Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy

Last updated
Lambert Trophy
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy.jpg
The Lambert Trophy on display in the Army Sports Hall of Fame at the United States Military Academy in 2019.
Awarded forthe best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football.
Eastern championship [1] [2]
LocationEastern United States
CountryUnited States
Presented byMetropolitan New York Football Writers
History
First award1936
Most recent Army [3] – 9th time

The Lambert Trophy was an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football. In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor A. and Henry L. Lambert in memory of their father, August V. Lambert. [4] The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters.

Contents

By the time the “Lambert Trophy” was established in 1936, major schools in other regions of the country had formed their own leagues (i.e., SEC, Big Ten, Big Eight, Pacific Coast Conference, etc.) and Division I FBS (formerly I–A) schools located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions remained independent, with the exception of the 1954 formation of the Ivy League. [5] [6] Emblematic of the "Eastern championship", [7] [8] the Lambert Trophy, voted on by a panel of sports writers in New York, became the de facto conference championship for those schools. [9]

Since 1936, there have been 19 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert Award, a school must be located in the "East." Teams in the "East" were originally interpreted as being north of Washington D.C. and east of the western boundary of Pennsylvania, [10] but has sometimes been expanded to include teams located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia (although there are no FBS teams in Delaware nor Washington D.C., there are teams that compete at lower levels that can win the various Lambert Cup awards for their levels). Additionally, while the Big East Conference was a football conference, members of that conference outside of the "East" were also made eligible if at least half their schedule was against Lambert-eligible teams.

A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup use to be awarded to teams in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), Division II, and Division III. The Metropolitan New York Football Writers, owned and operated by American Football Networks, Inc., took the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards back from the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2011.

As of 2024, plans were announced to revive the Lambert Trophy and begin awarding it for the 2024 season. [11]

Lambert Trophy winners

By year

By team

SchoolTotalYears won
Penn State 331947, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022
Army 91944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1958, 2018, 2020
Pittsburgh 71936, 1937, 1955, 1976, 1979, 1980, 2021
Syracuse 61952, 1956, 1959, 1966, 1987, 1992
Navy 1943, 1954, 1957, 1960 (½), 1963, 2015
Boston College 51940, 1942, 1983, 1984, 2004
Miami (FL)*42000, 2001, 2002, 2003
West Virginia 41988, 1993, 2007, 2011
Dartmouth^21965, 1970
Princeton^21950, 1951
Virginia Tech 21995, 1999
Carnegie Tech11938
Cincinnati*12012
Connecticut 12010
Cornell^11939
Fordham^11941
Louisville*12006
Rutgers 12014
Yale^½1960 (½)

^ Now a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
† Now a member of NCAA Division III.

* No longer eligible to win Lambert Trophy

Lambert Cup

Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA)

NOTE: The Ivy League, and until 1997, the Patriot League, do/did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Tournament.

[14]

Most FCS Lambert Cups

TeamTotalYears won
Delaware 81982, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010
James Madison 71994, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020
Holy Cross 51983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
Villanova 31992, 2002, 2009
Lehigh 22001, 2011
UMass21998, 2006
New Hampshire 22005, 2014
Rhode Island 21984, 1985
William & Mary 21990, 1996
Boston University11993
Colgate 12018
Fordham 12015
Hofstra11999
Old Dominion12012
Towson 12013

† Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
‡ Discontinued football

Division II

Most D-II Lambert Cups

SchoolTotalYears won
IUP 121987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2017
Delaware111959, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969(½), 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973(½), 1974, 1976, 1979
West Chester 61967, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2019
Lehigh1957, 1961, 1973 (½), 1975, 1977, 1980
New Haven 41992, 1995, 1997, 2011
Bloomsburg 31985, 2000, 2014
Towson State31983, 1984, 1986
Bucknell21960, 1964
California (PA) 22007, 2009
East Stroudsburg 21982, 2005
Shepherd 22015, 2016
Buffalo11958
Clarion 11996
Gettysburg ^11966
LIU Post 12018
Maine11965
UMass11978
Mercyhurst 12010
Millersville 11988
Shippensburg 11981
Slippery Rock 11998
Wesleyan ^½1969 (½)

‡ Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
^ Now a member of Division III.

Division III

Most D-III Lambert Cups

TeamTotalYears won
Rowan 81993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005
Ithaca 1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984 (½), 1985, 1988, 1991
Wesley 62007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015
Alfred 21971, 2016
Brockport 22002, 2017
C. W. Post21973, 1976
St. John Fisher 22006, 2013
Wagner21967, 1987
Washington & Jefferson 21992, 1994
Widener 21981, 2000
Wilkes 21966, 1968
Union (NY) 1984 (½), 1989
Allegheny 11990
Carnegie Mellon 11979
Cortland 12008
Edinboro11970
Franklin & Marshall 11972
Hobart 12012
Hofstra ^11983
Johns Hopkins 12018
Lycoming 11997
Merchant Marine 11969
Muhlenberg 12019
Plymouth State 11982
RPI 12003
Salisbury 11986
Westminster (PA) 11977

† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
‡ Now a member of Division II.
^ Discontinued football

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References

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  11. "... @SickosCommittee @PickSixPreviews @FQACC @ECACSports @ShutdownFullcas @SplitZoneDuo @ArmyWP_Football @SolidVerbal pbs.twimg.com/media/GYKWrTZXcAAKWGJ?format=png&name=orig". Twitter. September 23, 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-09-24. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 Mackall, Dave (January 5, 2010). "Penn State finishes atop MNYFW poll". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "ECAC Announces 2018 Football Teams of the Year and Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  14. "American Football Networks, Inc. - Lambert FCS Cup". Archived from the original on Jun 29, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.