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BLACK COLLEGE SPORTS

Black College Football National Champions

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Teams were originally selected by the Pittsburgh Courier, and compiled by Collie Nicholson, former Grambling sports information director; William “Bill” Nunn Jr., Pittsburgh Courier sports editor (right); and Eric “Ric” Roberts, Pittsburgh Courier sports writer and noted black college sports historian.

(From 1981, teams were selected by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network and American Sports Wire.
Records include postseason games)

Bill Nunn, West Virginia State

Year Team Won-LostHead Coach
1920 Howard
Talladega
7-0-0
5-0-1
Edward Morrison
Jubie Bragg
1921 Talladega
Wiley College
6-0-1
7-0-1
Jubie Bragg
Jason Grant
1922 Hampton 6-0-1Gideon Smith
1923Howard(tie)
Lincoln (PA) (tie)
Virginia Union
7-0-1
5-2-1
6-0-1
Louis L. Watson
Ulysses S. Young
Harold Martin
1924 Tuskegee Institute
Wiley College
9-0-1
8-0-1
Cleve Abbott
Fred T. Long
1925 Tuskegee Institute
Howard
8-0-1
6-0-2
Cleve Abbott
Louis Watson
1926 Tuskegee Institute
Howard
10-0-0
7-0-0
Cleve Abbott
Louis Watson
1927 Tuskegee Institute
Bluefield State
9-0-1
8-0-1
Cleve Abbott
Harry Jefferson
1928 Bluefield State
Wiley College
8-0-1
8-0-1
Harry Jefferson
Fred T. Long
1929 Tuskegee Institute 10-0-0 Cleve Abbott
1930 Tuskegee Institute 11-0-1 Cleve Abbott
1931 Wilberforce 9-0-0Harry Graves
1932 Wiley College 9-0-0Fred “Pop” Long
1933 Morgan State9-0-0Edward Hurt
1934 Kentucky State 9-0-0Henry Kean
1935 Texas College9-0-0Arnett Mumford
1936 West Virginia State
Virginia State
8-0-0
7-0-2
Adolph Hamblin
Harry Jefferson
1937 Morgan State 7-0-0Edward Hurt
1938 Florida A&M8-0-0Bill Bell
1939 Langston 9-0-0Felton “Zip” Gayles
1940 Morris Brown9-1-0Artis Graves
1941 Morris Brown8-1-0William “Billy” Nicks
1942 Florida A&M9-0-0Bill Bell
1943 Morgan State5-0-0Edward Hurt
1944 Morgan State 6-1-0Edward Hurt
1945 Wiley College10-0-0 Fred “Pop” Long
1946 Tennessee State
Morgan State
10-1-0
8-0-0
Henry Kean
Edward Hurt
1947 Tennessee State
Shaw
10-0-0
10-0-0
Henry Kean
Brutus Wilson
1948 Southern 12-0-0 Arnett Mumford
1949 Southern
Morgan State
10-0-1
8-0-0
Arnett Mumford
Edward Hurt
1950 Southern
Florida A&M
10-0-1
8-1-0
Arnett Mumford
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
1951 Morris Brown10-1-0Edward “Ox” Clemons
1952 Florida A&M
Texas Southern
Lincoln, MO
Virginia State
8-2-0
10-0-1
8-0-1
8-1-0
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
Alexander Durley
Dwight Reed
Sylvester “Sal” Hall
1953 Prairie View A&M12-0-0 William “Billy” Nicks
1954 Tennessee State
Southern
Florida A&M
Prairie View A&M
10-1-0
10-1-0
8-1-0
10-1-0
Henry Kean
Arnett Mumford
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
William “Billy” Nicks
1955 Grambling State10-0-0Eddie Robinson
1956 Tennessee State10-0-0Howard Gentry
1957 Florida A&M9-0-0 Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
1958 Prairie View A&M
1st 3x W.A. Scott Trophy winner
10-0-1William “Billy” Nicks
1959 Florida A&M10-0-0Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
1960 Southern 9-1-0Arnett Mumford
1961 Florida A&M10-0-0Alonzo “Jake” Gaither
1962 Jackson State
AP Coll. Div. Champs
10-1-0John Merritt
1963 Prairie View A&M10-1-0 William “Billy” Nicks
1964 Prairie View A&M9-0-0William “Billy” Nicks
1965 Tennessee State9-0-1John Merritt
1966 Tennessee State10-0-0John Merritt
1967 Morgan State
Grambling State
8-0-0
9-1-0
Earl Banks
Eddie Robinson

Year Team Won-Lost Head Coach
1968 Alcorn State
North Carolina A&T
9-1-0
8-1-0
Marino Casem
Hornsby Howell
1969 Alcorn State8-0-1Marino Casem
1970 Tennessee State11-0-0John Merritt
1971 Tennessee State9-1-0John Merritt
1972 Grambling State 11-2-0 Eddie Robinson
1973 Tennessee State
AP/UPI Coll. Div.
10-0-0John Merritt
1974 Grambling State
Alcorn State (Decl)
11-1-0
9-2-0
Eddie Robinson
Marino Casem
1975 Grambling State 10-2-0Eddie Robinson
1976 South Carolina State 10-1-0 Willie Jeffries
1977 South Carolina State
Grambling State
Florida A&M
9-1-0
10-1-0
11-0-0
Willie Jeffries
Eddie Robinson
Rudy Hubbard
1978 Florida A&M*
NCAA Division I-AA Pioneer Bowl
12-1-0
DIv. 1-AA 1st National Champions
Rudy Hubbard
1979Tennessee State 8-3-0 John Merritt
1980 Grambling State 10-2-0 Eddie Robinson
1981 South Carolina State 10-3-0 Bill Davis
1982 Tennessee State**9-0-1John Merritt
1983 Grambling State 8-1-0Eddie Robinson
1984 Alcorn State 9-1-0 Marino Casem
1985 Jackson State 8-3-0 W. C. Gordon
1986 Central State, Ohio 10-1-0 Billy Joe
1987 Central State, Ohio 10-1-0 Billy Joe
1988 Central State, Ohio 11-2-0 Billy Joe
1989 Central State, Ohio 10-2-0 Billy Joe
1990 Central State, Ohio
NAIA Division I Champion Bowl
11-1-0 Billy Joe
1991 Alabama State 11-0-1 Houston Markham
1992 Central State, Ohio
NAIA Div. I Champion
Grambling State
Heritage Bowl II
12–1

10-2
Billy Joe

Eddie Robinson
1993 Southern
Heritage Bowl III

Hampton (Declined)
11-1-0Pete Richardson
1994 Hampton 10-1-0 Joe Taylor
1995 Southern
Heritage Bowl V
11-1-0 Pete Richardson
1996 Jackson State
(NCAA D-1AA)
10-2-0 James Carson
1997 Southern
Heritage Bowl VII

Hampton (Declined)
11-1-0 Pete Richardson
1998 *Florida A&M (decl.)
Southern
Heritage Bowl VII
I
11-2-0

9-3
Billy Joe

Pete Richardson
1999 North Carolina A&T *
(NCAA D-1AA)
11-2-0 Bill Hayes
2000Tuskegee 12-0-0 Rick Comegy
2001 Grambling State 10-1-0 Doug Williams
2002 Grambling State 11-2-0 Doug Williams
2003 Southern 12-1-0 Pete Richardson
2004 Hampton 10-2-0 Joe Taylor
2005 Hampton
Grambling State
11-1-0
11-1-0
Joe Taylor
Melvin Spears
2006 North Carolina Central 11-1-0 Rod Broadway
2007 Tuskegee 12-0-0Willie Slater
2008 Grambling State 11-2-0Rod Broadway
2009 South Carolina State10-2-0Oliver ‘Buddy’ Pugh
2010 Albany State 11-1-0Mike White
2011 Winston-Salem State 13-1-0 Connell Maynor
2012Winston-Salem State
Arkansas Pine Bluff
14-0-0
10-2-0
Connell Maynor
Monte Coleman
2013Tennessee State
Bethune-Cookman
10-4-0
10-3-0
Rod Reed
Brian Jenkins
2014Alcorn State10-3Jay Hopson
2015North Carolina A&T
Tuskegee
10–2
10–3
Rod Broadway
Willie J. Slater
2016Grambling State
Tuskegee
Winston–Salem State
12–1
9–3
9–3
Broderick Fobbs
Willie J. Slater
Kienus P. Boulware
2017North Carolina A&T12–0Rod Broadway
2018North Carolina A&T10–2Sam Washington
2019North Carolina A&T
*Florida A&M
*=ineligible
9–3
*9-2
Sam Washington
Willie Simmons

Ledger: Decl/Declined= declined automatic bid to play in a bowl game, instead opted to play in Div. 1-AA playoffs.

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