Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy

The Lambert Trophy (formerly the "Lambert-Meadowlands 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 A. and Henry L. Lambert in memory of their father, August V. Lambert.^[3] The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters.

Lambert Trophy

The Lambert Trophy on display in the Army Sports Hall of Fame at the United States Military Academy in 2019.
Awarded for	the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly I-A) college football. Eastern championship[1][2]
Location	Eastern United States
Country	United States
Presented by	Lambert Trophy Championship Association
History
First award	1936
First winner	Pittsburgh
Most recent	Penn State
Next ceremony	2024
Website	LambertTrophy.org

By the time the “Lambert Trophy” was established in 1936, major schools in other regions of the country had formed their own leagues (i.e., SEC, Big Ten, Big Eight, Pacific Coast Conference, etc.) and Division I FBS (formerly I–A) schools located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions remained independent, with the exception of the 1954 formation of the Ivy League.^[4][5] Emblematic of the "Eastern championship",^[6][7] the Lambert Trophy, voted on by a panel of sports writers in New York, became the de facto conference championship for those schools.^[8]

Since 1936, there have been 19 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert Award, a school must be located in the "East." Teams in the "East" were originally interpreted as being north of Washington D.C. and east of the western boundary of Pennsylvania,^[9] but has sometimes been expanded to include teams located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia (although there are no FBS teams in Delaware nor Washington D.C., there are teams that compete at lower levels that can win the various Lambert Cup awards for their levels). Additionally, while the Big East Conference was a 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.

A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup were formerly 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.

As of 2024, plans were announced to revive the Lambert Trophy and begin awarding it for the 2024 season. Following this, the newly announced Lambert Trophy Championship Association awarded retroactive championships to Pittsburgh for 2021 and Penn State for 2023.^[10] It was additionally re-announced that Penn State had been awarded the trophy in 2022.^[11] Boston College, Temple, Navy, Army, Buffalo, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass, UConn, and Syracuse will have automatic eligibility for The Lambert Trophy in 2024, with Delaware becoming eligible in 2025. ^[12]

Lambert Trophy winners

By year

Year School Record Final AP Rank Bowl 1936 Pittsburgh 8–1–1 #3 Won Rose 1937 Pittsburgh 9–0–1 #1 No bowl 1938 Carnegie Tech 7–2 #6 Lost Sugar 1939 Cornell 8–0 #4 No bowl 1940 Boston College 11–0 #5 Won Sugar 1941 Fordham 8–1 #6 Won Sugar 1942 Boston College 8–2 #8 Lost Orange 1943 Navy 8–1 #4 No bowl 1944 Army 9–0 #1 No bowl 1945 Army 9–0 #1 No bowl 1946 Army 9–0–1 #2 No bowl 1947 Penn State 9–0–1 #4 Tied Cotton 1948 Army 8–0–1 #6 No bowl 1949 Army 9–0 #4 No bowl 1950 Princeton 9–0 #6 No bowl 1951 Princeton 9–0 #6 No bowl 1952 Syracuse 7–3 #14 Lost Orange 1953 Army 7–1–1 #14 No bowl 1954 Navy 8–2 #5 Won Sugar 1955 Pittsburgh 7–4 #11 Lost Sugar 1956 Syracuse 7–2 #8 Lost Cotton 1957 Navy 8–1–1 #5 Won Cotton 1958 Army 8–0–1 #3 No bowl 1959 Syracuse 11–0 #1 Won Cotton 1960 Navy 9–2 #4 Lost Orange Yale 9–0 #14 No bowl 1961 Penn State 8–3 #17 Won Gator 1962 Penn State 9–2 #9 Lost Gator 1963 Navy 9–2 #2 Lost Cotton 1964 Penn State 6–4 NR No bowl

Year School Record Final AP Rank Bowl 1965 Dartmouth 9–0 NR No bowl 1966 Syracuse 8–3 NR Lost Gator 1967 Penn State 8–2–1 #10 Tied Gator 1968 Penn State 11–0 #2 Won Orange 1969 Penn State 11–0 #2 Won Orange 1970 Dartmouth 9–0 #14 No bowl 1971 Penn State 11–1 #5 Won Cotton 1972 Penn State 10–2 #10 Lost Sugar 1973 Penn State 12–0 #5 Won Orange 1974 Penn State 10–2 #7 Won Cotton 1975 Penn State 9–3 #10 Lost Sugar 1976 Pittsburgh 12–0 #1 Won Sugar 1977 Penn State 11–1 #5 Won Fiesta 1978 Penn State 11–1 #4 Lost Sugar 1979 Pittsburgh 11–1 #7 Won Fiesta 1980 Pittsburgh 11–1 #2 Won Gator 1981 Penn State 10–2 #3 Won Fiesta 1982 Penn State 11–1 #1 Won Sugar 1983 Boston College 9–3 #19 Lost Liberty 1984 Boston College 10–2 #5 Won Cotton 1985 Penn State 11–1 #3 Lost Orange 1986 Penn State 12–0 #1 Won Fiesta 1987 Syracuse 11–0–1 #4 Tied Sugar 1988 West Virginia 11–1 #5 Lost Fiesta 1989 Penn State 8–3–1 #15 Won Holiday 1990 Penn State 9–3 #11 Lost Blockbuster 1991 Penn State 11–2 #3 Won Fiesta 1992 Syracuse 10–2 #6 Won Fiesta 1993 West Virginia 11–1 #7 Lost Sugar 1994 Penn State 12–0 #2 Won Rose

Year School Record Final AP Rank Bowl 1995 Virginia Tech 10–2 #10 Won Sugar 1996 Penn State 11–2 #7 Won Fiesta 1997 Penn State 9–3 #16 Lost Citrus 1998 Penn State 9–3 #17 Won Outback 1999 Virginia Tech 11–1 #2 Lost Sugar 2000 Miami (FL) 11–1 #2 Won Sugar 2001 Miami (FL) 12–0 #1 Won Rose 2002 Miami (FL) 12–1 #2 Lost Fiesta 2003 Miami (FL) 11–2 #5 Won Orange 2004 Boston College 9–3 #21 Won Continental Tire 2005 Penn State 11–1 #3 Won Orange 2006 Louisville 12–1 #5 Won Orange 2007 West Virginia 11–2 #6 Won Fiesta 2008 Penn State 11–2 #8 Lost Rose 2009 Penn State[13] 11–2 #9 Won Capital One 2010 Connecticut 8–5 NR Lost Fiesta 2011 West Virginia 10–3 #17 Won Orange 2012 Cincinnati 10–3 NR Won Belk 2013 Penn State 7–5 NR No Bowl 2014 Rutgers 8–5 NR Won Quick Lane 2015 Navy 11–2 #18 Won Military 2016 Penn State 11–3 #7 Lost Rose 2017 Penn State 11–2 #8 Won Fiesta 2018 Army[14] 11–2 #19 Won Armed Forces 2019 Penn State[15] 11–2 #9 Won Cotton 2020 Army[15] 9–3 NR Lost Liberty 2021 Pittsburgh 11–3 #13 Lost Peach 2022 Penn State 11–2 #7 Won Rose 2023 Penn State 10–3 #13 Lost Peach 2024

By team

School	Total	Years won
Penn State	34	1947, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023
Army	9	1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1958, 2018, 2020
Pittsburgh	7	1936, 1937, 1955, 1976, 1979, 1980, 2021
Syracuse	6	1952, 1956, 1959, 1966, 1987, 1992
Navy	6	1943, 1954, 1957, 1960 (co-champions), 1963, 2015
Boston College	5	1940, 1942, 1983, 1984, 2004
Miami (FL)*	4	2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
West Virginia	4	1988, 1993, 2007, 2011
Dartmouth^	2	1965, 1970
Princeton^	2	1950, 1951
Virginia Tech	2	1995, 1999
Carnegie Tech†	1	1938
Cincinnati*	1	2012
Connecticut	1	2010
Cornell^	1	1939
Fordham^	1	1941
Louisville*	1	2006
Rutgers	1	2014
Yale^	1	1960 (co-champions)

^ Now a member of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
† Now a member of NCAA Division III.

* No longer eligible to win Lambert Trophy

Lambert Cup

Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA)

Year Team Record Playoff results 1982 Delaware 12–2 Championship Game 1983 Holy Cross 9–2–1 First Round 1984 Rhode Island 10–3 Semifinals 1985 Rhode Island 10–3 Quarterfinals 1986 Holy Cross 10–1 Did not play (Patriot) 1987 Holy Cross 11–0 Did not play (Patriot) 1988 Holy Cross 9–2 Did not play (Patriot) 1989 Holy Cross 10–1 Did not play (Patriot) 1990 William & Mary 10–3 Quarterfinals 1991 Delaware 10–2 First Round 1992 Villanova 9–3 First Round 1993 Boston University 12–1 Quarterfinals 1994 James Madison 10–3 Quarterfinals 1995 Delaware 11–2 Quarterfinals 1996 William & Mary 10–3 Quarterfinals 1997 Delaware 12–2 Semifinals 1998 UMass 12–3 National Champions 1999 Hofstra 11–2 Quarterfinals 2000 Delaware 12–2 Semifinals

Year Team Record Playoff results 2001 Lehigh 11–1 Quarterfinals 2002 Villanova 11–4 Semifinals 2003 Delaware 15–1 National Champions 2004 James Madison 13–2 National Champions 2005 New Hampshire 11–2 Quarterfinals 2006 UMass 13–2 Championship Game 2007 Delaware 11–4 Championship Game 2008 James Madison 12–2 Semifinals 2009 Villanova 14–1 National Champions 2010 Delaware 12–3 Championship Game 2011 Lehigh 11–2 Quarterfinals 2012 Old Dominion 11–2 Quarterfinals 2013 Towson 13–3 Championship Game 2014 New Hampshire 12–2 Semifinals 2015 Dartmouth/Harvard/Penn 9–1/9–1/7–3 Did not play (Ivy) 2016 James Madison 14–1 National Champions 2017 James Madison 14–1 Championship Game 2018 Colgate[14] 10–2 Quarterfinals 2019 James Madison[15] 14–2 Championship Game

Year Team Record Playoff results 2020 James Madison[15] 7–1 Semifinals

NOTE: The Ivy League, and until 1997, the Patriot League, do/did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Tournament.

^[16]

Most FCS Lambert Cups

Team	Total	Years won
Delaware	8	1982, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010
James Madison	7	1994, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020
Holy Cross	5	1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
Villanova	3	1992, 2002, 2009
Lehigh	2	2001, 2011
UMass †	2	1998, 2006
New Hampshire	2	2005, 2014
Rhode Island	2	1984, 1985
William & Mary	2	1990, 1996
Boston University ‡	1	1993
Colgate	1	2018
Fordham	1	2015
Hofstra ‡	1	1999
Old Dominion †	1	2012
Towson	1	2013

† Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
‡ Discontinued football

Division II

Year Team Record Playoff results 1957 Lehigh 8–1 No playoffs 1958 Buffalo 8–1 Tangerine Bowl (refused) 1959 Delaware 8–1 No playoffs 1960 Bucknell 7–2 No playoffs 1961 Lehigh 7–2 No playoffs 1962 Delaware 7–2 No playoffs 1963 Delaware 8–0 No playoffs 1964 Bucknell 7–2 No playoffs 1965 Maine 8–2 Tangerine Bowl (L) 1966 Gettysburg 7–2 No playoffs 1967 West Chester 10–1 Tangerine Bowl (L) 1968 Delaware 8–3 Boardwalk Bowl 1969 Delaware 9–2 Boardwalk Bowl Wesleyan 8–0 No playoffs 1970 Delaware 9–2 Boardwalk Bowl 1971 Delaware 10–1 National Champions 1972 Delaware 10–0 National Champions 1973 Delaware 8–4 Quarterfinals Lehigh 7–4–1 Quarterfinals 1974 Delaware 12–2 Championship Game 1975 Lehigh 9–3 Quarterfinals 1976 Delaware 8–3–1 Quarterfinals 1977 Lehigh 12–2 National Champions 1978 UMass 9–4 I-AA Championship Game 1979 Delaware 13–1 National Champions 1980 Lehigh 9–1–2 I-AA Semifinals 1981 Shippensburg 12–1 Div II Semifinals 1982 East Stroudsburg 9–2 No playoffs 1983 Towson State 10–2 Quarterfinals 1984 Towson State 9–4 Semifinals 1985 Bloomsburg 12–1 Semifinals 1986 Towson State 8–3–1 Quarterfinals

Year Team Record Playoff results 1987 IUP 10–2 Quarterfinals 1988 Millersville 10–2 Quarterfinals 1989 IUP 11–2 Semifinals 1990 IUP 12–2 Championship Game 1991 IUP 12–1 Semifinals 1992 New Haven 12–1 Semifinals 1993 IUP 13–1 Championship Game 1994 IUP 10–3 Semifinals 1995 New Haven 10–1–1 Quarterfinals 1996 Clarion 11–3 Semifinals 1997 New Haven 12–2 Championship Game 1998 Slippery Rock 12–2 Semifinals 1999 IUP 9–4 Semifinals 2000 Bloomsburg 12–3 Championship Game 2001 IUP 8–2 First Round 2002 IUP 11–2 Quarterfinals 2003 IUP 10–1 No playoffs 2004 West Chester 11–4 Semifinals 2005 East Stroudsburg 11–3 Semifinals 2006 West Chester 9–4 Second Round 2007 California (PA) 13–1 Semifinals 2008 West Chester 9–4 Second Round 2009 California (PA)[13] 11–4 Semifinals 2010 Mercyhurst 10–3 Quarterfinals 2011 New Haven 11–2 Quarterfinals 2012 IUP 12–2 Quarterfinals 2013 West Chester 13–2 Semifinals 2014 Bloomsburg 11–2 Quarterfinals 2015 Shepherd 13–1 Championship Game 2016 Shepherd 13–1 Semifinals 2017 IUP 13–1 Semifinals 2018 LIU Post[14] 10–1 First Round

Year Team Record Playoff results 2019 West Chester[15] 9–3 First Round

Most D-II Lambert Cups

School	Total	Years won
IUP	12	1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2017
Delaware †	11	1959, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1969(½), 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973(½), 1974, 1976, 1979
West Chester	6	1967, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2019
Lehigh †	5½	1957, 1961, 1973 (½), 1975, 1977, 1980
New Haven	4	1992, 1995, 1997, 2011
Bloomsburg	3	1985, 2000, 2014
Towson State †	3	1983, 1984, 1986
Bucknell †	2	1960, 1964
California (PA)	2	2007, 2009
East Stroudsburg	2	1982, 2005
Shepherd	2	2015, 2016
Buffalo ‡	1	1958
Clarion	1	1996
Gettysburg ^	1	1966
LIU Post	1	2018
Maine †	1	1965
UMass ‡	1	1978
Mercyhurst	1	2010
Millersville	1	1988
Shippensburg	1	1981
Slippery Rock	1	1998
Wesleyan ^	½	1969 (½)

‡ Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
^ Now a member of Division III.

Division III

Year Team 1966 Wilkes 1967 Wagner 1968 Wilkes 1969 Merchant Marine 1970 Edinboro 1971 Alfred 1972 Franklin & Marshall 1973 C. W. Post 1974 Ithaca 1975 Ithaca 1976 C. W. Post 1977 Westminster (PA) 1978 Ithaca 1979 Carnegie Mellon 1980 Ithaca 1981 Widener 1982 Plymouth State

Year Team 1983 Hofstra 1984 Union (NY) Ithaca 1985 Ithaca 1986 Salisbury State 1987 Wagner 1988 Ithaca 1989 Union (NY) 1990 Allegheny 1991 Ithaca 1992 Washington & Jefferson 1993 Rowan 1994 Washington & Jefferson 1995 Rowan 1996 Rowan 1997 Lycoming 1998 Rowan

Year Team 1999 Rowan 2000 Widener 2001 Rowan 2002 Brockport 2003 RPI 2004 Rowan 2005 Rowan 2006 St. John Fisher 2007 Wesley 2008 Cortland 2009 Wesley[13] 2010 Wesley 2011 Wesley 2012 Hobart 2013 St. John Fisher 2014 Wesley 2015 Wesley

Year Team 2016 Alfred 2017 Brockport 2018 Johns Hopkins[14] 2019 Muhlenberg[15]

Most D-III Lambert Cups

Team	Total	Years won
Rowan	8	1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005
Ithaca	7½	1974, 1975, 1978, 1980, 1984 (½), 1985, 1988, 1991
Wesley	6	2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015
Alfred	2	1971, 2016
Brockport	2	2002, 2017
C. W. Post ‡	2	1973, 1976
St. John Fisher	2	2006, 2013
Wagner †	2	1967, 1987
Washington & Jefferson	2	1992, 1994
Widener	2	1981, 2000
Wilkes	2	1966, 1968
Union (NY)	1½	1984 (½), 1989
Allegheny	1	1990
Carnegie Mellon	1	1979
Cortland	1	2008
Edinboro ‡	1	1970
Franklin & Marshall	1	1972
Hobart	1	2012
Hofstra ^	1	1983
Johns Hopkins	1	2018
Lycoming	1	1997
Merchant Marine	1	1969
Muhlenberg	1	2019
Plymouth State	1	1982
RPI	1	2003
Salisbury	1	1986
Westminster (PA)	1	1977

† Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
‡ Now a member of Division II.
^ Discontinued football

References

1. "Boys' Life". November 1968.
2. Dartmouth College Football: Green Fields of Autumn. Arcadia. 2004. ISBN 9780738536118.
3. "Get Lambert Award". Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph. December 1, 1936. p. 26. Retrieved June 28, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Remember What It Took to Get Here". 11 April 2016.
5. "What happened to college football in the Northeast?". 4 August 2022.
6. "Boys' Life". November 1968.
7. Dartmouth College Football: Green Fields of Autumn. Arcadia. 2004. ISBN 9780738536118.
8. "Remember What It Took to Get Here". 11 April 2016.
9. "Dec 01, 1936, page 18 - The Times Leader at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
10. "Lambert Trophy Winners". Lambert Trophy. Retrieved 2024-12-14.
11. "Lambert Trophy Tweet Re: Penn State 2022".
12. @LambertTrophy (September 23, 2024). "... @SickosCommittee @PickSixPreviews @FQACC @ECACSports @ShutdownFullcas @SplitZoneDuo @ArmyWP_Football @SolidVerbal" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2024 – via Twitter.
13. Mackall, Dave (January 5, 2010). "Penn State finishes atop MNYFW poll". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Archived from the original on January 10, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2010.
14. "ECAC Announces 2018 Football Teams of the Year and Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. January 15, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
15. "ECAC Announces 2020 and 2019 Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
16. "American Football Networks, Inc. - Lambert FCS Cup". Archived from the original on Jun 29, 2016. Retrieved June 14, 2016.