There have been 65 Division I/FBS college football teams that finished the season undefeated and were recognized as national champions, counting from the start of the AP poll era in 1936 through the 2025 season.

What “undefeated national champion” means

  • This usually refers to major-college (now FBS) teams that:
    • Played a full season without a loss (ties may or may not be included, depending on the source).
* Were recognized as national champions by at least one major selector (AP, coaches’ poll, BCS, CFP, or similar) in that season.

Why the common number is 65

  • An NCAA-focused listing of “every undefeated national champion since 1936” notes that the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers became the 65th undefeated national champion in that span.
  • That count includes seasons with shared titles (for example, 1991 Miami and Washington; 1997 Michigan and Nebraska) as separate undefeated champions.

Notable recent examples

  • Recent undefeated champions include: 2025 Indiana (16–0), 2023 Michigan (15–0), 2022 Georgia (15–0), 2019 LSU (15–0), and 2018 Clemson (15–0).
  • Since the start of the four-team College Football Playoff, going undefeated and winning the title has remained rare, but several programs have done it, highlighting how hard it is to run the table against modern schedules.

Programs with multiple undefeated titles

  • Notre Dame has the most undefeated national championship seasons, with six in the poll era.
  • Nebraska and Alabama have five each, while Oklahoma and Ohio State have four each, reflecting long-term dominance in different eras.

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