Black College Football National Champions
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)
| Year | Team | Won-Lost | Head 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 | 6-0-1 | Gideon Smith |
| 1923 | Howard(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 | 9-0-0 | Harry Graves |
| 1932 | Wiley College | 9-0-0 | Fred “Pop” Long |
| 1933 | Morgan State | 9-0-0 | Edward Hurt |
| 1934 | Kentucky State | 9-0-0 | Henry Kean |
| 1935 | Texas College | 9-0-0 | Arnett Mumford |
| 1936 | West Virginia State Virginia State | 8-0-0 7-0-2 | Adolph Hamblin Harry Jefferson |
| 1937 | Morgan State | 7-0-0 | Edward Hurt |
| 1938 | Florida A&M | 8-0-0 | Bill Bell |
| 1939 | Langston | 9-0-0 | Felton “Zip” Gayles |
| 1940 | Morris Brown | 9-1-0 | Artis Graves |
| 1941 | Morris Brown | 8-1-0 | William “Billy” Nicks |
| 1942 | Florida A&M | 9-0-0 | Bill Bell |
| 1943 | Morgan State | 5-0-0 | Edward Hurt |
| 1944 | Morgan State | 6-1-0 | Edward Hurt |
| 1945 | Wiley College | 10-0-0 | 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 Brown | 10-1-0 | Edward “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&M | 12-0-0 | 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 State | 10-0-0 | Eddie Robinson |
| 1956 | Tennessee State | 10-0-0 | Howard Gentry |
| 1957 | Florida A&M | 9-0-0 | Alonzo “Jake” Gaither |
| 1958 | Prairie View A&M 1st 3x W.A. Scott Trophy winner | 10-0-1 | William “Billy” Nicks |
| 1959 | Florida A&M | 10-0-0 | Alonzo “Jake” Gaither |
| 1960 | Southern | 9-1-0 | Arnett Mumford |
| 1961 | Florida A&M | 10-0-0 | Alonzo “Jake” Gaither |
| 1962 | Jackson State AP Coll. Div. Champs | 10-1-0 | John Merritt |
| 1963 | Prairie View A&M | 10-1-0 | William “Billy” Nicks |
| 1964 | Prairie View A&M | 9-0-0 | William “Billy” Nicks |
| 1965 | Tennessee State | 9-0-1 | John Merritt |
| 1966 | Tennessee State | 10-0-0 | John 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 State | 8-0-1 | Marino Casem |
| 1970 | Tennessee State | 11-0-0 | John Merritt |
| 1971 | Tennessee State | 9-1-0 | John Merritt |
| 1972 | Grambling State | 11-2-0 | Eddie Robinson |
| 1973 | Tennessee State AP/UPI Coll. Div. | 10-0-0 | John Merritt |
| 1974 | Grambling State Alcorn State (Decl) | 11-1-0 9-2-0 | Eddie Robinson Marino Casem |
| 1975 | Grambling State | 10-2-0 | Eddie 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 |
| 1979 | Tennessee 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** | 9-0-1 | John Merritt |
| 1983 | Grambling State | 8-1-0 | Eddie 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) | 11-1-0 | Pete 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 VIII | 11-2-0 9-3 | Billy Joe Pete Richardson |
| 1999 | North Carolina A&T * (NCAA D-1AA) | 11-2-0 | Bill Hayes |
| 2000 | Tuskegee | 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 | 12-0-0 | Willie Slater |
| 2008 | Grambling State | 11-2-0 | Rod Broadway |
| 2009 | South Carolina State | 10-2-0 | Oliver ‘Buddy’ Pugh |
| 2010 | Albany State | 11-1-0 | Mike White |
| 2011 | Winston-Salem State | 13-1-0 | Connell Maynor |
| 2012 | Winston-Salem State Arkansas Pine Bluff | 14-0-0 10-2-0 | Connell Maynor Monte Coleman |
| 2013 | Tennessee State Bethune-Cookman | 10-4-0 10-3-0 | Rod Reed Brian Jenkins |
| 2014 | Alcorn State | 10-3 | Jay Hopson |
| 2015 | North Carolina A&T Tuskegee | 10–2 10–3 | Rod Broadway Willie J. Slater |
| 2016 | Grambling State Tuskegee Winston–Salem State | 12–1 9–3 9–3 | Broderick Fobbs Willie J. Slater Kienus P. Boulware |
| 2017 | North Carolina A&T | 12–0 | Rod Broadway |
| 2018 | North Carolina A&T | 10–2 | Sam Washington |
| 2019 | North 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.