College football teams are organized into conferences, which are groups of colleges and universities that compete against each other. These conferences help structure the football season, determining game schedules, fostering rivalries, and shaping postseason eligibility. The most prominent conferences are known as the "Power Five," which include the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, and SEC. These conferences have the greatest influence on the College Football Playoff (CFP). In addition to the Power Five, there are "Group of Five" conferences, which include the AAC, Conference USA, MAC, Mountain West, and Sun Belt.
College Football Conferences with most Championships
The Big Ten Conference has 31 championship titles, which is the most in college football, as of the 2023-24 college football championship game. It is the oldest conference, established in 1896, and within it, Michigan leads with 10 championships. Other notable teams in the Big Ten include Ohio State, with 8 championships, and Minnesota, with 6 championships.
Another prominent conference is the Southeastern Conference (SEC), which has won 27 championships. Established in 1933, the SEC's most dominant team is Alabama, with 13 championships. Other significant contributors are LSU with 4 championships and Georgia with 3 championships.
The Pac-12 Conference, established in 1915, has 15 championships. The University of Southern California (USC) leads the Pac-12 with 9 championships, followed by California with 3 championships. Washington, UCLA, and Stanford each have 1 championship.
Here are the college football conferences that have the most championships, as of 2023–24 College Football:
| Conference | Total Championships | Leading Team | Teams with Championships |
| Big Ten | 31 | Michigan (10) | Ohio State (8), Minnesota (6), Illinois (3), Michigan State (2), Iowa (1), Chicago (1) |
| SEC | 27 | Alabama (13) | LSU (4), Georgia (3), Florida (3), Auburn (2), Tennessee (2), Ole Miss (1) |
| Pac-12 | 15 | USC (9) | California (3), Washington (1), UCLA (1), Stanford (1) |
| ACC | 8 | Clemson (3) | Florida State (3), Georgia Tech (1), Maryland (1) |
| Big 12 | 5 | Nebraska (3) | Texas (1), Oklahoma (1) |
College football teams with the most championships
The Yale Bulldogs have 18 NCAA-recognized national championships. Their legacy includes two of the first three Heisman Trophy winners. Although Yale claims 27 national championships, the NCAA officially recognizes 18 of these titles.
The Alabama Crimson Tide has secured 16 national championships, in a dominant era from 2006 to 2020. Under the leadership of head coach Nick Saban, Alabama won six of these titles.
Here is the list of college football teams with the most championships, as of 2023-24 CFB playoff:
| Rank | Team | National Championships |
| 1 | Yale | 18 (1874, 1876, 1877, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1900, 1907, 1909, 1927) |
| 2 | Alabama | 16 (1925, 1926, 1930, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, 1979, 1992, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020) |
| 3 | Princeton | 15 (1869, 1870, 1872, 1873, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1885, 1889, 1893, 1896, 1903, 1906, 1911, 1922) |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 13 (1919, 1924, 1929, 1930, 1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1977, 1988) |
| 5 | Michigan | 10 (1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1933, 1948, 1997, 2023) |
| 6 | Southern California (USC) | 9 (1931, 1932, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004) |
| 7 | Harvard | 8 (1875, 1890, 1898, 1899, 1910, 1912, 1913, 1919) |
| 8 | Ohio State | 8 (1942, 1954, 1957, 1961, 1968, 1970, 2002, 2014) |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 7 (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000) |
| 10 | Minnesota | 6 (1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, 1960) |
FAQs on college football conferences
A. There are several major conferences, including the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Pac-12, Big 12, and AAC.
A. The Big Ten Conference, established in 1896, is the oldest college football conference.
A. The Power Five consists of the Big Ten, SEC, Pac-12, ACC, and Big 12. These conferences are considered the most competitive and influential in college football.
A. The ACC has 8 championships. Clemson and Florida State have each won 3 championships.
