Pitt is one of only five current NCAA Division 1A (Bowl Division) schools to have won multiple national championships in both football (9, see below) and basketball (2, ref). Other schools with multiple championships in both sports include Michigan St., Minnesota, Notre Dame and Florida. As members of the Ivy League, Yale and Penn no longer compete at the highest level (Bowl Division/Divison 1A) of football, but they also claim multiple national championships in both sports.
The University of Pittsburgh officially claims 9 National Championships for the Panthers football team: 4 unanimous ones (1916, 1918, 1937, and 1976) and 5 shared titles (1915, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936). In basketball, Pitt was awarded the Helms Athletic Foundation National Championship for their 1927-1928 undefeated season as well as their 1929-1930 23-2 season (ref). These seasons took place prior to the advent of national collegiate basketball tournaments, the NIT in 1938 and the NCAA tournament in 1939. During those years, Pitt was played a national schedule and was widely recognized as the national collegiate basketball champions (see below).
In Football, the University of Pittsburgh bases its claim for the first 8 national championships on a study conducted in 1970 by Sports Illustrated[1]. These championships, together with its unanimous championship of 1976, are the basis for the university's claim of 9 national championship seasons. Furthermore, in 8 additional years at least one recognized selector of national championships has declared Pitt a National Champion. In total Pitt has been recognized as the National Champion by at least one selector in a total of 17 different seasons[2][3][4]:
* 1981 (Montgomery, NCF)
* 1980 (FNG, Louisa, ARGH, CFR, FACT, DeVold, Howell, Self, NYT, Sagarin, Eck, Fleming)
* 1976 (consensus)
* 1938 (Premo)
* 1937 (consensus)
* 1936 (FNG, Louisa, ARGH, Boand, Kirlin, CFRA, Jessen, Esso, Houlgate, Koger, Maxwell, Premo)
* 1934 (Davis)
* 1933 (Kirlin)
* 1931 (FNG, Kirlin, Davis)
* 1929 (Davis)
* 1927 (Esso)
* 1925 (Sorenson)
* 1918 (consensus)
* 1917 (Weyand, Wilson, Jessen, Koger, Smith, NSF)
* 1916 (consensus)
* 1915 (Libby, Koger, Smith, Davis)
* 1910 (Century, Morgan, Smith, Premo, NCF, FNG)
Bold is claimed by Pitt (pre-1970 researched and designated by Sports Illustrated).
Pitt has had 8 undefeated seasons: 1904 (10-0), 1910 (9-0), 1915 (8-0), 1916 (8-0), 1917 (10-0), 1920 (6-0-2), 1937 (9-0-1), and 1976 (12-0). Of these 8 undefeated seasons, 4 are not claimed as national championship seasons by Pitt.
Pitt has also had 17 one-loss seasons (1894, 1899, 1914, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931-1936, 1963, and 1979-1981). Pitt won Eastern football titles in 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1936*, 1937*, 1955*, 1976*, 1979*, 1980*, and won a co-share of the Big East Conference championship and received a BCS bowl berth in 2004.
*Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy (est. 1936) winner
AP = Associated Press
DS = Dickinson System
LS = Litkenhous System
IFA = Illustrated Football Annual (Boand)
WS = Williamson System
TFT = The Football Thesaurus (Houlgate)
Davis = Parke H. Davis Ratings
The following additional selectors picked Pitt as National Champions (Pitt and Sports Illustrated do not list these selectors) in the years recognized by Pitt and Sports Illustrated (above).
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1915 by Bill Libby, Mel Smith, and Jim Koger (in addition to Davis).
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1931 by Bob Kirlin and 1st-N-Goal (in addition to Davis).
In 1936, in addition to the Football Thesaurus (Houlgate) and Illustrated Football Annual (Boand), Pitt was also selected by the College Football Researchers Association, 1st-N-Goal, Bob Kirlin, Esso Gas, Loren Maxwell, Earl Jessen, Jim Koger, Patrick Premo, and Angelo Louisa.
The following Pitt teams were also selected as National Champions. Pitt does not claim these MNCs (proving Pitt didn't just claim every championship it was given by every available source).
Pitt's 1910 undefeated team was selected as National Champions by the 1st-N-Goal, Century Football Index, Cliff Morgan, the National Championship Foundation, Patrick Premo, and Mel Smith. College Football Data Warehouse recognizes this as a consensus national championship for Pitt. Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
Pitt's undefeated team of 1917 was selected as a National Champions by Alexander Weyand, David Wilson, Earl Jessen, Jim Koger, Mel Smith and Angelo Louisa. Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1925 by Soren Sorensen although Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1927 by Esso Gas. Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1933 by Bob Kirlin. Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
Pitt was selected as National Champions in 1938 by Patrick Premo. Pitt doesn't claim this championship.
In 1980, Pitt was also selected as National Champions by the College Football Researchers Association, 1st-N-Goal, Angelo Louisa, ARGH Power Ratings, College Football Researchers Association, Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments, Harry DeVold, James Howell, New York Times, Jeff Self, and The Fleming System. Pitt doesn't claim that championship.
In 1981, Pitt was selected as National Champions by Montgomery Full Season Championship and the National Championship Foundation. Pitt doesn't claim this title.
Therefore, Pitt's claim (and Sports Illustrated's research) total is 9 (1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937 and 1976). There are also 9 years (only pre 1940 era plus 1976) that Pitt was picked as National Champion by more than one source (1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1931, 1936, 1937 and 1976).
However, there are 17 years Pitt was named a National Champion by at least one source according to College Football Data Warehouse and Pitt (and Sports Illustrated). They are: 1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1976, 1980 and 1981. Of these, Pitt claims only 9.
In addition, Pitt had undefeated teams in 1904 and 1920 that were not named national champions.
Sources:
All information was obtained from the 1) 2004 Pitt Football Media Guide http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/football/mediaguide/2004/panthers_history.pdf 2) College Football Data Warehouse (CFDW only lists 6 MNCs for Pitt in their recognized championship totals as opposed to the 9 recognized by Pitt. However, from 1869 to 1918, CFDW still only relies on one source, which seems inappropriate because even by 2003 standards there are multiple recognized selectors (AP and BCS/Coaches Poll). This causes CFDW to fail to recognize Pitt’s 1915 undefeated team recognized by Parke Davis. Their exclusion of the Davis rankings also causes them to miss the 1929 and 1931 Parke Davis National Championship teams. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/ 3) NCAA.org (The NCAA maintains a list of past champions from various polls on their website. Though not as complete of a listing as CFDW, they do list 11 years that Pitt was selected by national champions. The page also contains some interesting information on the different selectors. http://www.ncaa.org/champadmin/ia_football_past_champs.html
* ,#,@,^ not really unanimous, but mostly undisputed. As the AP and UPI polls were instituted, most other rankings diminished in prominence.
* Associated Press, United Press International, 1st-N-Goal, Angelo Louisa, ARGH Power Ratings, Bob Royce, Century Football Index, Cliff Morgan, David Wilson, Football News, Football Writers Association of America, Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments, Harry Frye, Helms Athletic Foundation, James Howell, Jeff Self, Loren Maxwell, Massy Ratings, Mel Smith, Montgomery Full Season Championship, National Championship Foundation, National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame, Patrick Premo, Poling System, Sagarin Ratings, Soren Sorensen, The Fleming System, The Sporting News, Washington Touchdown Club.
1. Associated Press, 1st-N-Goal, Angelo Louisa, Bill Libby, Billingsley Report, Boand System, Bob Kirlin, Bob Royce, Century Football Index, College Football Researchers Association, College Football USA, Dickinson System, Earl Jessen, Edward Likenhous, George Trevor, Harry Frye, Houlgate System, James Howell, James Whalen, Jim Koger, Massy Ratings, National Championship Foundation, Patrick Premo, Poling System, What’s What, Williamson System
@ Helms Athletic Foundation, 1st-N-Goal, Alexander Weyand, Angelo Louisa, Bill Libby, Bob Kirlin, Bob Royce, Century Football Index, College Football USA, George Trevor, Harry Frye, Houlgate System, James Whalen, Jim Koger, National Championship Foundation, Patrick Premo
^ Helms Athletic Foundation, Alexander Weyand, Angelo Louisa, Billingsley Report, Bob Kirlin, Bob Royce, Century Football Index, College Football USA, David Wilson, Earl Jessen, George Trevor, Harry Frye, Houlgate System, James Whalen, Jim Koger, Mel Smith, National Championship Foundation, Parke Davis, Patrick Premo
More on Parke Davis and the 1934 selection of Pitt as National Champions:
Parke H. Davis, the game’s early and most recognized expert on the formative falls of the sport, added the following: longest scoring plays from rushing, returns and passing plays from 1873 season through 1934.
The 1934 edition was Davis’ last season to include these compilations, as he passed away soon after he made the final edit of it. Through the 1937 edition, these compilations were included under Davis’ byline.
His compilation, dating from 1873 forward included the longest plays…in composite form…rushing, punt and kickoff returns and interceptions. After the forward pass was legalized in1906, these stats were also included.
The early publications were on a regional basis. The East edition from 1906-18, 1920-25 and 1929-32, covered teams from New York, New England, Middle Atlantic states and the Southeast. The Western editions cover the Midwest and other parts of the country but not the Pacific Coast, which has its own edition in 1920-25 and 1930-32.
Source: http://www.pasttimesports.biz/history/Tex%20Noel%20Frame-2.htm
1972 Pitt media guide (as well as Univ of Alabama sources) lists Parke Davis sections running through 1935 according to the 1970 SI study.
From: http://www.pasttimesports.biz/TexNoelHistorianFrameset-2.htm:
“
After several years of this, the 1912 (College Football Records Guide published by Spalding Company) Guide came-out with what has become a main stay of college football fans and researchers, statistics.
Parke H. Davis, the game’s early and most recognized expert on the formative falls of the sport, added the following: longest scoring plays from rushing, returns and passing plays from 1873 season through 1934.
The 1934 edition was Davis’ last season to include these compilations, as he passed away soon after he made the final edit of it. Through the 1937 edition, these compilations were included under Davis’ byline. “
This list of Alabama national champions also credits Pitt to a tie for the Parke Davis title of 1934:
http://www.rolltide.com/fls/8000/files/files/14260.pdf