Ranking all 130 FBS Football Teams by All-Time Performance
130. Charlotte 49ers
The 49ers have only been playing in college football's top level since 2015 and have only amassed 34 wins in that time. Somebody has to have the fewest wins.
129. UMass Minutemen
Only two current D1 teams have never appeared in a bowl game-- UMass and Texas State. Fun fact: UMass is one of the five oldest D1 football teams, having first played in 1879. However, the Minutemen just jumped to FBS in 2012, and it's been a struggle.
128. Georgia State Panthers
Georgia State has the lowest all-time winning percentage among FBS programs. The Panthers just moved to the top level in 2013 and have been up and down since them.
127. South Alabama Jaguars
Like the other teams in this echelon, South Alabama has only been in the big leagues for a few years. The Jaguars made the jump in 2012 and have only briefly flirted with .500 seasons a few times.
126. UTSA Roadrunners
The Roadrunners are another 2012 D1 addition and have started to show sign of growth. But they're still 128th in all-time wins.
125. Texas State Bobcats
Another team that made the jump in 2012 and haven't done much yet.
124. Old Dominion Monarchs
But why is their mascot the king from the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph?
123. Louisiana Monroe Warhawks
One bowl game appearance since joining FBS in 1994.
122. UNLV Rebels
One of the longest tenured teams in this tier, playing since 1978, the Rebels have been struggling for quite some time. They only have four bowl appearances and are one of a the few programs with a sub-.400 winning percentage.
121. FIU Panthers
Fun fact: FIU has the fourth highest enrollment of all FBS programs.
120. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The second newest team in FBS, the wonderfully named Chanticleers started in 2017. They already have two 10+ win seasons.
119. Kent State Golden Flashes
100 years and three bowl games. But at least they played for the 2021 MAC championship.
118. FAU Owls
The better of those two Florida schools we all confuse. FAU is surprisingly 4-1 in bowl games.
117. Akron Zips
(Almost) first alphabetically in school name, last alphabetically in mascot name and close to the bottom in wins.
116. UAB Blazers
The rebirth of the Blazer football program is a feelgood story, but UAB is still a relatively new FBS program with little history of winning.
115. Buffalo Bulls
This is where Khalil Mack played college ball.
114. UTEP Miners
Top 20 mascot, bottom 20 most other football things.
113. Liberty Flames
They've only played four FBS seasons, but the Flames are 31-17 overall with a 2-0 bowl record. Small sample size, impressive early returns.
112. New Mexico State Aggies
435 wins over 100+ seasons. That's not much winning, but strangely they've never lost a bowl game, going 3-0-1.
111. Eastern Michigan Eagles
A .438 winning percentage over 123 seasons. Eastern Michigan last won a bowl in 1987.
110. Georgia Southern Eagles
Georgia Southern has only been in the FBS since 2014, but the Eagles have already posted five winning seasons.
109. Temple Owls
They've been kind of okay since 2015.
108. New Mexico Lobos
Hey, they're the best collegiate team in Nex Mexico!
107. Ball State Cardinals
1-8 in bowl games through 40 years of D1 football.
106. Rice Owls
Apparently they were good from the 1930s to the 1950s. They do have a winning record in bowl games though.
105. UConn Huskies
UConn is a basketball school that clearly is not near as invested in its football program.
104. Arkansas State Red Wolves
They only joined D1 in 1992, so time is not on their side, but they've been consistent in the last decade.
103. Tulane Green Wave
They played in the 1931 Rose Bowl, so that's a thing.
102. South Florida Bulls
Remember that time South Florida made it into the top five of the AP poll in 2007?
101. Colorado State Rams
Colorado State is a FBS football team that exists.
100. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The lowest ranked of the current Power 5 teams, it's been a long 118 seasons in North Carolina. The Demon Deacons have the lowest winning percentage of all P5 teams, but what an awesome mascot.
99. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
WKU jumped to D1 in 2008 has done quite well in its short stint. Two conference titles and a 5-3 bowl record.
98. Louisiana Ragin Cajuns
If we rank college mascots, the Ragin Cajuns are near the top. It's been a century of up-and-down football in Lafayette, but they may have had their best years in the last half-decade.
97. North Texas Mean Green
Another cool mascot, another team with a mixed history. North Texas joined the Sun Belt in 2001, promptly won four conference titles and proceeded to be everything from great to awful in the years since.
96. San Jose State Spartans
A bowl game here or there, a winning season here or there; not terrible but far from elite. If it's midnight and the game is on at the bar, SJSU is worth watching.
95. Indiana Hoosiers
Exhibit B of a college more invested in basketball than football.
94. SMU Mustangs
So this is what giving a program the "Death Penalty" will do.
93. Wyoming Cowboys
A sneaky good program, especially in recent years, but not a historical power in any era.
92. Appalachian State Mountaineers
New to the party but already dancing up a storm. App State joined the FBS in 2014 and is 6-1 in bowl games, dropping their first postseason contest in
91. Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
A former I-AA powerhouse, MTSU hasn't been quite a successful in D1. Even so, the Blue Raiders will sneak in a few winning seasons and bowl victories.
90. Memphis Tigers
Memphis football before 2014? Meh. Memphis football since 2014? Includes a trip to the Cotton Bowl and a healthy crop of NFL players.
89. Bowling Green Falcons
A respectable winning percentage but spotty overall history.
88. Duke Blue Devils
Basketball School: Part III
87. UCF Knights
Just because they think they have a national title doesn't mean they have a national title. In all fairness, UCF has been quite consistent since its FBS debut in 1996.
86. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Former monsters of Division II and I-AA, but not quite as dominant since their move to the top level in 1987; a steady program on the rise.
85. Troy Trojans
Another team that's won its way through the ranks. They have a strong case for being the best team in the Sun Belt Conference.
84. Oregon State Beavers
The bottom team from the PAC-12, the Beavers have posted a .472 winning percentage in 123 seasons. They do have Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl trophies, though.
83. Utah State Aggies
Four 10-win seasons since 2012. Zero 10-win seasons before that.
82. East Carolina Pirates
Basically a career .500 team.
81. Kansas Jayhawks
One of the few Power 5 schools with an all-time losing record. Things have been especially bad over the last decade.
80. Kansas State Wildcats
There's K-State football with Bill Snyder and K-State football without Bill Snyder. It may have felt like Snyder was there for 100 years, but his winning ways were only a shining slice amongst several decades of mediocrity.
79. Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones are currently in the midst of their greatest era in history, but five good years don't totally make up for about 100 okay or bad ones.
78. Western Michigan Broncos
Row that boa...Oh, right, he's not there anymore. 2-9 all-time in bowl games, but they did make it to a Cotton Bowl.
77. Miami (OH) Redawks
Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian and Bo Schembechler all coached here.
76. Northwestern Wildcats
If Pat Fitzgerald isn't around, there's not a lot of winning going on.
75. Washington State Cougars
The highest of highs, the lowest of lows; things haven't always gone great in The Palouse, but there are four Rose Bowl appearances mixed in.
74. Central Michigan Chippewas
The best of the geographically assigned Michigan schools.
73. Toledo Rockets
An unexpectedly good program with an all-time winning record and winning bowl record.
72. Vanderbilt Commodores
The lowest ranked program from the SEC, which says more about the SEC than Vanderbilt. #TheMoreYouKnow: Vanderbilt is the old SEC football program.
71. Ohio Bobcats
When you hear MACtion, you think Ohio.
70. Houston Cougars
Always kind of good, but rarely great. The Cougars have been to 29 bowl games.
69. Northern Illinois Huskies
A fairly dominant MAC power with six conference crowns to their names. They've even got an Orange Bowl appearance to their credit.
68. Nevada Wolfpack
The Wolfpack joined Division 1 in 2000 and while it hasn't dominated, the program has been relatively consistent and found a few double-digit win seasons.
67. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Losing regular season record, winning bowl record in 25 games and three Orange Bowls, three Peach Bowls and one Cotton Bowl.
66. San Diego State Aztecs
Another team whose best years have been in the past decade, the Aztecs are always good for some upsets and winning records; a perfect team to be right in the middle of the board.
65. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors
Who didn't love that 2007 Hawai'i team that made the Sugar Bowl? Football fun fact: the program traces its roots to 1909 when the team was the College of Hawaii Fighting Deans.
64. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The oldest team in college football history! Rutgers has never been routinely great, but that much longevity allows for enough wins. Really, Rutgers just gets points for the historical importance.
63. Marshall Thundering Herd
Marshall feels like a classic, old-school football team. Thundering Herd is a hall-of-fame mascot and they have a 12-5 bowl record.
62. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Best known as that school that gave us Brett Favre, Southern Miss is actually a reliable winner. They won't win a national title any time soon, but they will finish 7-5 all the time. Slow and steady wins the game.
61. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is still relatively new to the big leagues, but the Bearcats have rapidly climbed the ladder. They finished the best season in program history in 2021.
60. Illinois Fighting Illini
Just barely grazing by with a winning record, Illinois is one of those teams that has one remarkable season every five years or so. The Illini's three Rose Bowl wins are an impressive feat.
59. Purdue Boilermakers
They win enough to be this high. Good for them.
58. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels have never quite matched the heights of their 1950s and 60s peak, but their trophy case features multiple Cotton, Sugar and Peach bowl championships.
57. Kentucky Wildcats
The highest ranked team with a losing record, there are a few factors keeping the Wildcats in the top half. They're 12-9 in bowl games and the third oldest team in the SEC.
56. Baylor Bears
Baylor football: great or terrible, there is no in between. Who knew the Bears played in nine editions of the current NY6 bowls?
55. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
A surprisingly good mid-major team, Tulsa has been quietly consistent; it boasts 10 wins in 22 bowl games and even received bids to the Orange and Sugar bowls back in the day.
54. Arizona Wildcats
Arizona has a .562 winning percentage. That's pretty much it. The Wildcats have never played in the Rose Bowl, despite 40+ years in the PAC-12. The 21st century has been mostly unkind, but it's still a winning program.
53. Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State celebrated 100 years of college football in 2021. The Bulldogs haven't always been D1, but they have always been winners.
52. Air Force Falcons
The newest of the military academy football teams, the Falcons have only been fielding teams since 1955. Air Force seasons are all over the board, but at the end of the day they have a .548 winning percentage.
51. Louisville Cardinals
Another team in the "good but not remarkable range," the Cardinals do have wins in the Fiesta, Sugar and Orange bowls.
50. South Carolina Gamecocks
89 Division I teams have all-time winning records; South Carolina is one of them.
49. North Carolina State Wolfpack
The Wolfpack is 4-3 in Peach Bowl games, the only "signature" bowl games they've ever played in. But they played in the Micron PC Bowl game twice.
48. Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia has been "good" at various points in its history but it's rarely been "great." Win 5-7 games per season, wash, rinse, repeat.
47. Army Black Knights
Army football hasn't been contending for championships in a while, but two AP national titles still count.
46. Boise State Broncos
Everybody's favorite Cinderella, the mid-major giant slayer, Boise State stands in the top five of winning percentage and is 12-7 in bowl games. The Broncos have only been in D1 since 1996, and the short tenure is the only thing holding them from being higher.
45. Arizona State Sun Devils
The Sun Devils have a shockingly good .606 winning percentage, which is good enough for top 25 all-time. They were a little late to the party so they don't have quite as many wins as their peers.
44. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Some of the best uniforms in college football when they do them right. The Lone Ranger horseback rider in the entrance is cool. Rarely a double-digit win team, but they post a lot of 6-8 win seasons.
43. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Prior to the current Mike Gundy era, there was not much to write home about in the history of Pokes football. However, they are 21-11 in bowl games.
42. Cal Golden Bears
Cal is like corn flakes--not delectable and not great, but consistent and not terrible. The Golden Bears used to play in the Rose Bowl a lot.
41. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford is viewed with such esteem that it's easy to forget it's had some awful years. They played in the inaugural Rose Bowl Game and have mostly returned to form since the Jim Harbaugh days.
40. BYU Cougars
They've got more national championships than your school. Probably. The 1984 champs remain one of the most stable mid-major programs, just don't ask them to win a bowl game.
39. Maryland Terrapins
The Terps are one of the 50 winnigest programs in FBS history, but they should be penalized about 40 more spots for the atrocities they've had as uniforms over the past decade.
38. Boston College Eagles
Their greatest moment is still the Doug Flutie hail mary.
37. Oregon Ducks
A top-10 team of the 2010s, a top 20 team of the 2000s, but a little further down in the previous 100 years.
36. UCLA Bruins
People who say they are "USC-light" are wrong. They're more of an extra-strength Cal.
35. Missouri Tigers
Wins have been tougher to come by since joining the SEC.
34. TCU Horned Frogs
The 1938 AP national champions!
33. Iowa Hawkeyes
If nothing else, Iowa has been around for a long time; only 12 teams were formed before Iowa started playing football. The Hawkeyes have a .540 winning percentage and a winning bowl record.
32. Utah Utes
Who knew Utah was this good? 17-7 in 24 bowl games, the best winning percentage for any team with more than 20 bowl appearances.
31. North Carolina Tar Heels
The best football team at a blue-blood basketball school?
30. Michigan State Spartans
The 1952 national champions, the Spartans are always a B+/A- program, but have not replicated that A+ season. Michigan State feels like the consummate "yah, 7-5 sounds right" team every year.
29. Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes feel like an overlooked program in modern football, but never forget they were the 1990 national champions. They're also 26th in all-time wins.
28. Navy Midshepmen
The winningest military academy (don't tell Army), the Midshipmen have 725 wins to their name. They're also second in games played.
27. Minnesota Golden Golphers
The Golden Gophers are here on the strength of their four national titles; the most recent may have been in 1960, but championships are championships and only six teams have more.
26. Syracuse Orange
Modern fans may not realize how revered Syracuse football used to be. The Orange boast the 1959 national championship and a 16-9-1 bowl record. Prior to the last 15 years of mediocrity, Syracuse was one of the 20 best programs in college football history.
25. Arkansas Razorbacks
Insert pig call noise here. The Razorbacks are in the elite 700+ win club.
24. Virginia Tech Hokies
Why are the Hokies so bad in bowl games? They make a lot of them, but the program's record is 13-21. Frank Beamer had 23 straight winning seasons at Virginia Tech!
23. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin football may be slow and boring, but it wins. 719 times, to be exact.
22. Washington Huskies
The oldest team on the west coast, Washington has been a proud program for 130 years. 746 wins and 15 Rose Bowl Game appearances--only USC, Michigan and Ohio State have played more times in the "Grandaddy of them All."
21. West Virginia Mountaineers
15th in total wins. Who saw that coming from the Mountaineers?
20. Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies have the 1939 national championship banner hanging in the rafters. And they've been mostly good since then.
19. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
A pleasant surprise seeing the Yellow Jackets this high. 20th in total wins and 16th in bowl appearances. Georgia Tech has wins in the Orange, Rose, Cotton and Sugar Bowls.
18. Florida Gators
Top 20 in wins, winning percentage, bowl games and bowl wins. The three national titles are a nice touch, too.
17. Florida State Seminoles
Florida State is shockingly low on the all-time wins list, but much of that is attributed to the team not forming until 1947. Even with that handicap, the Seminoles have claimed three national titles and an astounding .617 win percentage in 47 bowl games.
16. Auburn Tigers
Two national titles and a 24-20-2 bowl game record is impressive. Also, how are there ties in bowl games?
15. Pittsburgh Panthers
Pitt may be the most underrated team in college football history. Two national titles, 36 bowl games and 738 total wins--21st most overall.
14. Miami Hurricanes
Let's be honest--Miami has only had about 15 good seasons in nearly 100 years of football. But in those few years, they were dominant as any program in any era, winning five national titles along the way.
13. Clemson Tigers
If this exercise had been done seven years ago, Clemson would be about 30 slots lower. But the Tigers of the College Football Playoff years are as impressive as any in the sport's history.
12. Georgia Bulldogs
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11. Tennessee Volunteers
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10. LSU Tigers
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9. Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Huskers may not be what they used to be, but credit where is credit due. Four national titles and 905 wins don't happen by accident.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
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7. Michigan Wolverines
If this list focused on the first 100 years of college football, Michigan would probably be #1. The Wolverines are credited as the second oldest program in the country and have the third most games played. Michigan's 964 wins are the most in history and it has two national titles--1948 and 1997.
6. Texas Longhorns
Waiting for the Texas outrage about not being #1.
5. USC Trojans
The best of the West, USC has dominated since 1888. Five national championships and an astounding .642 bowl record, few schools can match USC in the postseason. The Trojans also have 852 wins to their credit.
4. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's eight AP titles are the second most in FBS history, but they haven't won one since 1988. The Irish are sixth in all-time wins and arguably the most iconic brand in college football.
3. Oklahoma Sooners
Only Alabama and Notre Dame can boast more championships than Oklahoma's seven. The Sooners are also top seven in wins, winning percentage, bowl games and bowl game wins.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
The second most wins and the best overall win percentage in college football history, the Buckeyes are the most consistent program in the FBS. Their five national titles also tie for fourth best.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Most national championships, most bowl games, most bowl game wins and the third most total wins--as much as it pains everyone else in college football to admit, Alabama is the best country's best college football program.