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]
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
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
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