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ACC History Vault
ACC national championships by team
Key takeaways
- Current ACC programs have claimed 35 national titles between them.
- Pittsburgh leads with nine national titles, and California and Miami have five national titles, and Georgia Tech has four national titles, and Clemson, Florida State and SMU have three national titles, and Stanford has two national titles, and Syracuse has one national title. The other eight programs are still chasing a first.
- Eight of the 17 programs are still chasing a first.
National titles, by team
| Team | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|
 Pittsburgh Panthers | 9 | 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976 |
 California Golden Bears | 5 | 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937 |
 Miami Hurricanes | 5 | 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001 |
 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets | 4 | 1917, 1928, 1952, 1990 |
 Clemson Tigers | 3 | 1981, 2016, 2018 |
 Florida State Seminoles | 3 | 1993, 1999, 2013 |
 SMU Mustangs | 3 | 1935, 1981, 1982 |
 Stanford Cardinal | 2 | 1926, 1940 |
 Syracuse Orange | 1 | 1959 |
 Boston College Eagles | 0 | None yet |
 Duke Blue Devils | 0 | None yet |
 Louisville Cardinals | 0 | None yet |
 NC State Wolfpack | 0 | None yet |
 North Carolina Tar Heels | 0 | None yet |
 Virginia Cavaliers | 0 | None yet |
 Virginia Tech Hokies | 0 | None yet |
 Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 0 | None yet |
Claimed national championships of current ACC members, per each program's record book.
The title seasons
Pittsburgh Panthers - 9 titles
- 1915: Finished 8-0.
- 1916: Finished 8-0.
- 1918: Finished 4-1.
- 1929: Finished 9-1.
- 1931: Finished 8-1.
- 1934: Finished 8-1.
- 1936: Finished 8-1-1.
- 1937: Finished 9-0-1.
- 1976: Finished 12-0.
California Golden Bears - 5 titles
- 1920: Finished 9-0.
- 1921: Finished 9-0-1.
- 1922: Finished 9-0.
- 1923: Finished 9-0-1.
- 1937: Finished 10-0-1.
Miami Hurricanes - 5 titles
- 1983: Finished 11-1.
- 1987: Finished 12-0.
- 1989: Finished 11-1.
- 1991: Finished 12-0.
- 2001: Finished 12-0.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - 4 titles
- 1917: Finished 9-0.
- 1928: Finished 10-0.
- 1952: Finished 12-0.
- 1990: Finished 11-0-1.
Clemson Tigers - 3 titles
- 1981: Finished 12-0.
- 2016: Finished 14-1.
- 2018: Finished 15-0.
Florida State Seminoles - 3 titles
- 1993: Finished 12-1.
- 1999: Finished 12-0.
- 2013: Finished 14-0.
SMU Mustangs - 3 titles
- 1935: Finished 12-1.
- 1981: Finished 10-1.
- 1982: Finished 11-0-1.
Stanford Cardinal - 2 titles
- 1926: Finished 10-0-1.
- 1940: Finished 10-0.
Syracuse Orange - 1 title
- 1959: Finished 11-0.
Editorial note
Before the BCS (1998) and the College Football Playoff (2014), national champions were named by polls and selectors, so programs claim titles from different sources. This table lists the titles each program claims.
Current ACC programs have claimed 35 national championships. Pittsburgh leads with nine national titles, and California and Miami have five national titles, and Georgia Tech has four national titles, and Clemson, Florida State and SMU have three national titles, and Stanford has two national titles, and Syracuse has one national title. The other eight programs are still chasing a first.
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Frequently asked questions
Which ACC team has the most national championships?
Pittsburgh Panthers, with nine (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976).
How many national championships do ACC teams have in total?
35. Pittsburgh leads with nine national titles, and California and Miami have five national titles, and Georgia Tech has four national titles, and Clemson, Florida State and SMU have three national titles, and Stanford has two national titles, and Syracuse has one national title. The other eight programs are still chasing a first.
Which ACC teams have never won a national championship?
Boston College, Duke, Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest.