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Has Purdue won a national championship?
Key takeaways
- Purdue Boilermakers football has not won a national championship.
- Across the Big Ten, Michigan (12), USC (11), Ohio State (9), Minnesota (7), Michigan State (6), Illinois (5), Nebraska (5), Penn State (2), Washington (2), Indiana (1), Iowa (1), Maryland (1), Rutgers (1), UCLA (1) have claimed national titles.
- All-time record in our game log (1892-2026): 635-617-48.
0 National titles
635-617-48 Record 1892-2026
11 of 21 Bowl / playoff wins
1943 (9-0) Best season
Purdue postseason, 1892-2026
| Season | Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 8-6 | Lost Cheez-It Citrus Bowl |
| 2021 | 9-4 | Won TransPerfect Music City Bowl |
| 2018 | 6-7 | Lost FRANKLIN AMERICAN MORTGAGE MUSIC CITY BOWL |
| 2017 | 7-6 | Won FOSTER FARMS BOWL |
| 2012 | 6-7 | Lost HEART OF DALLAS BOWL |
| 2011 | 7-6 | Won LITTLE CAESARS BOWL |
| 2007 | 8-5 | Won Bowl game |
| 2006 | 8-6 | Lost Bowl game |
| 2004 | 7-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 2003 | 9-4 | Lost CAPITAL ONE BOWL |
| 2002 | 7-6 | Won Bowl game |
| 2001 | 6-6 | Lost Bowl game |
| 2000 | 8-4 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1999 | 7-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1998 | 9-4 | Won Bowl game |
| 1997 | 9-3 | Won Bowl game |
| 1984 | 7-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1980 | 9-3 | Won Bowl game |
| 1979 | 10-2 | Won Bowl game |
| 1978 | 9-2-1 | Won Bowl game |
| 1966 | 9-2 | Won Bowl game |
Source: CollegeFootballData game results via the CFB Data Hub.
National titles across the Big Ten
| Team | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|
 Michigan Wolverines | 12 | 2023 |
 USC Trojans | 11 | 2004 |
 Ohio State Buckeyes | 9 | 2024 |
 Minnesota Golden Gophers | 7 | 1960 |
 Michigan State Spartans | 6 | 1966 |
 Illinois Fighting Illini | 5 | 1951 |
 Nebraska Cornhuskers | 5 | 1997 |
 Penn State Nittany Lions | 2 | 1986 |
 Washington Huskies | 2 | 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 this page | 0 | None yet |
 Wisconsin Badgers | 0 | None yet |
Current Big Ten members, claimed national championships.
Where Purdue sits in the Big Ten
Current Big Ten programs have claimed 64 national titles between them: 12 for Michigan, 11 for USC, nine for Ohio State, seven for Minnesota, six for Michigan State, five for Illinois, five for Nebraska, two for Penn State, two for Washington, one for Indiana, one for Iowa, one for Maryland, one for Rutgers and one for UCLA. The other four programs are still chasing a first. See how this season is shaping up on the Big Ten standings, or browse every season on the Purdue record by year page.
Editorial note
College football crowned national champions by polls and selectors before the BCS (1998) and the College Football Playoff (2014). The titles here are the ones each program claims in its own record book.
Purdue Boilermakers football has not won a national championship.
About the author and reviewer
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Frequently asked questions
Has Purdue ever won a national championship?
Purdue Boilermakers football has not won a national championship.
Which Big Ten teams have won national championships?
Michigan (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997, 2023), USC (1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004), Ohio State (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014, 2024), Minnesota (1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960), Michigan State (1951, 1952, 1955, 1957, 1965, 1966), Illinois (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927, 1951), Nebraska (1970, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1997), Penn State (1982, 1986), Washington (1960, 1991), Indiana (2025), Iowa (1958), Maryland (1953), Rutgers (1869), UCLA (1954).