oklahoma- AP)

*>1978- UPI (Alabama- AP/FWAA/NFF)

*>2003- AP/FWAA (LSU- BCS/NFF/USAT-ESPN)

*2004- AP/BCS/USAT-ESPN/FWAA/NFF

Total: 9 CONSENSUS National Championships



There are my findings. I know not everyone will agree but the evidence is right there. Alabama DOES NOT have 12 CONSENSUS national championships and USC DOES NOT have 11, neither does Michigan.

The NCAA should step in and make some way of better distinguishing the national championships for each school and the school should be forced to used that ruling for their claims and what they are allowed to license for merchandise.

[05IONREDLINE]

23 views and no agreement or disagreement comments. I'm kinda shocked.

[05IONREDLINE]

Well add 2009 to the list for Alabama. THAT MAKES 11 (NOT 13!!!!)