Big Ten Football Champions: Complete list of winners by year

Published

The Big Ten conference has a storied history dating back to 1896. Check out the complete list of Big Ten football champions including the year, team, conference record and head coach:

Big Ten Football Champions

  • 2022: Michigan (9–0) Jim Harbaugh
  • 2021: Michigan (8–1) Jim Harbaugh
  • 2020: Ohio State (5–0) Ryan Day
  • 2019: Ohio State (9–0) Ryan Day
  • 2018: Ohio State (8–1) Urban Meyer
  • 2017: Ohio State (8–1) Urban Meyer
  • 2016: Penn State (8–1) James Franklin
  • 2015: Michigan State (7–1) Mark Dantonio
  • 2014: Ohio State (8–0) Urban Meyer
  • 2013: Michigan State (8–0) Mark Dantonio
  • 2012: Wisconsin (4–4) Bret Bielema
  • 2011: Wisconsin (6–2) Bret Bielema
  • 2010: Michigan State (7–1) Mark Dantonio, Wisconsin (7–1) Bret Bielema
  • 2009: Ohio State (7–1) Jim Tressel
  • 2008: Ohio State (7–1) Jim Tressel, Penn State (7–1) Joe Paterno
  • 2007: Ohio State (7–1) Jim Tressel
  • 2006: Ohio State (8–0) Jim Tressel
  • 2005: Ohio State (7–1) Jim Tressel, Penn State (7–1) Joe Paterno
  • 2004: Iowa (7–1) Kirk Ferentz, Michigan (7–1) Lloyd Carr
  • 2003: Michigan (7–1) Lloyd Carr
  • 2002: Iowa (8–0) Kirk Ferentz, Ohio State (8–0) Jim Tressel
  • 2001: Illinois (7–1) Ron Turner
  • 2000: Michigan (6–2) Lloyd Carr. Northwestern (6–2) Randy Walker, Purdue (6–2) Joe Tiller
  • 1999: Wisconsin (7–1) Barry Alvarez
  • 1998: Michigan (7–1) Lloyd Carr. Ohio State (7–1) John Cooper, Wisconsin (7–1) Barry Alvarez
  • 1997: Michigan (8–0) Lloyd Carr
  • 1996: Northwestern (7–1) Gary Barnett, Ohio State (7–1) John Cooper
  • 1995: Northwestern (8–0) Gary Barnett
  • 1994: Penn State (8–0) Joe Paterno
  • 1993: Ohio State (6–1–1) John Cooper, Wisconsin (6–1–1) Barry Alvarez
  • 1992: Michigan (6–0–2) Gary Moeller
  • 1991: Michigan (8–0) Gary Moeller
  • 1990: Illinois (6–2) John Mackovic, Iowa (6–2) Hayden Fry, Michigan (6–2) Gary Moeller, Michigan State (6–2) George Perles
  • 1989: Michigan (8–0) Bo Schembechler
  • 1988: Michigan (7–0–1) Bo Schembechler
  • 1987: Michigan State (7–0–1) George Perles
  • 1986: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–1) Earle Bruce
  • 1985: Iowa (7–1) Hayden Fry
  • 1984: Ohio State (7–2) Earle Bruce
  • 1983: Illinois (9–0) Mike White
  • 1982: Michigan (8–1) Bo Schembechler
  • 1981: Iowa (6–2) Hayden Fry, Ohio State (6–2) Earle Bruce
  • 1980: Michigan (8–0) Bo Schembechler
  • 1979: Ohio State (8–0) Earle Bruce
  • 1978: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Michigan State (7–1) Darryl Rogers
  • 1977: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1976: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1975: Ohio State (8–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1974: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1973: Michigan (7–0–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–0–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1972: Michigan (7–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (7–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1971: Michigan (8–0) Bo Schembechler
  • 1970: Ohio State (7–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1969: Michigan (6–1) Bo Schembechler, Ohio State (6–1) Woody Hayes
  • 1968: Ohio State (7–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1967: Indiana (6–1) John Pont, Minnesota (6–1) Murray Warmath, Purdue (6–1) Jack Mollenkopf
  • 1966: Michigan State (7–0) Duffy Daugherty
  • 1965: Michigan State (7–0) Duffy Daugherty
  • 1964: Michigan (6–1) Bump Elliott
  • 1963: Illinois (5–1–1) Pete Elliott
  • 1962: Wisconsin (6–1) Milt Bruhn
  • 1961: Ohio State (6–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1960: Iowa (5–1) Forest Evashevski, Minnesota (6–1) Murray Warmath
  • 1959: Wisconsin (5–2) Milt Bruhn
  • 1958: Iowa (5–1) Forest Evashevski
  • 1957: Ohio State (7–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1956: Iowa (5–1) Forest Evashevski
  • 1955: Ohio State (6–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1954: Ohio State (7–0) Woody Hayes
  • 1953: Illinois (5–1) Ray Eliot, Michigan State (5–1) Clarence Munn
  • 1952: Purdue (4–1–1) Stu Holcomb, Wisconsin (4–1–1) Ivy Williamson
  • 1951: Illinois (5–0–1) Ray Eliot
  • 1950: Michigan (4–1–1) Bennie Oosterbaan
  • 1949: Michigan (4–1–1) Bennie Oosterbaan, Ohio State (4–1–1) Wes Fesler
  • 1948: Michigan (5–0) Bennie Oosterbaan
  • 1947: Michigan (6–0) Fritz Crisler
  • 1946: Illinois (6–1) Ray Eliot
  • 1945: Indiana (5–0–1) Bo McMillin
  • 1944: Ohio State (6–0) Carroll Widdoes
  • 1943: Michigan (6–0) Fritz Crisler, Purdue (6–0) Elmer Burnham
  • 1942: Ohio State (5–1) Paul Brown
  • 1941: Minnesota (5–0) Bernie Bierman
  • 1940: Minnesota (6–0) Bernie Bierman
  • 1939: Ohio State (5–1) Francis Schmidt
  • 1938: Minnesota (4–1) Bernie Bierman
  • 1937: Minnesota (5–0) Bernie Bierman
  • 1936: Northwestern (6–0) Pappy Waldorf
  • 1935: Minnesota (5–0) Bernie Bierman, Ohio State (5–0) Francis Schmidt
  • 1934: Minnesota (5–0) Bernie Bierman
  • 1933: Michigan (5–0–1) Harry Kipke, Minnesota (2–0–4) Bernie Bierman
  • 1932: Michigan (6–0) Harry Kipke, Purdue (5–0–1) Noble Kizer
  • 1931: Michigan (5–1) Harry Kipke, Northwestern (5–1) Dick Hanley, Purdue (5–1) Noble Kizer
  • 1930: Michigan (5–0) Harry Kipke, Northwestern (5–0) Dick Hanley
  • 1929: Purdue (5–0) James Phelan
  • 1928: Illinois (4–1) Robert Zuppke
  • 1927: Illinois (5–0) Robert Zuppke, Minnesota (3–0–1) Clarence Spears
  • 1926: Michigan (5–0) Fielding H. Yost, Northwestern (5–0) Glenn Thistlethwaite
  • 1925: Michigan (5–1) Fielding H. Yost
  • 1924: Chicago (3–0–3) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1923: Illinois (5–0) Robert Zuppke, Michigan (4–0) Fielding H. Yost
  • 1922: Chicago (4–0–1) Amos Alonzo Stagg, Iowa (5–0) Howard Jones, Michigan (4–0) Fielding H. Yost
  • 1921: Iowa (5–0) Howard Jones
  • 1920: Ohio State (5–0) John Wilce
  • 1919: Illinois (6–1) Robert Zuppke
  • 1918: Illinois (4–0) Robert Zuppke, Michigan (2–0) Fielding H. Yost, Purdue (1–0) A. G. Scanlon
  • 1917: Ohio State (4–0) John Wilce
  • 1916: Ohio State (4–0) John Wilce
  • 1915: Illinois (3–0–2) Robert Zuppke, Minnesota (3–0–1) Henry L. Williams
  • 1914: Illinois (6–0) Robert Zuppke
  • 1913: Chicago (7–0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1912: Wisconsin (5–0) William Juneau
  • 1911: Minnesota (3–0–1) Henry L. Williams
  • 1910: Illinois (4–0) Arthur Hall, Minnesota (2–0) Henry L. Williams
  • 1909: Minnesota (3–0) Henry L. Williams
  • 1908: Chicago (5–0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1907: Chicago (4–0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1906: Michigan (1–0) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (2–0) Henry L. Williams, Wisconsin (3–0) Charles P. Hutchins
  • 1905: Chicago (7–0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1904: Michigan (2–0) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (3–0) Henry L. Williams
  • 1903: Michigan (3–0–1) Fielding H. Yost, Minnesota (3–0–1) Henry L. Williams, Northwestern (1–0–2) Walter McCornack
  • 1902: Michigan (5–0) Fielding H. Yost
  • 1901: Michigan (4–0) Fielding H. Yost, Wisconsin (2–0) Philip King
  • 1900: Iowa (2–0–1) Alden Knipe, Minnesota (3–0–1) Henry L. Williams
  • 1899: Chicago (4–0) Amos Alonzo Stagg
  • 1898: Michigan (3–0) Gustave Ferbert
  • 1897: Wisconsin (3–0) Philip King
  • 1896: Wisconsin (2–0–1) Philip King

Who has won the most Big Ten Championships?

Michigan has won the most Big Ten Championships with 44 titles. Below is a list of titles for each Big Ten school:

  • Michigan - 44
  • Ohio State - 39
  • Minnesota - 18
  • Illinois - 15
  • Wisconsin - 14
  • Iowa - 11
  • Michigan State - 9
  • Northwestern - 8
  • Purdue - 8
  • Chicago - 7
  • Penn State - 4
  • Indiana - 2
  • Nebraska - 0
  • Maryland - 0
  • Rutgers - 0

Which coach has won the most Big Ten Championships?

Ohio State's Woody Hayes and Michigan's Bo Schembechler are tied for most Big Ten football championships with 13. Below are the coaches with over five Big Ten titles:

  • Woody Hayes (Ohio State) - 13
  • Bo Schembechler (Michigan) - 13
  • Fielding H. Yost (Michigan) - 10
  • Henry L. Williams (Minnesota) - 8
  • Bernie Bierman (Minnesota) - 7
  • Amos Alonzo Stagg (Chicago) - 7
  • Robert Zuppke (Illinois) - 7
  • Jim Tressel (Ohio State) - 6
  • Lloyd Carr (Michigan) - 5