ACC History Vault

Has Duke won a national championship?

Key takeaways

  • Duke Blue Devils football has not won a national championship.
  • Across the ACC, Pittsburgh (9), California (5), Miami (5), Georgia Tech (4), Clemson (3), Florida State (3), SMU (3), Stanford (2), Syracuse (1) have claimed national titles.
  • All-time record in our game log (1890-2026): 541-558-29.
0 National titles
541-558-29 Record 1890-2026
9 of 18 Bowl / playoff wins
2026 (4-0) Best season

Duke postseason, 1890-2026

Duke Blue Devils postseason results by season
SeasonRecordPostseason
20259-5Won Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl
20249-4Lost TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
20238-5Won 76 Birmingham Bowl
20229-4Won Military Bowl Presented by Peraton
20188-5Won WALK-ON'S INDEPENDENCE BOWL
20177-6Won QUICK LANE BOWL
20158-5Won NEW ERA PINSTRIPE BOWL
20149-4Lost HYUNDAI SUN BOWL
201310-4Lost Chick-fil-A BOWL
20126-7Lost BELK BOWL
19948-4Lost Bowl game
19898-4Lost Bowl game
19608-3Won Bowl game
19576-3-2Lost Bowl game
19548-2-1Won Bowl game
19446-4Won Bowl game
19419-1Lost Bowl game
19389-1Lost Bowl game

Source: CollegeFootballData game results via the CFB Data Hub.

National titles across the ACC

ACC national championships by program
TeamTitlesLast title
Pittsburgh Panthers 9 1976
California Golden Bears 5 1937
Miami Hurricanes 5 2001
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 4 1990
Clemson Tigers 3 2018
Florida State Seminoles 3 2013
SMU Mustangs 3 1982
Stanford Cardinal 2 1940
Syracuse Orange 1 1959
Boston College Eagles 0 None yet
Duke Blue Devils this page 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

Current ACC members, claimed national championships.

Where Duke sits in the ACC

Current ACC programs have claimed 35 national titles between them: nine for Pittsburgh, five for California, five for Miami, four for Georgia Tech, three for Clemson, three for Florida State, three for SMU, two for Stanford and one for Syracuse. The other eight programs are still chasing a first. See how this season is shaping up on the ACC standings, or browse every season on the Duke 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.

Duke Blue Devils football has not won a national championship.

About the author and reviewer

Written by

The ACCFOOTBALL.CO Desk

Conference Newsroom · Independent ACC coverage since 2026

The house desk of ACCFOOTBALL.CO - independent researchers tracking every ACC game, stat and storyline.

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Frequently asked questions

Has Duke ever won a national championship?

Duke Blue Devils football has not won a national championship.

Which ACC teams have won national championships?

Pittsburgh (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976), California (1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1937), Miami (1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2001), Georgia Tech (1917, 1928, 1952, 1990), Clemson (1981, 2016, 2018), Florida State (1993, 1999, 2013), SMU (1935, 1981, 1982), Stanford (1926, 1940), Syracuse (1959).