There isn’t one single, official “how many ever” number, because it depends on what exactly is meant by “college football” and “undefeated.” To give a useful answer, people usually narrow it in two common ways:

1. Undefeated national champions (modern major college/FBS)

If the question is effectively, “How many major‑college (FBS/Division I) teams have finished undefeated in a season where they also won a national championship?”:

  • Since the AP poll era began in 1936, there have been roughly mid‑60s such seasons where at least one national champion finished undefeated (ties sometimes allowed).
  • For example, Michigan’s 15‑0 title run in 2023 is described as the 64th undefeated national champion since 1936, which gives a clear order of magnitude for “how many” in the modern poll era.
  • Some seasons had co‑champions (e.g., 1991 Washington and Miami, 1997 Michigan and Nebraska), which means the count of undefeated teams is slightly higher than the count of undefeated seasons.

So, if someone is asking in the casual, big‑picture way, a good, concise answer is:

Among major‑college (FBS) national champions since 1936, there have been on the order of 60‑plus undefeated title teams , with Michigan’s 2023 team commonly cited as the 64th undefeated national champion.

2. Any undefeated Division I/FBS team, title or not

If the interest is broader—“any top‑division team that finished a season undefeated,” whether or not it was crowned national champion:

  • There is a long historical list of undefeated NCAA Division I teams , going back into the 19th century, including seasons with ties.
  • This list includes:
    • Teams that went undefeated but did not win a consensus national title.
    • Early programs from the 1800s when schedules were short and the sport was very regional.

Because of:

  • multiple classification eras (pre‑poll, AP, Coaches, BCS, CFP),
  • different definitions of “Division I” over time, and
  • whether ties “count” as undefeated,

there is no single simple, authoritative total (“X teams ever”) that everyone uses in this broader sense. Historical lists are usually presented as season‑by‑season tables rather than one headline number.

3. Why the number keeps changing

A few extra wrinkles fans often bring up in forum or bar‑stool debates:

  • Vacated seasons : For example, USC’s 2004 national title season is often omitted from official “undefeated champion” lists because the season was later vacated, which slightly changes tallies depending on the source.
  • Ties vs. “perfect” records : Some sources treat 11‑0‑1 as “undefeated,” others reserve that word for 11‑0 (no losses, no ties).
  • Schedule length inflation : Modern teams sometimes play 14 or 15 games (conference title + playoff), making a truly spotless season rarer and more celebrated, which is why 15‑0 seasons (like 2018 Clemson, 2019 LSU, 2022 Georgia, 2023 Michigan) get special mention.

4. How to phrase the answer succinctly

If you want a quick “headline‑style” takeaway you could use in a post or casual discussion:

  • For modern major college football national champions :
    • “Roughly 60‑plus national championship teams have finished undefeated since 1936, with Michigan’s 2023 squad recognized as about the 64th undefeated national champion in that span.”
  • For all undefeated Division I teams ever:
    • “The full historical total is larger and not universally standardized, because it includes many pre‑poll‑era and non‑champion teams, plus seasons with ties; it’s typically presented as a long season‑by‑season list rather than a single number.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.