List of Big Ten Conference national championships

Updated on Sep 23, 2024

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The list of Big Ten national championships includes championships won by teams from the Big Ten Conference and former member Chicago. Including football champions listed in the official NCAA Records book, Big Ten teams have compiled 282 NCAA championships (as of May 21, 2016) during their years of membership. Prior to NCAA sponsorship of women's sports, Big Ten teams, as members of the AIAW, also won 6 undisputed national championships in 1976–1982. In the 2015-16 academic year, Big Ten members have so far won five titles: (1) Penn State won its first championship in women's soccer and first for the conference in the sport. This continues a run for the school of winning at least one NCAA championship every year since the 2006–2007 academic year; (2) Penn State also won the school's sixth NCAA national championship in wrestling giving the Big Ten Conference ten consecutive championships between four different schools (Minnesota, Iowa, Penn State,and Ohio State; (3) Nebraska won in women's volleyball for its fourth NCAA title in the sport, third consecutive for the conference, and its first NCAA championship as a conference member in a sport that the conference sponsors; (4) Minnesota won its NCAA record sixth and second consecutive NCAA women's ice hockey championship and (5) Ohio State won its second championship in men's volleyball. This continues a run for the school of winning at least one NCAA championship every year since the 2010–2011 academic year;

Listed below are all championship teams of NCAA-sponsored events, as well as the titles won in football, which has a Division I championship not sanctioned by the NCAA.

The main list in Sections 2, 3 and 4 includes championships won by Chicago when it was a member, but does not credit a Big Ten NCAA championship to current Big Ten member schools before they joined the conference. These prior titles are separately indicated.

Michigan State joined in 1950 and competed in the conference for the first time in 1953.

Penn State joined in 1990 and competed in the conference for the first time in 1991.

Nebraska joined in 2011.

Rutgers and Maryland joined in 2014. Johns Hopkins joined in 2014 for men's lacrosse and began play in spring 2015.

Teams

† includes football national championships by Big Ten members starting in 1901, as listed in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book

Most recent NCAA championship

* most recent NCAA championship won by a member of the conference

Men's cross country (13)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Michigan State won four and Penn State won three NCAA titles in men's cross country. (7 NCAA before Big Ten)

† Co-champion with Penn State

‡ UTEP vacated their NCAA title and it was awarded to Wisconsin

Field hockey (2)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Maryland won 8 NCAA titles and Penn State won 2 AIAW national titles in Field Hockey. (8 NCAA before Big Ten)

and AIAW Women's Field Hockey Champions

Football (41)

The Division I (FBS) football championship is not officially sanctioned by the NCAA; however, the Big Ten teams among the champions and co-champions listed in its official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records book are shown below. Prior to joining the Big Ten, Nebraska won 3 football national titles and 2 co-titles, Penn State won 2 national titles and 2 co-titles, Maryland won one national title, and Michigan State won one championship (1952, the year before it began Big Ten competition). The NCAA was formed in 1906 to address violent injuries in the sport.

† As listed in official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records. For 1950 to present, includes only recognized consensus selections (AP, UP-UPI-USAT, FWAA, NFF)

Men's soccer (11)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Maryland won 3 NCAA titles in Men's Soccer, and Penn State won 6 national titles awarded by the ISFA in the era before NCAA championships. (3 NCAA before Big Ten)

† Co-champion with Saint Louis (game called because of weather)

‡ Co-champion with Maryland (game ended in tie)

Women's volleyball (8)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Nebraska won 3 NCAA titles in women's volleyball. (3 NCAA before Big Ten)

and AIAW Women's Volleyball Champions

Men's basketball (10)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Maryland won 1 NCAA title in men's basketball (2002). (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

The NCAA championship tournament began in 1939.

† Selected by Helms Athletic Foundation, formed in 1936, who compiled a retroactive list of college basketball champions in 1942 for the previous 41 years. In 12 of those years, a Big Ten team was selected: 1902, 1907–09, 1912, 1914–16, 1919, 1931–32, 1941. Chicago's 1908 national title was won in a championship series against the University of Pennsylvania.

Women's basketball (1)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Rutgers won 1 AIAW championship, and Maryland won 1 NCAA title in women's basketball. (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

and AIAW Women's Basketball Champions

Men's gymnastics (25)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Penn State won 9 NCAA titles in men's gymnastics, and Nebraska won 8 NCAA titles. (17 NCAA before Big Ten)

The number of NCAA championships includes Michigan's 2 NCAA titles in trampoline.

Trampoline (2)

Until 1969, trampoline was one of the events that comprised the NCAA men's gymnastics championships. At that time, the event was removed in order to conform to the international gymnastics itinerary. The NCAA continued to bestow a national title in trampoline for two years.

Women's gymnastics (0)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, and prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Penn State won 2 AIAW national championships.

For more details on this topic, see AIAW Women's Gymnastics Champions and NCAA Women's Gymnastics championship.

Men's ice hockey (23)

Men's ice hockey became an official Big Ten sport in the 2013–14 season.

Men's swimming and diving (29)

† From inception in 1924 through 1936, NCAA team swimming championships were unofficial because team points were not officially awarded. Team champions were nevertheless proclaimed in the newspapers of the time.

Women's indoor track & field (0)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Nebraska in 1982–1984 won 1 AIAW and 2 NCAA indoor women's track and field titles. (2 NCAA before Big Ten)

and AIAW Women's Indoor Track and Field Champions

Men's wrestling (34)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Penn State won one NCAA title in men's wrestling. (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

† In 1928 and from 1931 to 1933, an NCAA team championship was not awarded because team scoring was unofficial.

Men's golf (4)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Michigan won 2 national titles.

° NIGA national champion

Men's lacrosse (0)

Men's lacrosse became an official Big Ten sport in the 2015 season.

Prior to joining the Big Ten as a men's lacrosse affiliate, Johns Hopkins won 35 national titles in the era before the NCAA organized men's lacrosse championships, plus nine NCAA titles. Maryland has nine pre-NCAA national titles and two NCAA titles. (11 NCAA before Big Ten)

The NCAA did not organize national championships in men's lacrosse until the 1971 season. Before that time, other bodies awarded national titles based on regular season records, most notably the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. Rutgers shared two national titles, in 1928 and 1955 (a Division II co-championship).

Women's lacrosse (8)

Women's lacrosse became an official Big Ten sport in the 2015 season.

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Maryland won 11 NCAA titles and Penn State won 2 NCAA titles in women's lacrosse. (13 NCAA before Big Ten)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Penn State won 3 national titles and Maryland won 1 AIAW national title.

and AIAW Women's Lacrosse Champions

Women's rowing (3)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Wisconsin won 5 national titles.

† NWRA College Eights Champion

and Pre-NCAA Rowing Championships

Softball (1)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Michigan State won 1 national title.

† AIAW National Champion

and AIAW Women's Softball Champions

Women's tennis (0)

At the same time that the first NCAA Division I women's tennis championship was held (attracting the top-ranked teams), the AIAW conducted its last tennis championship, which was won by Indiana.

† AIAW National Champion

For more details on this topic, see AIAW Women's Tennis Champions

Men's track & field (outdoor) (9)

† From 1925 through 1927, the NCAA team championship was unofficial because team points were not officially scored.

National championships in sports not sponsored by the Big Ten

In addition to the national championship titles won in Big Ten sponsored sports, some Big Ten schools participate in official varsity sports not offered by the NCAA (e.g., men's rowing, synchronized swimming) as well as other NCAA sports for which no Big Ten championship is contested. These include bowling, fencing, women's ice hockey, rifle, men's volleyball, and men's and women's water polo, as well as men's ice hockey before the 2013–14 school year plus men's and women's lacrosse before the 2014–15 school year. The following are Big Ten teams' national championships won in other sports (number in parentheses indicates NCAA titles won by Big Ten schools during their years of membership):

Boxing (6)

Penn State won 1 NCAA title in boxing before the NCAA discontinued the sport. (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

† Before 1948, NCAA team boxing championships were unofficial because team points were not officially awarded. However, national publications at the time proclaimed the annual team champions.

and Pre-NCAA Boxing Championships

Women's bowling (2)

Prior to beginning athletic competition in the Big Ten, Nebraska won 5 WIBC/USBC titles, Penn State won 1 WIBC/USBC title, and Nebraska won 3 NCAA titles in bowling. (3 NCAA before Big Ten)

and Pre-NCAA Bowling Championships

Co-ed fencing (14)

Prior to beginning athletic competition in the Big Ten, Penn State won 2 NCAA titles in co-ed fencing. (2 NCAA before Big Ten)

and Pre-NCAA Fencing Championships

Men's fencing (4)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Rutgers won 1 NCAA co-championship in men's fencing. (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

§ Prior to 1947, the Intercollegiate Fencing Association championship, held since 1894, was premiere. NYU won the 3-weapon title both of these years.

Women's fencing (0)

Prior to joining the Big Ten, Penn State won 1 NCAA title in women's fencing. (1 NCAA before Big Ten)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Penn State won 2 AIAW national championships.

For more details on this topic, see AIAW Women's Fencing Champions

Women's ice hockey (10)

Prior to the NCAA sponsored championship, Minnesota won 1 national title.

† AWCHA National Champion (prior to NCAA sponsored championships)

Rifle (0)

Big Ten teams have not won an NCAA rifle championship since inception in 1980.

† NRA National Champion (prior to NCAA sponsored championships). Prior to joining the Big Ten, Maryland won 5 NRA national championships (4 men, 1 women), and Michigan State won 3 (men).

and Pre-NCAA Rifle Championships

Men's rowing (0)

The NCAA has never offered a men's rowing championship.

† Intercollegiate Rowing Association Varsity Eights Champion

Synchronized swimming (0)

The NCAA has never offered a synchronized swimming championship. However, the AIAW (women's predecessor to the NCAA) did.

† AIAW national champion

From 1983 through 2004, Ohio State won 19 of the 22 national championships sponsored by United States Synchronized Swimming. Ohio State also won championships from 2009 through 2012.

For more details on this topic, see AIAW synchronized swimming champions

Men's volleyball (4)

and Pre-NCAA Volleyball Championships

References

List of Big Ten Conference national championships Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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