The phrase “blue blood” gets thrown around a lot in college football, but if we’re being honest, most people can’t really agree on what it actually means. Is it about history? Championships? Recent success?
What we do know is that being a “blue blood” in this sport is something hard to come by. You're not just good for a few years and you have to be relevant for more than just a short time.
Interestingly enough, only 13 programs meet the real standard set by College Football News for blue blood status in 2025. The latest rankings go by how many seasons a program has had 10 or more wins, as well as taking into account national championships and much more.
Here's a look at the 13 schools that made the cut, and a few might be a little surprising.
The 13 College Football Blue Bloods (As of 2025)
- Alabama – 44 seasons with 10+ wins | 15 national titles
- Oklahoma – 42 seasons | 7 national titles
- Ohio State – 32 seasons | 7 national titles
- Michigan – 32 seasons | 10 national titles
- Georgia – 29 seasons | 3 national titles
- Nebraska – 28 seasons | 5 national titles
- USC – 28 seasons | 9 national titles
- Penn State – 27 seasons | 4 national titles
- Texas – 26 seasons | 4 national titles
- Florida State – 26 seasons | 3 national titles
- Notre Dame – 24 seasons | 12 national titles
- Tennessee – 21 seasons | 2 national titles
- Clemson – 20 seasons | 3 national titles
It's interesting to see the number of teams that meet this criteria. Honestly, it's a little surprising to see Nebraska and USC that high, but it also comes down to the success they had in previous decades, rather than recently.
Clemson,the most recent addition to the list, has had most of its 10-win seasons under Dabo Swinney, but three national titles is still better or equal to several teams on the list, and recent success should play a role, for sure.
In the end, I still contend that your blue-bloods are really only Alabama, Michigan, and Notre Dame, but you could certainly make an argument that this expanded list should be how things are considered.