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How many national championships has BYU won?
Key takeaways
- BYU Cougars football has won 1 national championship: 1984.
- Title seasons: 1984.
- Across the Big 12, TCU (2), BYU (1), Colorado (1), Oklahoma State (1), UCF (1) have claimed national titles.
- All-time record in our game log (1922-2026): 643-447-26.
1 National titles
643-447-26 Record 1922-2026
18 of 41 Bowl / playoff wins
1984 (13-0) Best season
42
seasons since BYU's last national championship 1984 national championship - Went 13-0 and finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls after beating Michigan in the Holiday Bowl.
Every national title, year by year
| Year | Title | The season |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1984 national championship | Went 13-0 and finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls after beating Michigan in the Holiday Bowl. |
Claimed national championships, per the program's own record book.
BYU postseason, 1922-2026
| Season | Record | Postseason |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12-2 | Won Pop-Tarts Bowl |
| 2024 | 11-2 | Won Valero Alamo Bowl |
| 2022 | 8-5 | Won New Mexico Bowl |
| 2021 | 10-3 | Lost Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl |
| 2020 | 11-1 | Won RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl |
| 2019 | 7-6 | Lost SOFI HAWAI'I BOWL |
| 2018 | 7-6 | Won FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL |
| 2016 | 9-4 | Won SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL |
| 2015 | 9-4 | Lost ROYAL PURPLE LAS VEGAS BOWL |
| 2014 | 8-5 | Lost MIAMI BEACH BOWL |
| 2013 | 8-5 | Lost FIGHT HUNGER BOWL |
| 2012 | 8-5 | Won SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL |
| 2011 | 10-3 | Won BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL |
| 2010 | 7-6 | Won NEW MEXICO BOWL |
| 2009 | 11-2 | Won Bowl game |
| 2008 | 10-3 | Lost Bowl game |
| 2007 | 11-2 | Won Bowl game |
| 2006 | 11-2 | Won Bowl game |
| 2005 | 6-6 | Lost Bowl game |
| 2001 | 12-2 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1999 | 8-4 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1998 | 9-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1996 | 14-1 | Won Bowl game |
| 1994 | 10-3 | Won Bowl game |
| 1993 | 6-6 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1992 | 8-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1991 | 8-3-2 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1990 | 10-3 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1989 | 10-3 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1988 | 9-4 | Won Bowl game |
| 1987 | 9-4 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1986 | 8-5 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1985 | 11-3 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1983 | 11-1 | Won Bowl game |
| 1982 | 8-4 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1981 | 11-2 | Won Bowl game |
| 1980 | 12-1 | Won Bowl game |
| 1979 | 11-1 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1978 | 9-4 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1976 | 9-3 | Lost Bowl game |
| 1974 | 7-4-1 | Lost Bowl game |
Source: CollegeFootballData game results via the CFB Data Hub.
National titles across the Big 12
| Team | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|
 TCU Horned Frogs | 2 | 1938 |
 BYU Cougars this page | 1 | 1984 |
 Colorado Buffaloes | 1 | 1990 |
 Oklahoma State Cowboys | 1 | 1945 |
 UCF Knights | 1 | 2017 |
 Arizona Wildcats | 0 | None yet |
 Arizona State Sun Devils | 0 | None yet |
 Baylor Bears | 0 | None yet |
 Cincinnati Bearcats | 0 | None yet |
 Houston Cougars | 0 | None yet |
 Iowa State Cyclones | 0 | None yet |
 Kansas Jayhawks | 0 | None yet |
 Kansas State Wildcats | 0 | None yet |
 Texas Tech Red Raiders | 0 | None yet |
 Utah Utes | 0 | None yet |
 West Virginia Mountaineers | 0 | None yet |
Current Big 12 members, claimed national championships.
Where BYU sits in the Big 12
Current Big 12 programs have claimed six national titles between them: two for TCU, one for BYU, one for Colorado, one for Oklahoma State and one for UCF. The other 11 programs are still chasing a first. See how this season is shaping up on the Big 12 standings, or browse every season on the BYU record by year page.
Editorial note
College football crowned national champions by polls and selectors before the BCS (1998) and the College Football Playoff (2014). The titles here are the ones each program claims in its own record book.
BYU Cougars football has won 1 national championship: 1984.
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Frequently asked questions
How many national championships has BYU won?
1. 1984 national championship.
When did BYU win its first national championship?
In 1984. Went 13-0 and finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls after beating Michigan in the Holiday Bowl.
When did BYU last win a national championship?
In 1984. Went 13-0 and finished No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls after beating Michigan in the Holiday Bowl.