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Big Ten History Vault
Big Ten national championships by team
Key takeaways
- Current Big Ten programs have claimed 64 national titles between them.
- Michigan leads with 12 national titles, and USC has 11 national titles, and Ohio State has nine national titles, and Minnesota has seven national titles, and Michigan State has six national titles, and Illinois and Nebraska have five national titles, and Penn State and Washington have two national titles, and Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Rutgers and UCLA have one national title. The other four programs are still chasing a first.
- Four of the 18 programs are still chasing a first.
National titles, by team
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Michigan Wolverines | 12 | 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023 |
 USC Trojans | 11 | 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004 |
 Ohio State Buckeyes | 9 | 1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014, 2024 |
 Minnesota Golden Gophers | 7 | 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960 |
 Michigan State Spartans | 6 | 1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966 |
 Illinois Fighting Illini | 5 | 1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951 |
 Nebraska Cornhuskers | 5 | 1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997 |
 Penn State Nittany Lions | 2 | 1982, 1986 |
 Washington Huskies | 2 | 1960, 1991 |
 Indiana Hoosiers | 1 | 2025 |
 Iowa Hawkeyes | 1 | 1958 |
 Maryland Terrapins | 1 | 1953 |
 Rutgers Scarlet Knights | 1 | 1869 |
 UCLA Bruins | 1 | 1954 |
 Northwestern Wildcats | 0 | None yet |
 Oregon Ducks | 0 | None yet |
 Purdue Boilermakers | 0 | None yet |
 Wisconsin Badgers | 0 | None yet |
Claimed national championships of current Big Ten members, per each program's record book.
The title seasons
Michigan Wolverines - 12 titles
- 1901: Finished 11-0.
- 1902: Finished 11-0.
- 1903: Finished 11-0-1.
- 1904: Finished 10-0.
- 1918: Finished 5-0.
- 1923: Finished 8-0.
- 1932: Finished 8-0.
- 1933: Finished 7-0-1.
- 1947: Finished 10-0.
- 1948: Finished 9-0.
- 1997: Finished 12-0.
- 2023: Finished 15-0.
USC Trojans - 11 titles
- 1928: Finished 9-0-1.
- 1931: Finished 10-1.
- 1932: Finished 10-0.
- 1939: Finished 8-0-2.
- 1962: Finished 11-0.
- 1967: Finished 10-1.
- 1972: Finished 12-0.
- 1974: Finished 10-1-1.
- 1978: Finished 12-1.
- 2003: Finished 12-1.
- 2004: Finished 13-0.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 9 titles
- 1942: Finished 9-1.
- 1954: Finished 10-0.
- 1957: Finished 9-1.
- 1961: Finished 8-0-1.
- 1968: Finished 10-0.
- 1970: Finished 9-1.
- 2002: Finished 14-0.
- 2014: Finished 14-1.
- 2024: Finished 14-2.
Minnesota Golden Gophers - 7 titles
- 1904: Finished 13-0.
- 1934: Finished 8-0.
- 1935: Finished 8-0.
- 1936: Finished 7-1.
- 1940: Finished 8-0.
- 1941: Finished 8-0.
- 1960: Finished 8-2.
Michigan State Spartans - 6 titles
- 1951: Finished 9-0.
- 1952: Finished 9-0.
- 1955: Finished 9-1.
- 1957: Finished 8-1.
- 1965: Finished 10-1.
- 1966: Finished 9-0-1.
Illinois Fighting Illini - 5 titles
- 1914: Finished 7-0.
- 1919: Finished 6-1.
- 1923: Finished 8-0.
- 1927: Finished 7-0-1.
- 1951: Finished 9-0-1.
Nebraska Cornhuskers - 5 titles
- 1970: Finished 11-0-1.
- 1971: Finished 13-0.
- 1994: Finished 13-0.
- 1995: Finished 12-0.
- 1997: Finished 13-0.
Penn State Nittany Lions - 2 titles
- 1982: Finished 11-1.
- 1986: Finished 12-0.
Washington Huskies - 2 titles
- 1960: Finished 10-1.
- 1991: Finished 12-0.
Indiana Hoosiers - 1 title
- 2025: Finished 16-0.
Iowa Hawkeyes - 1 title
- 1958: Finished 8-1-1.
Maryland Terrapins - 1 title
- 1953: Finished 10-1.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 1 title
- 1869: Finished 1-1.
UCLA Bruins - 1 title
- 1954: Finished 9-0.
Editorial note
Before the BCS (1998) and the College Football Playoff (2014), national champions were named by polls and selectors, so programs claim titles from different sources. This table lists the titles each program claims.
Current Big Ten programs have claimed 64 national championships. Michigan leads with 12 national titles, and USC has 11 national titles, and Ohio State has nine national titles, and Minnesota has seven national titles, and Michigan State has six national titles, and Illinois and Nebraska have five national titles, and Penn State and Washington have two national titles, and Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Rutgers and UCLA have one national title. The other four programs are still chasing a first.
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Frequently asked questions
Which Big Ten team has the most national championships?
Michigan Wolverines, with 12 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023).
How many national championships do Big Ten teams have in total?
64. Michigan leads with 12 national titles, and USC has 11 national titles, and Ohio State has nine national titles, and Minnesota has seven national titles, and Michigan State has six national titles, and Illinois and Nebraska have five national titles, and Penn State and Washington have two national titles, and Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Rutgers and UCLA have one national title. The other four programs are still chasing a first.
Which Big Ten teams have never won a national championship?
Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Wisconsin.