List of undefeated NCAA Division I football teams


This is a list of undefeated NCAA Division I football teams, which describes all teams that finished a college football season in the NCAA's Division I, or historic equivalent, without any losses.

Division I Football Bowl Subdivision

NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision is currently the highest division of play in college football. However this nomenclature and these categories of divisional play have only existed since 2006 and 1978, respectively. Prior to the formation of the NCAA in 1906, there was no differentiation between the level of play from one college to another, and thus all intercollegiate teams can be thought of as having played in the same division. Likewise, even after the formation of the NCAA, there was no differentiation into divisions until 1956, when play was separated in the upper "University" division and lower "Collegiate" division. In 1973, a three division reorganization occurred placing teams into NCAA Division I, Division II, or Division III. In 1978, Division I was further subdivided into Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 2006, these subdivisions were renamed Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision, respectively.
The following categories represent the historical equivalents of the highest level of play over the history of college football, and the subsequent tables list the teams for each season that went undefeated while competing in these highest categories:
These teams finished the season having won every game in which they played, thus completing a "perfect season".

Pre-1900

YearTeamRecordNotes
1870Princeton1–0–0
1872Princeton1–0–0
1872Yale1–0–0
1873Princeton1–0–0
1874Princeton4–0–0
1874Yale3–0–0
1875Harvard4–0–0
1875Princeton2–0–0
1876Rutgers1–0–0
1876Yale3–0–0
1877Amherst1–0–0
1878Princeton6–0–0
1880Michigan1–0–0
1881Georgetown1–0–0
1881Penn State1–0–0
1882Michigan1–0–0
1882Navy1–0–0
1882Yale8–0–0
1883California2–0–0
1883Princeton4–0–0
1883NYU1–0–0
1883Albion1–0–0
1884Michigan2–0–0
1884Navy1–0–0
1884Wabash1–0–0
1884Yale9–0–0
1885Albion1–0–0
1885Michigan3–0–0Michigan was unscored upon.
1885Princeton9–0–0
1886California4–0–0
1886Fordham1–0–0
1886Michigan2–0–0Michigan was unscored upon.
1887Michigan3–0–0Michigan was unscored upon.
1887Minnesota2–0–0Minnesota was unscored upon.
1887Penn State2–0–0Penn State was unscored upon.
1887Yale9–0–0
1887Hanover2–0–0
1888Colorado School of Mines1–0–0
1888Notre Dame1–0–0
1888USC2–0–0
1888Yale13–0–0Yale was unscored upon.
1889Beloit1–0–0
1889Butler2–0–0
1889California4–0–0
1889Colorado School of Mines1–0–0
1889Miami 4–0–0
1889Notre Dame1–0–0
1889Ohio State1–0–0
1889Princeton10–0–0
1889USC2–0–0
1889Colorado School of Mines6–0–0
1890Harvard11–0–0
1890Kentucky1–0–0
1890Nebraska2–0–0
1890Vanderbilt1–0–0
1891Albion4–0–0
1891Detroit1–0–0
1891Duke3–0–0
1891Purdue4–0–0
1891Wake Forest1–0–0
1891Yale13–0–0
1892Case Western Reserve3–0–0
1892Colgate3–0–0
1892Minnesota5–0–0
1892NC State1–0–0
1892Purdue8–0–0
1892USC1–0–0
1892Utah St.1–0–0
1892Wyoming1–0–0
1892Yale13–0–0
1893Case Western Reserve4–0–0
1893Fordham4–0–0
1893Maryland6–0–0
1893Minnesota6–0–0
1893NC State2–0–0
1893Princeton11–0–0
1893Texas4–0–0
1894North Dakota St.2–0–0
1894Columbia Physicians & Surgeons3–0–0
1894New Mexico State2–0–0
1894Penn12–0–0
1894USC1–0–0
1894Wyoming3–0–0
1894Yale16–0–0
1894Case Western Reserve7–0–0
1895Arkansas1–0–0
1895Bloomsburg1–0–0
1895Miami 3–0–0
1895Hanover2–0–0
1895LSU3–0–0
1895Marquette4–0–0
1895Oregon4–0–0
1895Penn14–0–0
1895St. Bonaventure4–0–0
1895Texas5–0–0Texas was unscored upon.
1895Tulsa1–0–0
1895Washington State2–0–0
1895Wyoming1–0–0
1896Fordham1–0–0
1896Georgia4–0–0
1896LSU6–0–0
1896NC State1–0–0
1896North Dakota2–0–0
1896Oklahoma2–0–0
1896St. John's1–0–0
1896Tennessee4–0–0
1896Wyoming2–0–0
1897Alabama1–0–0
1897Butler1–0–0
1897Buffalo8–0–0
1897Oklahoma2–0–0
1897Oregon State2–0–0
1897Penn15–0–0
1897Washington State2–0–0
1897Wichita State1–0–0
1897Wyoming2–0–0
1898Colorado School of Mines9–0–0
1898Detroit5–0–0
1898Drexel7–0–0Drexel was unscored upon.
1898Harvard11–0–0
1898Kalamazoo7–0–0MIAA champions
1898Kentucky7–0–0Kentucky was unscored upon.
1898LSU1–0–0
1898Michigan10–0–0
1898North Carolina9–0–0
1898Oklahoma2–0–0
1898Tulsa1–0–0
1899Sewanee12–0–0Won five road games in six days.
1899New Mexico State1–0–0
1899North Dakota6–0–0
1899Utah St.1–0–0

1900 to present

note: In 1917, 1918, 1943, and 1944, football teams from military training facilities competed alongside college programs

Undefeated with ties

These teams all finished the season with no losses, but with ties.
YearTeamRecordNotes
1873Harvard1-0-1-
1877Princeton2-0-1-
1877Yale3-0-1-
1878Columbia0-0-2-
1879Princeton4-0-1-
1879Michigan1-0-1-
1879Yale3-0-2-
1879Navy0-0-1-
1880Princeton4-0-1-
1880Yale4-0-1-
1881Princeton7-0-2-
1881Yale5-0-1-
1881Dartmouth1-0-1-
1883Yale3-0-1-
1884Yale3-0-1-
1884Princeton3-0-1-
1884Penn3-0-1-
1886Wabash2-0-1-
1886Yale9-0-1-
1886Princeton7-0-1-
1888Depauw0-0-1-
1889South Dakota1-0-1-
1890Butler3-0-1-
1890Washington0-0-1-
1892Stanford4-0-2-
1893Auburn3-0-2-
1892Stanford9-0-1-
1894Penn State6-0-1-
1895Stanford4-0-1-
1895Washington4-0-1-
1896Princeton10-0-1-
1896Lafayette11-0-1-
1896Texas A&M2-0-1-
1897Auburn2-0-1-
1897Yale9-0-2-
1897Hanover4-0-1-
1898Princeton11-0-1-
1899Denver0-0-1-
1899Ohio State9-0-1Ohio State allowed only five points.
1899Harvard10-0-1-
1899Chicago16-0-2-
1899Iowa8-0-1-
1899Wabash1-0-1-
1900Iowa7-0-1-
1900Minnesota10-0-2-
1901Georgia Tech4-0-1-
1901Marquette4-0-1-
1902Texas A&M7-0-2-
1902Yale11-0-1-
1903Michigan11-0-1-
1903Minnesota14-0-1-
1903Stanford8-0-3-
1904Colorado School of Mines5-0-1-
1904Dartmouth7-0-1-
1904Colorado School of Mines4-0-1-
1904Albion7-0-1-
1905Penn12-0-1-
1905Georgia Tech6-0-1-
1905Colorado School of Mines5-0-1-
1906Colorado School of Mines3-0-2-
1906Princeton9-0-1-
1906Yale9-0-1-
1906Clemson4-0-3-
1906Colorado School of Mines3-0-2-
1906Eastern Michigan5-0-1-
1907Yale9-0-1-
1907Notre Dame6-0-1-
1908Albion5-0-2-
1908Penn11-0-1-
1908Harvard9-0-1-
1908Chicago5-0-1-
1908Kansas12-0-1-
1908Virginia7-0-1-
1908Washington6-0-1Part of NCAA Division I FBS record 64-game unbeaten streak
1909Texas A&M7-0-1-
1909Lafayette7-0-1-
1909Penn State5-0-2-
1909Missouri7-0-1-
1910Harvard8-0-1-
1910Michigan3-0-3-
1910Vanderbilt12-0-1-
1910Navy8-0-1-
1910Michigan3-0-3-
1910Baylor6-0-2-
1910NC State4-0-2-
1911Princeton8-0-2-
1911Minnesota6-0-1-
1911Penn State8-0-1-
1911Navy6-0-3-
1911Florida5-0-1-
1913Washington & Jefferson10-0-1-
1914Auburn8-0-1-
1914Harvard7-0-2-
1914Colorado School of Mines5-0-1-
1914Nebraska7-0-1-
1914Oregon State7-0-2-
1914Washington6-0-1Part of NCAA Division I FBS record 64-game unbeaten streak
1915Minnesota6-0-1-
1915Georgia Tech7-0-1-
1915Illinois5-0-2-
19167-0-1-
1916Georgia Tech8-0-1-
1916Oregon7-0-1-
1916Tennessee8-0-1-
1916Colorado State5-0-2-
1916Washington6-0-1Part of NCAA Division I FBS record 64-game unbeaten streak
19176-0-2-
1917Ohio State8-0-1-
1917Washington State6-0-1-
1917Utah State7-0-1-
19185-0-1-
1918Naval Station Great Lakes6-0-2-
1919Harvard9-0-1-
1920Oklahoma6-0-1-
1920Georgia8-0-1-
1920Harvard8-0-1-
1920Pittsburgh6-0-2-
1920Princeton6-0-1-
1920Penn State7-0-2-
1921Washington & Jefferson10-0-1-
1921Vanderbilt7-0-1-
1921Penn State8-0-2-
1921California9-0-1-
1922West Virginia10-0-1-
1922Michigan6-0-1-
1922Vanderbilt8-0-1-
1922Army8-0-2-
1923California9-0-1-
1923Kansas5-0-3-
1923King8-0-1-
1923Texas8-0-1-
1924California8-0-2-
1924Connecticut6-0-2-
1924Dartmouth7-0-1-
1924Gonzaga5-0-2-
1924Yale6-0-2-
1925Colgate7-0-2-
1925North Dakota State5-0-2-
1925Tulane9-0-1-
1926Alabama9-0-1-
1926Stanford10-0-1-
1926Navy9-0-1-
1926SMU8-0-1-
1926Brown9-0-1-
1927Illinois10-0-1-
1927Minnesota6-0-2-
1927Texas A&M8-0-1-
19277-0-2-
1927Tennessee8-0-1-
1928USC9-0-1-
1928Tennessee9-0-1-
1928Utah5-0-2-
19298-0-2-
1929TCU9-0-1-
1929Tennessee9-0-1-
1929SMU6-0-4-
1930Michigan8-0-1-
1930Marquette8-0-1-
1932Auburn9-0-1-
1932Western Michigan6-0-1-
1933Michigan7-0-1-
1933LSU7-0-3-
1935Case Western Reserve9-0-1-
1936Alabama8-0-1-
1937Pittsburgh9-0-1-
1937California10-0-1-
1937Fordham7-0-1-
1937Villanova8-0-1-
1937Dartmouth7-0-2-
1937Holy Cross8-0-2-
1937Marshall9-0-1-
1938Villanova8-0-1-
1939USC8-0-2-
1939UCLA6-0-4-
1939Duquesne8-0-1-
1940Mississippi State10-0-1-
1941Notre Dame8-0-1-
1941Utah6-0-2-
1944USC8-0-2-
1945Eastern Michigan5-0-1-
1945Indiana9-0-1-
1946Notre Dame8-0-1-
1946Army9-0-1-
1947Miami 9-0-1-
1947SMU9-0-2-
1947Penn State9-0-1-
1947Penn7-0-1-
1948Notre Dame9-0-1-
1948Army8-0-1-
1950Clemson9-0-1-
1951Illinois9-0-1-
1951Georgia Tech11-0-1-
1953Notre Dame9-0-1-
1954Virginia Poletechnic8-0-1-
1956Texas A&M9-0-1-
1957VMI9-0-1-
1958Army8-0-1-
1958Auburn9-0-1-
1958Air Force9-0-2-
1960Ole Miss10-0-1-
1961Ohio State8-0-1-
19639-0-1-
1966Notre Dame9-0-1-
1966Michigan State9-0-1-
1969USC10-0-1-
1970Nebraska11-0-1-
1973Michigan10-0-1-
1973Ohio State10-0-1-
1973Oklahoma10-0-1-
1974Miami 10-0-1-
1979Central Michigan10-0-1-
1979USC11-0-1-
1982SMU11-0-1-
1985Fresno State11-0-1-
1987Syracuse11-0-1-
1990Georgia Tech11-0-1-
1992Michigan9-0-3-
1994Texas A&M10-0-1-
1995Toledo11-0-1-

Teams with multiple undefeated seasons

Teams ordered by the number of undefeated seasons in the top division. Teams in italics no longer compete in Division I FBS.
TeamUndefeatedPerfect
Yale3016
Princeton2918
Michigan2315
Notre Dame2213
USC169
Harvard148
Oklahoma1311
Penn State148
North Dakota State1210
Alabama1210
Auburn127
Washington127
Nebraska119
Miami 116
Minnesota116
Texas109
Colorado School of Mines106
Ohio State96
Washington State94
Georgia Tech93
Texas A&M93
LSU87
Pittsburgh86
Penn84
Army84
Central Michigan86
Utah75
Tennessee74
Dartmouth73
Case Western Reserve65
Western Michigan65
Clemson64
Illinois63
California62
Utah St.64
Cornell55
Eastern Michigan53
SMU51
Colorado44
Toledo43
Chicago42
Iowa42
Lafayette42
Vanderbilt41
Arizona State33
Florida State33
Miami 33
Purdue33
Rutgers33
Saint Louis33
Wisconsin33
Michigan State32
Oregon State32
Georgia32
TCU32
Tulane32
Navy30
Washington & Jefferson30
Arkansas22
Arkansas St.22
Boise State22
Marshall22
Maryland22
Colorado College22
Ole Miss21
Connecticut21
Colorado State21
Drexel22
Duquesne21
Kansas21
Memphis21
Stanford21
Syracuse21
UCLA21
USNTC Bainbridge22
Villanova20

Coaches with multiple undefeated seasons

Coaches ordered by the number of undefeated seasons in the top division.
TeamUndefeatedPerfect
Gil Dobie1411
Fielding H. Yost96
Earl Blaik73
John Heisman73
Frank Leahy73
Bernie Bierman65
Howard Jones64
Glenn Scobey Warner64
Cleveland L. Abbott62
Robert Neyland61
Joe Paterno55
Knute Rockne55
Ike Armstrong53
Percy Haughton52
Hugo Bezdek51
Bud Wilkinson44
Bear Bryant43
Bennie Owen43
Elton Rynearson43
Warren B. Woodson43
Dana X. Bible42
Walter Camp42
Woody Hayes42
Amos Alonzo Stagg42
Robert Zuppke42
Dan McGugin41
Francis Schmidt40

Division I Football Championship Subdivision

This section covers teams that competed in the second tier of Division I since it was split in 1978:
Note that Division I FCS features a single-elimination championship tournament, reducing the likelihood of multiple teams finishing the season with undefeated records. However, several conferences voluntarily do not compete in the tournament, thus there exists a chance to have multiple undefeated teams in the same year.
In both lists in this section, teams in bold competed in the I-AA or FCS playoffs, thereby winning the national title.

Undefeated and untied

These teams finished the season with no losses or ties in Division I-AA or FCS football since 1978.
YearTeamRecordCoach
198213–0–0Kidd
198411–0Thomas
1986Penn10–0–0Zubrow
1987Holy Cross11–0–0Duffner
1989Georgia Southern15–0–0Russell
1991Holy Cross11–0–0Duffner
1993Penn10–0–0Bagnoli
1994Penn9–0–0Bagnolli
1996Marshall15–0Pruett
199611–0Kelly
1996Dartmouth11–0Lyons
2000Davidson11–0Susan
2000Robert Morris10–0Walton
200110-0Fleming
20019–0Murphy
2003Penn10-0Bagnoli
2004Harvard10–0Murphy
2009South Alabama7–0Jones
2010South Alabama10–0Jones
2013North Dakota State15–0Bohl
2014Harvard10–0Murphy
2017North Carolina A&T12-0Broadway
2018Princeton10–0Surace
2018North Dakota State15–0Klieman
2019North Dakota State16–0Entz

Undefeated with ties

These teams finished the season with no losses, but with ties, in Division I-AA or FCS football since 1978.
YearTeamRecordCoach
199111–0–1Markham
199414–0–1Tressel