SEC holds 16-14 Margin in Official National Championships Won, 1936-2006.

by Tex Noel/1st-N-Goal
(Indiana)

After years of serious StatResearch on national champions, all levels, not just Major College/NCAA 1A/Bowl Subdivision the following revels that the SEC holds a 16-14 margin, in seasons which a member was selected as an official National Champion, 1936-2006.

Official sources include AP, since 1936; UP/UPI, 1950-95 (last official coaches poll was released in 1990); FWAA (football writers), 1954; NFFHF (football foundation and hall of fame), 1959; USA Today, 1982 (actually this source wasn't an official selector until 1991) and finally the BCS, 1998.

The seasons that a SEC team or Big 10 team was a National Champion:

SEC Champions in: 1951-57-58*-60-61-65-66-73-78-79-80-92-96-98-2003*-06. (16)

Big 10 Champions in: 1936-40-41-42*-48-54*-57*-58-60-61*-68*-70*-97-2002*. (14)

*Ohio State or LSU was No. 1

The above does not include the 1952 season when Michigan State was not an official member of the Big 10; or 1964 when Arkansas was in the SWC; or Penn State's titles of 1982 and 1986, when it played as an Independent.