List of Pittsburgh Panthers football seasons

This is a list of Pittsburgh Panthers football seasons, national championships and quarterbacks. The Pittsburgh Panthers football team is the American football team of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Panthers have been members of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2013. From 1991 to 2012 they were members of the Big East Conference. Before 1991 they competed as an independent.

The Panthers began play in 1890. In total, the University officially recognizes nine national championships. The university bases its claim for the five national championships from 1929 to 1937 on a 1967 article by Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.^[1][2] The NCAA's record book lists Pittsburgh as being selected for a national championship by "major selectors" in eleven different seasons.^[3] Research by College Football Data Warehouse (CFBDW) has found that Pitt was selected as a national champion in 16 different seasons by at least one out of 80 selectors of titles.^[4] Of these, CFBDW names six as national championship seasons for the University of Pittsburgh.^[5]

Season records

Season	Record							Bowl Results	Awards	AP Rank		National championships		References
	Overall			Conference
	W	L	T	Membership	W	L	T			Peak	Final	Selectors	Source
1890	1	2	0
1891	2	5	0
1892	4	2	0
1893	1	4	0
1894	1	1	0
1895	1	6	0
1896	3	6	0
1897	1	3	0
1898	5	2	1
1899	3	1	1
1900	5	4	0
1901	7	2	1
1902	5	6	1
1903	1	8	1
1904	10	0	0
1905	10	2	0
1906	4	6	0
1907	9	1	0
1908	8	3	0
1909	6	2	1
1910	9	0	0									NCF	CFBDW, NCAA
1911	4	3	1
1912	3	6	0
1913	6	2	1
1914	8	1	0
1915	8	0	0									PD	NCAA, Pitt
1916	8	0	0									BR, HAF, HS, NCF, PD	CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt
1917	9	0	0
1918	4	1	0									HAF, HS, NCF	CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt
1919	6	2	1
1920	6	0	2
1921	5	3	1
1922	8	2	0
1923	5	4	0
1924	5	3	1
1925	8	1	0
1926	5	2	2
1927	8	1	1					L Rose Bowl
1928	6	2	1
1929	9	1	0					L Rose Bowl				PD	NCAA, Pitt
1930	6	2	1
1931	8	1	0									PD	NCAA, Pitt
1932	8	1	2					L Rose Bowl
1933	8	1	0
1934	8	1	0									PD	Pitt
1935	7	1	2
1936	8	1	1					W Rose Bowl		#2	#3	BS, CFRA, HS	CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt
1937	9	0	1							#1	#1	AP, BR, BS, CFRA, DiS, HS, L, NCF, PS, SR, WS	CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt
1938	8	2	0							#1	#8
1939	5	4	0							#1	–
1940	3	4	1							–	–
1941	3	6	0							–	–
1942	3	6	0							–	–
1943	3	5	0							–	–
1944	4	5	0							–	–
1945	3	7	0							–	–
1946	3	5	1							–	–
1947	1	8	0							–	–
1948	6	3	0							–	–
1949	6	3	0							#15	–
1950	1	8	0							–	–
1951	3	7	0							–	–
1952	6	3	0							#14	–
1953	3	5	1							#15	–
1954	4	5	0							#20	–
1955	7	4	0					L Sugar Bowl		#7	#11
1956	7	3	1					L Gator Bowl		#7	#13
1957	4	6	0							#16	–
1958	5	4	1							#7	–
1959	6	4	0							#16	#20
1960	4	3	3							#12	–
1961	3	7	0							–	–
1962	5	5	0							–	–
1963	9	1	0							#3	#4
1964	3	5	2							–	–
1965	3	7	0							–	–
1966	1	9	0							–	–
1967	1	9	0							–	–
1968	1	9	0							–	–
1969	4	6	0							–	–
1970	5	5	0							#15	–
1971	3	8	0							–	–
1972	1	10	0							–	–
1973	6	5	1					L Fiesta Bowl		#20	–
1974	7	4	0							#8	#20
1975	8	4	0					W Sun Bowl		#15	#15
1976	12	0	0					W Sugar Bowl		#1	#1	AP, FN, FWAA, HAF, NCF, NFF, PS, R(FACT), SN, SR, UPI	CFBDW, NCAA, Pitt
1977	9	2	1					W Gator Bowl		#8	#8
1978	8	4	0					L Tangerine Bowl		#9	–
1979	11	1	0					W Fiesta Bowl		#7	#7
1980	11	1	0					W Gator Bowl		#2	#2	CFRA, DeS, NYT, R(FACT), SR	NCAA
1981	11	1	0					W Sugar Bowl		#1	#4	NCF	NCAA
1982	9	3	0					L Cotton Bowl Classic		#1	#10
1983	8	3	1					L Fiesta Bowl		#15	#18
1984	3	7	1							#17	–
1985	5	5	1							–	–
1986	6	4	1							–	–
1987	8	4	0					L Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl		#16	–
1988	6	5	0							#16	–
1989	8	3	1					W John Hancock Bowl		#7	#17
1990	3	7	1							#13	–
1991	6	5	0	Big East	3	2	0			#12	–
1992	3	9	0	Big East	1	3	0			–	–
1993	3	8	0	Big East	2	5	0			–	–
1994	3	8	0	Big East	2	5	0			–	–
1995	2	9	0	Big East	0	7	0			–	–
1996	4	7		Big East	3	4				–	–
1997	6	6		Big East	4	3		L Liberty Bowl		–	–
1998	2	9		Big East	0	7				–	–
1999	5	6		Big East	2	5				–	–
2000	7	5		Big East	4	3		L Insight.com Bowl		–	–
2001	7	5		Big East	4	3		W Tangerine Bowl		–	–
2002	9	4		Big East	5	2		W Insight Bowl		#17	#19
2003	8	5		Big East	5	2		L Continental Tire Bowl		#9	–
2004	8	4		Big East	4	2		L Fiesta Bowl		#19	#25
2005	5	6		Big East	4	3				#21	–
2006	6	6		Big East	2	5				–	–
2007	5	7		Big East	3	4				–	–
2008	9	4		Big East	5	2		L Sun Bowl		#17	–
2009	10	3		Big East	5	2		W Meineke Car Care Bowl		#8	#15
2010	8	5		Big East	5	2		W BBVA Compass Bowl		#15	–
2011	6	7		Big East	4	3		L BBVA Compass Bowl		–	–
2012	6	7		Big East	3	4		L BBVA Compass Bowl		–	–
2013	7	6		ACC	3	5		W Little Caesars Pizza Bowl		–	–
2014	6	7		ACC	4	4		L Armed Forces Bowl		–	–
2015	8	5		ACC	6	2		L Military Bowl		#23	–
2016	8	5		ACC	5	3		L Pinstripe Bowl		#22	–
2017	5	7		ACC	3	5				–	–
2018	7	7		ACC	6	2		L Sun Bowl		#24	–
2019	8	5		ACC	4	4		W Quick Lane Bowl		–	–
2020	6	5		ACC	5	5				#21	–
2021	11	3		ACC	7	1		L Peach Bowl		#13	#13
2022	9	4		ACC	5	3		W Sun Bowl		#17	#22
2023	3	9		ACC	2	6				–	–
2024	7	6		ACC	3	5		L GameAbove Sports Bowl		#19	–

Legend

CFBDW recognized National Championships[5]	NCAA record book listed & Pitt claimed National Championships	National Championship listed in the NCAA record book but not claimed by Pitt	National Championship claimed by Pitt but not listed in the NCAA record book	Big East Conference Championship (1991–2012)	ACC Coastal Division Championship (2013–2022)	ACC Conference Championship (2013–present)	Undefeated Season

Polls have been the most prominent form of championship selection since the inception of the AP Poll in 1936. The following systems have at one point in their history have named Pitt as a national champion or are still active today. Retroactive designations are marked in italics.

Selector	Name	Years		Selector	Name	Years
Mathematical				Poll
BCS*	Bowl Championship Series	1998–2013		AP	Associated Press	1936–present
BR	Billingsley Report	1869–1870, 1872–1969, 1970–2006		CFRA	College Football Researchers Association	1919–1935, 1936–1981, 1982–1992
BS	Boand System	1919–1929, 1930–1960		FN	Football News	1958–2002
CCR	Congrove Computer Rankings	1993–Present		FWAA	Football Writers Association of America	1954–present
DeS	DeVold System	1939–1944, 1945–2006		HAF	Helms Athletic Foundation	1883–1935, 1936–1940, 1941–1982
DiS	Dickinson System	1924–1925, 1926–1940		NCF	National Championship Foundation	1869–1870, 1872–1935, 1936–1979, 1980–2000
HS	Houlgate System	1885, 1887–1905, 1907–1926, 1927–1949		NFF†	National Football Foundation	1959–1990, 1995–present
L	Litkenhous	1934–1972, 1974, 1978, 1981–1984		SN	Sporting News	1975–2006
NYT	New York Times	1979–2004		UPI*	United Press International	1950–1990, 1993–1995
PS	Poling System	1924–1934, 1935–1955, 1957–1984		USAT*†‡	USA Today	2006–present
R(FACT)	Rothman (FACT)	1968–2006		* The USA Today (USAT) Coaches' Poll is used as part of the BCS formula. † The NFF merged with UPI from 1991–1992 and was known as the UPI/NFF. Prior to 1991 the UPI had published the Coaches' Poll, which has been published by USA Today under various names and sponsorships since 1991.[6] ‡ The USA Today Poll was sponsored by CNN from 1982–1996, known as CNN/USA Today, and ESPN from 1997–2005, known as the ESPN/USA Today. The NFF briefly merged with USA Today poll from 1993–1994 and was known as the USAT/NFF.
SR	Sagarin Ratings	1919–1977, 1978–2006
WS	Williamson System	1931, 1932–1963
Research
PD	Parke H. Davis	1869–1870, 1872–1909, 1911–1916, 1919–1932, 1933

National championships

Kiosk in the Great Hall at Heinz Field celebrating Pitt's 1976 national championship

The University of Pittsburgh claims nine national championships for the Panthers football team: four that are mostly unanimous, (1916, 1918, 1937, and 1976) and five shared titles (1915, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936). Parke Davis was the only major selector of four of the titles, including the 1934 selection attributed to him after his pre-season death.

The University bases its claim for the first eight national championships on a 1967 article by Dan Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.^[2][1] These championships, together with its unanimous championship of 1976, are the basis for the university's claim of nine national championship seasons.

Furthermore, according to research conducted by the College Football Data Warehouse,^[7] in eight additional years at least one out of 80 selectors of national titles has declared Pitt as its national champion. Combined with the Sports Illustrated article, Pitt has been recognized as the national champion by at least one selector in 17 different seasons. According to the NCAA Division 1 Football Records Book^{[permanent dead link]}, Pitt has been named a national champion by a "Major Selector" in 11 separate seasons.^[8]

Note: The table lists all known national championship selections for the University of Pittsburgh. The list of national championship selecting organizations choosing Pitt for any particular year is not necessarily comprehensive. For more information see College Football Data Warehouse Total National Championships. All selections for seasons before 1927 were made retrospectively, as were many later selections. Additional notations include the following:

Pitt: national championship selections are officially recognized by the University^[9]

NCAA: Selection as national champions by organizations designated as "Major Selectors" in the official NCAA football records book^[10]

CFBDW: Designation as "CFBDW Recognized National Champions"^[11] according to College Football Data Warehouse.

Pittsburgh Panthers national championships
Season	Coach	Record	Selectors	Recognized
1910	Joseph H. Thompson	9–0	1st-N-Goal Century Football Index Cliff Morgan Mel Smith National Championship Foundation* Patrick Premo	NCAA CFBDW
1915	Glenn Scobey Warner	8–0	Bill Libby Jim Koger Mel Smith Parke H. Davis*	NCAA Pitt
1916	Glenn Scobey Warner	8–0	Billingsley Report* Helms Athletic Foundation* Houlgate System* National Championship Foundation* Parke Davis * 17 minor selectors	NCAA Pitt CFBDW
1917	GlennScobey Warner	10–0	Alexander Weyand David Wilson Earl Jessen Jim Koger Mel Smith Nutshell Sports Football Ratings
1918	Glenn Scobey Warner	4–1	Helms Athletic Foundation* Houlgate System* National Championship Foundation* 14 minor selectors	NCAA Pitt CFBDW
1925	Jock Sutherland	8–1	Soren Sorensen
1927	Jock Sutherland	8–1–1	Esso Gas
1929	Jock Sutherland	9–1	Parke H. Davis*	NCAA Pitt
1931	Jock Sutherland	8–1	1st-N-Goal Bob Kirlin Parke H. Davis*	NCAA Pitt
1933	Jock Sutherland	8–1	Bob Kirlin
1934	Jock Sutherland	8–1	Parke H. Davis' successor	Pitt
1936	Jock Sutherland	8–1–1	1st-N-Goal Angelo Louisa Boand System* Bob Kirlin College Football Researchers Association* Earl Jessen Esso Gas Houlgate System* Jim Koger Loren Maxwell Patrick Premo	NCAA Pitt CFBDW
1937	Jock Sutherland	9–0–1	consensus (12 major selectors, 15 minor selectors)	NCAA Pitt CFBDW
1938	Jock Sutherland	8–2	Patrick Premo
1976	Johnny Majors	12–0	consensus (12 major selectors, 19 minor selectors)	NCAA Pitt CFBDW
1980	Jackie Sherrill	11–1	1st-N-Goal Angelo Louisa ARGH Power Ratings College Football Researchers Association* Foundation for the Analysis of Competitions and Tournaments* Harry DeVold* James Howell Jeff Self New York Times* Quality Champions Sagarin Ratings* Steve Eck The Fleming System	NCAA
1981	Jackie Sherrill	11–1	Montgomery Full Season Championship National Championship Foundation*	NCAA

^* NCAA-designated "major selector"

The following table summarizes the source and totals for Pitt's national championship seasons.

Source	Championships	Years
AP/Coaches' Poll (1936–present)	Two	1937, 1976
CFBDW (recognized)[5]	Six	1910, 1916, 1918, 1936, 1937, 1976
Sports Illustrated (1967 article)[n 1]	Eight	1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937
NCAA ("major" selectors)[12]	Eleven	1910, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1936, 1937, 1976, 1980, 1981
CFBDW (all)[4]	Sixteen	1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1976, 1980, 1981
Total unique seasons	Seventeen	1910, 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1976, 1980, 1981
Claimed by Pitt[13]	Nine	1915, 1916, 1918, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, 1937, 1976

1. Based on a September 11, 1967 Sports Illustrated article.^[2][1]

Quarterbacks

Pitt's season-by-season completion leaders at quarterback since 1974 are depicted in the following table.^[14]

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterbacks
Season	1st String QB/Completions	2nd String QB/Completions	3rd String QB/Completions
2024	Eli Holstein / 180	Nate Yarnell / 98	David Lynch / 16
2023	Christian Veilleux / 94	Phil Jurkovec / 57	Nate Yarnell / 41
2022	Kedon Slovis / 184	Nick Patti / 29	Nate Yarnell / 10
2021	Kenny Pickett / 334*	Nick Patti / 14	Davis Beville / 17
2020	Kenny Pickett / 203	Nick Patti / 26	Davis Beville / 5
2019	Kenny Pickett / 289*	Nick Patti / 26
2018	Kenny Pickett / 180	Jeff George Jr. / 1	Ricky Town / 1
2017	Max Browne / 96	Ben DiNucci / 88	Kenny Pickett / 39
2016	Nathan Peterman / 185	Ben DiNucci / 3
2015	Nathan Peterman / 193	Chad Voytik / 16
2014	Chad Voytik / 176	Trey Anderson / 11
2013	Tom Savage / 238	Chad Voytik / 6
2012	Tino Sunseri / 256*	Trey Anderson / 2
2011	Tino Sunseri / 247*	Trey Anderson / 12
2010	Tino Sunseri / 223	Pat Bostick / 7
2009	Bill Stull / 207	Tino Sunseri / 10
2008	Bill Stull / 188	Pat Bostick / 22	Kevan Smith / 1
2007	Pat Bostick / 155	Kevan Smith / 36	Bill Stull / 14
2006	Tyler Palko / 220	Bill Stull / 6
2005	Tyler Palko / 193	Bill Stull / 1
2004	Tyler Palko / 230	Joe Flacco / 1
2003	Rod Rutherford / 247*	Luke Getsy / 3
2002	Rod Rutherford / 192	Tyler Palko / 2
2001	David Priestley / 165	Rod Rutherford / 19
2000	John Turman / 128	David Priestley / 57
1999	John Turman / 92	David Priestley / 92
1998	Matt Lytle / 159	Matt O'Connor / 14
1997	Pete Gonzalez / 198	Matt Lytle / 5
1996	Matt Lytle / 105	Pete Gonzalez / 30
1995	John Ryan / 115	Matt Lytle / 37	Pete Gonzalez / 30
1994	John Ryan / 87	Sean Fitzgerald / 79	Pete Gonzalez / 4
1993	John Ryan / 115	Ken Ferguson / 9
1992	Alex Van Pelt / 245*	John Ryan / 21
1991	Alex Van Pelt / 227*	Ken Ferguson / 2
1990	Alex Van Pelt / 201	Darnell Dickerson / 1
1989	Alex Van Pelt / 192	Scott Stark / 4
1988	Darnell Dickerson / 104	Larry Wanke / 8
1987	Sal Genilla / 80	Darnell Dickerson / 35	Larry Wanke / 13
1986	John Congemi / 165	Joe Felitskey / 36	Sal Genilla / 8
1985	John Congemi / 122	Joe Felitskey / 4
1984	John Congemi / 93	Chris Jelic / 44	John Cummings / 12
1983	John Congemi / 170	Chris Jelic / 9	John Cummings / 9
1982	Dan Marino / 221	Dan Daniels / 2
1981	Dan Marino / 226*	Dan Daniels / 1
1980	Dan Marino / 116	Rick Trocano / 88
1979	Dan Marino / 130	Rick Trocano / 74
1978	Rick Trocano / 138*	Larry Delaney / 18
1977	Matt Cavanaugh / 110*	Rick Trocano / 17
1976	Matt Cavanaugh / 65	Thomas Yencic / 14
1975	Robert Haygood / 42	Matt Cavanaugh / 30
1974	Bill Daniels / 71*	Bob Medwid / 14

* Denotes setting of team single-season completion record