College Football Researchers Association

Last updated

The College Football Researchers Association (CFRA) was founded in 1982 by Anthony Cusher of Reeder, North Dakota, and Robert Kirlin of Spokane, Washington. The CFRA took a vote of its members from 1982 to 1992 to select an annual college football national champion. Members were asked to rank the top 10 teams, and a point system was used to determine a national champion based on the members' votes. The CFRA also conducted a retroactive poll to determine historical national champions for each year from 1919 to 1981. The CFRA is listed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as one of 40 former and current selectors of college football national champions, and the CFRA selections are included in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision record book. [1]

Contents

In the fall of 2009, under the coordination of Brad Matthews of Wilmington, North Carolina, and with the involvement of past members, the College Football Researchers Association was reorganized, and a group of both new and original CFRA voters was assembled to recreate this poll. The CFRA then retroactively crowned champions from 1993 to 2008, thus covering the period of time when the CFRA was dormant and did not recognize a national champion. According to NCAA records, [2] the College Football Researchers Association has elected more national champions than any other multi-voter poll in the country.

In its current form, the College Football Researchers Association releases four rankings each year, rather than on a weekly basis like more traditional polls: a preseason ranking, a mid-season ranking, an end of regular season ranking, and a final postseason ranking. The CFRA also recognizes one player annually as the CFRA Player of the Year. This player is recognized based on votes submitted by each member of the CFRA.

The rankings and awards are published on cfrapoll.com

CFRA national champions

The following list identifies the college football national champions as selected by the College Football Researchers Association. [1]

1869- Princeton

1870- Princeton

1871- no college games

1872- Princeton

1873- Princeton

1874- Yale

1875- Princeton

1876- Yale

1877- Yale

1878- Princeton

1879- Princeton

1880- Yale

1881- Yale

1882- Yale

1883- Yale

1884- Yale

1885- Princeton

1886- Yale

1887- Yale

1888- Yale

1889- Princeton

1890- Harvard

1891- Yale

1892- Yale

1893- Princeton

1894- Yale

1895- Penn

1896- Princeton

1897- Penn

1898- Harvard

1899- Princeton

1900- Yale

1901- Harvard

1902- Michigan

1903- Princeton

1904- Penn

1905- Chicago

1906- Princeton

1907- Yale

1908- Penn

1909- Yale

1910- Harvard

1911- Princeton

1912- Harvard

1913- Harvard

1914- Army

1915- Cornell

1916- Pittsburgh

1917- Georgia Tech

1918- Pittsburgh

1919- Harvard/Illinois (tie)

1920- California

1921- California

1922- Princeton

1923- Illinois

1924- Notre Dame

1925- Alabama

1926- Alabama

1927- Yale

1928- Georgia Tech

1929- Notre Dame

1930- Alabama

1931- Southern California

1932- Southern California

1933- Michigan

1934- Minnesota

1935- Minnesota

1936- Pittsburgh

1937- Pittsburgh

1938- Tennessee

1939- Texas A & M

1940- Minnesota

1941- Minnesota

1942- Ohio State

1943- Notre Dame

1944- Army

1945- Army

1946- Army

1947- Michigan

1948- Michigan

1949- Oklahoma

1950- Tennessee

1951- Maryland

1952- Michigan State

1953- Oklahoma

1954- Ohio State

1955- Oklahoma

1956- Iowa

1957- Auburn

1958- LSU

1959- Syracuse

1960- Ole Miss

1961- Alabama

1962- Southern California

1963- Texas

1964- Arkansas

1965- Alabama

1966- Michigan State

1967- Southern California

1968- Ohio State

1969- Texas

1970- Nebraska

1971- Nebraska

1972- Southern California

1973- Oklahoma

1974- Oklahoma

1975- Oklahoma

1976- Southern California

1977- Notre Dame/Alabama (tie)

1978- Alabama

1979- Southern California

1980- Pittsburgh

1981- Clemson

1982- Penn State

1983- Auburn

1984- Brigham Young

1985- Oklahoma

1986- Oklahoma

1987- Miami (FL)

1988- Notre Dame

1989- Miami (FL)

1990- Colorado

1991- Miami (FL)

1992- Alabama

1993- Florida State

1994- Nebraska

1995- Nebraska

1996- Florida

1997- Michigan

1998- Tennessee

1999- Florida State

2000- Oklahoma

2001- Miami (FL)

2002- Ohio State

2003- LSU

2004- Southern California

2005- Texas

2006- Florida

2007- LSU

2008- Florida

2009- Alabama

2010- Auburn

2011- Alabama

2012- Alabama

2013- Florida State

2014- Ohio State

2015- Alabama

2016- Clemson

2017- Alabama

2018- Clemson

2019- LSU

SeasonChampion
1919 Harvard
Illinois
1920 California
1921 California
1922 Princeton
1923 Illinois
1924 Notre Dame
1925 Alabama
1926 Alabama
1927 Yale
1928 Georgia Tech
1929 Notre Dame
1930 Alabama
1931 USC
1932 USC
1933 Michigan
1934 Minnesota
1935 Minnesota
1936 Pittsburgh
1937 Pittsburgh
1938 Tennessee
1939 Texas A&M
1940 Minnesota
1941 Minnesota
1942 Ohio State
1943 Notre Dame
1944 Army
1945 Army
1946 Army
1947 Michigan
1948 Michigan
1949 Oklahoma
1950 Tennessee
1951 Maryland
1952 Michigan State
1953 Oklahoma
1954 UCLA
1955 Oklahoma
1956 Iowa
1957 Auburn
1958 LSU
1959 Syracuse
1960 Ole Miss
1961 Alabama
1962 Southern Cal
1963 Texas
1964 Arkansas
1965 Alabama
1966 Michigan State
1967 Southern Cal
1968 Ohio State
1969 Texas
1970 Nebraska
1971 Nebraska
1972 Southern Cal
1973 Oklahoma
1974 Oklahoma
1975 Oklahoma
1976 Southern Cal
1977 Notre Dame
1978 Alabama
1979 Alabama
1980 Pittsburgh
1981 Clemson
1982 Penn State
1983 Auburn
1984 Brigham Young
1985 Oklahoma
1986 Oklahoma
1987 Miami (FL)
1988 Notre Dame
1989 Miami (FL)
1990 Colorado
1991 Miami (FL)
1992 Alabama
1993 Florida State
1994 Nebraska
1995 Nebraska
1996 Florida
1997 Michigan
1998 Tennessee
1999 Florida State
2000 Oklahoma
2001 Miami (FL)
2002 Ohio State
2003 LSU
2004 Southern Cal
2005 Texas
2006 Florida
2007 LSU
2008 Florida
2009 Alabama
2010 Auburn
2011 Alabama
2012 Alabama
2013 Florida State
2014 Ohio State
2015 Alabama
2016 Clemson
2017 Alabama
2018 Clemson

See also

Related Research Articles

The NCAA was without a playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A, during the 20th century. The NCAA recognizes Division I-A national champions based on the final results of polls including the "wire service", FWAA and NFF. The 1964 AP poll continued to rank only ten teams, compiling the votes of 55 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined.

The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, in both the AP and Coaches poll.

The 1986 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with Penn State winning the national championship. Coached by Joe Paterno, they defeated Miami (Fl) 14–10 in the Fiesta Bowl. This Fiesta Bowl was the first in the game's history to decide the national championship, launching it into the top tier of bowls.

The 1981 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Clemson Tigers, unbeaten and untied, claiming the national championship after a victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. This was also the first year of the California Bowl, played in Fresno, California; this game fancied itself as a "junior" version of the Rose Bowl as it pitted the Big West Conference champion vs. the Mid-American Conference champion.

The 1980 NCAA Division I-A football season saw a university from the state of Georgia take its first national title since 1942.

In the 1968 NCAA University Division football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the major college football teams in the University Division, later known as Division I-A.

The 1973 NCAA Division I football season was the first for the NCAA's current three-division structure. Effective with the 1973–74 academic year, schools formerly in the NCAA "University Division" were classified as Division I. Schools in the former "College Division" were classified into Division II, which allowed fewer athletic scholarships than Division I, and Division III, in which athletic scholarships were prohibited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1924 college football season</span> American college football season

The 1924 college football season was the year of the Four Horsemen as the Notre Dame team, coached by Knute Rockne, won all of its games, including the Rose Bowl, to be acclaimed as the best team in the nation. Notre Dame and Stanford were both unbeaten at season's end, with the Fighting Irish winning the Rose Bowl contest 27–10. The Penn Quakers were retroactively awarded a national championship by Parke H. Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS</span> Annual selection of best U.S. team

A national championship in the highest level of college football in the United States, currently the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), is a designation awarded annually by various organizations to their selection of the best college football team. Division I FBS football is the only National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sport for which the NCAA does not sanction a yearly championship event. As such, it is sometimes unofficially referred to as a "mythical national championship".

The 1953 college football season finished with the Maryland Terrapins capturing the AP, INS, and UPI national championship after Notre Dame held the top spot for the first nine weeks. The No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners defeated Maryland in the Orange Bowl, but there was no further polling after the November 30 results were released. However, Notre Dame was selected as the National Champions by 10 other polls and the Oklahoma Sooners received first in two polls. However, despite the team receiving National Championship rings, the University of Notre Dame does not recognize this title due to their policy of only recognizing AP or coaches' poll titles during the polling era (1936–present). Maryland was also the first champion of the Atlantic Coast Conference, which had been formed earlier in 1953 by seven colleges formerly with the Southern Conference. The year 1953 also saw the Michigan State Spartans, previously an independent, join the Big Nine Conference, which then became the Big Ten; MSU won the conference title in that first year and was the conference representative to the Rose Bowl, which it won 28–20 over UCLA.

The 1951 college football season finished with seven unbeaten major college teams, of which five were unbeaten and untied. Ultimately, the Tennessee Volunteers were voted the best team by the Associated Press, followed by the Michigan State Spartans, with the Vols having a plurality of first place votes. Tennessee lost in the Sugar Bowl to the equally undefeated and untied No. 3 Maryland Terrapins, but the postseason games were not taken into account by the major polls. Tennessee, Michigan State, and Illinois all claim national championships for 1951.

The 1946 college football season was the 78th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. Competition included schools from the Big Ten Conference, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Big Six Conference, the Southern Conference, the Southwestern Conference, and numerous smaller conferences and independent programs. The season saw the return of many programs which had suspended play during World War II, and also the enrollment of many veterans returning from the war.

The 1937 college football season ended with the Panthers of the University of Pittsburgh being named the nation's No. 1 team by 30 of the 33 voters in the Associated Press writers' poll. The AP poll was in its second year, and seven votes were taken during the final weeks of the 1937 season, starting with October 18. Each writer listed his choice for the top ten teams, and points were tallied based on 10 for first place, 9 for second, etc., and the AP then ranked the twenty teams with the highest number of points. With 33 writers polled, Pitt received 30 first place votes and 3 second-place, for a total of 327 points.

One human poll comprised the 1939 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.

One human poll comprised the 1940 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.

One human poll comprised the 1941 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches' Poll. The Coaches' Poll began operation in 1950; in addition, the AP Poll did not begin conducting preseason polls until that same year.

Two human polls comprised the 1950 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

Two human polls comprised the 1951 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

Two human polls comprised the 1953 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football rankings. Unlike most sports, college football's governing body, the NCAA, does not bestow a national championship, instead that title is bestowed by one or more different polling agencies. There are two main weekly polls that begin in the preseason—the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll.

The 2022 NCAA Division I women's soccer tournament was the 41st edition of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Tournament, a postseason tournament to determine the national champion of NCAA Division I women's college soccer. The College Cup was played on December 2 and December 5 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

References

  1. 1 2 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2015). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. pp. 105–106. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2012). "National Poll Rankings" (PDF). NCAA Division I Football Records. NCAA. p. 69. Retrieved 2018-12-14.