Auburn Football Celebrates Seven New National Championships Recognitions

In a bold move that feels a bit like following in its Iron Bowl rival’s footsteps, Auburn University just decided to recognize seven more football teams as national champions. Until now, Auburn only acknowledged its 1957 and 2010 teams as national champs.

The Associated Press (AP) put Auburn at No. 1 in 1957. Then Cam Newton, who won the Heisman Trophy, led the Tigers to a BCS Championship after the 2010 season.

With this new declaration, Auburn now claims nine national championships. That includes both pre-major college football poll era titles and some modern-era teams that have a real case for the top spot.

Auburn’s Historical National Championships

For decades, Auburn took a pretty modest approach to its football history, only recognizing national championships awarded by the AP. But starting this fall, Auburn plans to honor the achievements of its student-athletes, coaches, and teams from across its long history.

1957 and 2010 Titles

The 1957 Auburn team grabbed the top spot in the country from the Associated Press, marking the university’s first national championship. Fast forward to 2010—Cam Newton led the Tigers to a BCS Championship, cementing Auburn’s place in modern college football.

Auburn also plans to retire Newton’s No. 2 jersey on October 11 during the Georgia game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He’ll be the fourth Auburn player to have his jersey retired, joining Terry Beasley, Pat Sullivan, and Bo Jackson.

Pre-Major College Football Poll Era Titles

Along with the 1957 and 2010 teams, Auburn will now celebrate national championships from before major college football polls started. These include the 1910, 1913, and 1914 teams.

The 1913 team, in particular, shows up in the NCAA record book as a national champion named by an NCAA-recognized selector. This move lines up Auburn’s national championship claims with what the NCAA and other schools have done for years.

Unbeaten Seasons

Five of these newly recognized teams finished their seasons unbeaten. Those teams are:

• 1910
• 1913
• 1914
• 1983
• 1993

These teams have always been a point of pride for Auburn fans, and now they’ll get official recognition from the university.

Modern-Era Teams with Compelling Cases

Auburn has some modern-era teams that really make a case for being No. 1. The 1983 team went 11-1 but ended up No. 3 in the final AP rankings, behind Miami and Nebraska, after Miami knocked off the unbeaten Cornhuskers in the Orange Bowl.

In 1993, Auburn went unbeaten under Terry Bowden, but that team couldn’t play in the postseason because of prior NCAA violations. So, those Tigers finished fourth in the AP poll, and the Coaches Poll didn’t recognize teams under NCAA sanctions.

The 2004 Team

The 2004 Auburn team went unbeaten but got left out of the BCS Championship Game since USC and Oklahoma also finished undefeated. The Tigers landed at No. 2 in the country.

Golf Digest even named them unofficial champions after coach Tommy Tuberville joked he’d take recognition from any group—yes, even a golf magazine—that wanted to call his team No. 1.

The Tradition of Claiming National Titles

Claiming national titles has been a quirky tradition in college football, especially since the NCAA never ran a postseason playoff. Auburn’s rival, Alabama, has gone big with its claims, touting 18 championships, including 13 times they were voted No. 1 by either the AP media poll or the Coaches Poll.

UCF made headlines in 2017 by calling itself national champion after missing out on the four-team College Football Playoff. The Knights capped their unbeaten season by beating an Auburn team that had knocked off CFP champ Alabama earlier that year.

Aligning with NCAA Standards

Auburn’s decision to recognize more national championships lines up with the standards in the NCAA’s official record book. The AP started naming champions in 1936. The Coaches Poll joined in 1950.

Before those polls, people decided most national champions retroactively, using computer rankings or the opinions of historians. That’s a wild way to settle things, but it’s just how college football worked back then.

Auburn’s move puts it in step with what other big football programs do. It shines a light on the hard work and history of Auburn’s student-athletes and coaches.