List of Southern Conference football champions


The list of Southern Conference football champions includes 20 distinct teams that have won the college football championship awarded by the Southern Conference since its creation. In total, forty-one teams have sponsored football in the conference. Just two —Mercer and Western Carolina—have never won a Southern Conference football championship.
The conference was formed in 1921 when fourteen members from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association met in Atlanta, Georgia with the purpose of creating a workable number of conference games for each member. The Southern Conference is notable for having spawned two other major conferences. In 1933, thirteen schools located south and west of the Appalachians departed to form the Southeastern Conference. Twenty years later, in 1953, seven schools withdrew to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Currently the conference competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level in athletics, with the football teams playing in the Football Championship Subdivision. There are nine football playing members of the Southern Conference:Chattanooga, The Citadel, East Tennessee State, Furman, Mercer, Samford, Virginia Military Institute, Western Carolina, and Wofford. Southern Conference teams have been successful in the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs, leading all conferences with an 87–49 record. Current and former Southern Conference teams have won a total of 12 national championships.x

Champions by year

Undefeated teams claiming championships: 1922–1932

The Southern Conference does not officially recognize championships claimed from the 1922–32 seasons, as there were upwards of 20 to 23 teams competing within the conference during this time. However, some championships are still cited and claimed by the individual schools.

YearUndefeated teamConference RecordNotes
1922Georgia Tech
North Carolina
Vanderbilt		4–0
5–0
3–0		This was the inaugural Southern Conference football season with 20 teams participating. Vanderbilt was also a member of the SIAA until 1924, and defeated both Sewanee and Mercer. Vanderbilt tied Michigan 0-0 at the dedication of Dudley Field. Auburn upset Centre, previously undefeated in conference play. Vanderbilt end Lynn Bomar and Tech running back Red Barron were unanimous All-Southern and Walter Camp All-America second-team.
1923Vanderbilt
Washington and Lee		3–0–1
4–0–1		Florida upset Alabama, previously undefeated in conference play. Board of sportswriters awarded Vanderbilt the Champ Pickens trophy as Southern champions.
1924Alabama5–0Board of sportswriters awarded Alabama the Champ Pickens trophy as Southern champions.
1925Alabama
Tulane		7–0
5–0		Alabama wins national championship; the first Southern team to win a Rose Bowl. Board of sportswriters awarded Alabama the Champ Pickens trophy as Southern champions.
1926Alabama8–0Alabama wins national championship. Board of sportswriters awarded Alabama the Champ Pickens trophy as Southern champions.
1927Georgia Tech
NC State
Tennessee		7–0–1
4–0
5–0–1		Georgia Tech upset Georgia's "dream and wonder team" in its final game. Georgia had beaten Yale, and had it defeated Tech it would have been national champion; and still some selectors claim them as such.
1928Georgia Tech7–0Georgia Tech wins national championship.
1929Tulane6–0
1930Alabama
Tulane		8–0
5–0		Alabama wins national championship.
1931Tulane8–0Tulane lost the Rose Bowl to USC.
1932Auburn
LSU
Tennessee		6–0–1
4–0
7–0–1		Thirteen teams leave after this season to form the Southeastern Conference.

Champions: 1933–present

In 1978 Division I football was split into two classifications: the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision. The Southern Conference moved to the FCS in 1982 where its members compete for the NCAA Division I Football Championship.

YearChampionConference RecordNotes
1933Duke4–0Upset defending Southern champion Tennessee. Coached by Wallace Wade. Fred Crawford was a consensus All-American.
1934Washington and Lee4–0
1935Duke5–0
1936Duke7–0The Citadel, Furman, George Washington, and Richmond join the Southern Conference.
1937Maryland2–0Virginia leaves the Southern Conference before the start of the 1937 season.
1938Duke5–0
1939Duke5–0
1940Clemson4–0
1941Duke5–0
1942William & Mary5–0
1943Duke4–0
1944Duke4–0
1945Duke4–0
1946North Carolina4–0–1
1947William & Mary7–1
1948Clemson5–0
1949North Carolina5–0
1950Washington and Lee6–0West Virginia joins the Southern Conference.
1951Maryland
VMI		5–0
1952Duke5–0Seven teams leave after this season to form the Atlantic Coast Conference.
1953West Virginia4–0
1954West Virginia3–0
1955West Virginia4–0
1956West Virginia5–0
1957VMI6–0
1958West Virginia4–0Washington and Lee leaves the Southern Conference.
1959VMI6–0–1
1960VMI4–1
1961The Citadel5–1
1962VMI6–0
1963Virginia Tech5–0
1964West Virginia5–0East Carolina joins the Southern Conference.
1965West Virginia4–0Virginia Tech leaves the Southern Conference.
1966East Carolina
William & Mary		4–1–1
1967West Virginia4–0–1
1968Richmond6–0West Virginia leaves the Southern Conference.
1969Davidson
Richmond		5–1
1970William & Mary3–1George Washington leaves the Southern Conference.
1971Richmond5–1Appalachian State joins the Southern Conference.
1972East Carolina7–0
1973East Carolina7–0
1974VMI5–1
1975Richmond5–1
1976East Carolina4–1Chattanooga, Marshall, and Western Carolina join the Southern Conference.
East Carolina and Richmond leave the Southern Conference.
1977Chattanooga
VMI		4–1William & Mary leaves the Southern Conference.
1978Furman
Chattanooga		4–1Division I splits into I-A and I-AA subdivisions.
East Tennessee State joins the Southern Conference.
1979Chattanooga5–1
1980Furman7–0
1981Furman5–2
1982Furman6–1Southern Conference drops from I-A to the I-AA classification in football.
1983Furman6–0–1
1984Chattanooga5–1
1985Furman6–0
1986Appalachian State6–0–1
1987Appalachian State7–0
1988Furman
Marshall		6–1Furman wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
1989Furman7–0
1990Furman6–1
1991Appalachian State6–1Georgia Southern joins the Southern Conference.
1992The Citadel6–1Marshall wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
1993Georgia Southern7–1
1994Marshall7–1
1995Appalachian State8–0
1996Marshall8–0Marshall wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
1997Georgia Southern7–1Marshall leaves the Southern Conference.
Wofford joins the Southern Conference.
1998Georgia Southern8–0
1999Furman
Georgia Southern
Appalachian State		7–1Georgia Southern wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
2000Georgia Southern7–1Georgia Southern wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
2001Georgia Southern
Furman		7–1
2002Georgia Southern7–1
2003Wofford8–0Elon joins the Southern Conference.
VMI leaves the Southern Conference.
2004Furman
Georgia Southern		6–1
2005Appalachian State6–1Appalachian State wins NCAA Division I-AA national championship.
East Tennessee State leaves the Southern Conference.
2006Appalachian State7–0Appalachian State wins NCAA Division I FCS national championship.
2007Wofford
Appalachian State		5–2Appalachian State wins NCAA Division I FCS national championship.
2008Appalachian State8–0Samford joins the Southern Conference.
2009Appalachian State8–0
2010Appalachian State
Wofford		7–1
2011Georgia Southern7–1
2012Appalachian State
Georgia Southern
Wofford		6–2
2013Furman
Chattanooga
Samford		6–2Appalachian State, Elon, and Georgia Southern leave the Southern Conference.
2014Chattanooga7–0Mercer joins the Southern Conference. ETSU and VMI rejoin the Southern Conference. ETSU to resume football in 2015.
2015Chattanooga
The Citadel		6–1ETSU plays as FCS independent in first year of program return.
2016The Citadel8–0ETSU rejoins conference in football.
2017Wofford7–1
2018ETSU
Wofford
Furman		6–2
2019Wofford7-1

Championships by school

Current members


SchoolChampionshipsYears
Furman141978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2013, 2018
Chattanooga71977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 2013, 2014, 2015
VMI71951, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1974, 1977
Wofford72003, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019
The Citadel41961, 1992, 2015, 2016
Samford12013
East Tennessee State12018
Mercer0
Western Carolina0

Former members


SchoolChampionshipsYears
Appalachian State121986, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012
Duke101933, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1952
Georgia Southern101993, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2012
West Virginia81953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1967
East Carolina41966, 1972, 1973, 1976
Richmond41968, 1969, 1971, 1975
William & Mary41942, 1947, 1966, 1970
Marshall31988, 1994, 1996
Clemson21940, 1948
Maryland21937, 1951
North Carolina21946, 1949
Washington and Lee21934, 1950
Virginia Tech11963
Davidson11969
Elon0