Lambert Meadowlands Trophy

Updated on Nov 19, 2023

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Location Eastern United States First awarded 1936		Country United States Currently held by Penn State – 30th time
Awarded for the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football Presented by Metropolitan New York Football Writers

The Lambert Trophy is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football. In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor and Henry Lambert in memory of their father, August. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters. The trophy, established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in Eastern college football, has since grown to recognize the best team in the East in Division I FBS. A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup is awarded to teams in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), Division II, and Division III. The Metropolitan New York Football Writers, owned and operated by American Football Networks, Inc., took the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards back from the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2011.

The Penn State Nittany Lions won the award after the 2009 season for a then-record 28th time and the second consecutive year. On January 10, 2011, the NJSEA announced that the University of Connecticut had won the trophy for the very first time, after winning the Big East in 2010 and making their first appearance in the BCS. The Cincinnati Bearcats won their first trophy in 2012 by first becoming eligible after joining the former Big East Conference in 2005. Penn State won the trophy for a then-record 29th time for its 2013 Season. Rutgers won the trophy for the first time in school history in 2014, their first season in the Big Ten Conference.

In 2016, the Penn State Nittany Lions (2016 Big Ten Champions) won the trophy for a record 30th time. This is more than any other five teams combined. The most any other team has won is seven (Army).

Since 1936, there have been 19 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert Awards, a school must be located in the East. Teams are automatically eligible if they are located in Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, New England, and Pennsylvania, plus teams situated in the bordering states of Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia qualify. With the establishment of the Big East Conference as a major football conference, members of that conference outside of the East were also made eligible if at least half their schedule was against Lambert eligible teams. Therefore, while they were members of the Big East Conference, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami, and South Florida were also eligible, and 3 of the 4 won the award.