The 15 Worst College Football Teams of All Time (2023)

There are some amazing college football teams out there who produce an insane number of wins, NFL players, and hall of famers. But what about those teams at the bottom of the barrel? We decided to create a ranking of the 15 worst Division I FBS college football teams of all time (based on teams with the lowest win percentage). Here they are, ranked.

15. Northwestern Wildcats

• Overall percentage: .448

Coached by Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern finished 10-3 last season, ranking them 16th out of 130 teams. But overall, their percentage is one of the lowest in the league, giving them this No. 15 spot. The school holds eight conference championships but has a bowl record of just 4-10, or .231%. They’ve produced several All-Americans along with 15 college football hall of famers, but the wins just aren’t there.

Next: This school has a constant wave of losses.

14. Tulane Green Wave

• Overall percentage: .446

The Tulane Green Wave football team has four solo conference championships under its belt. But the team has changed conferences several times through the years. They’ve played 11 official bowl games and have a bowl game record of 4-7. The team is currently coached by Willie Fritz and went 5-7 last season — they finished 84th out 130 teams. But while they finished closer to the middle of the pack last season, they’re still one of the worst teams overall, putting them at No. 14 on this list.

Next: This Big 10 team can barely find 10 wins.

13. Iowa State Cyclones

• Overall percentage: .444

The Iowa State Cyclones, part of the Big 10 conference, has an overall record that’s definitely nothing to brag about. Iowa State hasn’t won a conference championship since 1912, when coach Clyde Williams won back-to-back conferences. The team won their only divisional championship in 2004. The cyclones have appeared in 13 bowl games and have produced three college football hall of famers, most recently Troy Davis, who is considered one of the greatest running backs of all time. But the team still can’t win many games.

Next: This team was once coached by John Heisman.

12. Rice Owls

• Overall percentage: .420

In 105 seasons, the Rice Owls have produced just eight conference championships and an overall percentage well below .500. They’ve alaso produced quite a few college football hall of famers, including coach John Heisman, whom the Heisman Trophy is named after. (Heisman also coached several other schools). But the team’s overall record is low. They finished 1-11 overall last season, with a 1-7 record in the conference. This ranked them 125th out of 130 teams last season — even lower than they are on this list.

Next: This school has few notable players and a less notable record.

11. Indiana Hoosiers

• Overall percentage: .415

Tom Allen coached the Indiana Hoosiers to a 5-7 record (2-7 in the conference) during the 2017 season. But overall, the team has been far below average. They’ve won two conference championships (one was shared) and have appeared in eight bowls, with an overall bowl record of 3-8. The school’s most notable player is likely Anthony Thompson, a former NFL running back whose number was retired by the Hoosiers.

Next: This team actually has produced several All-Americans and NFL players, but few wins.

10. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

• Overall percentage: .407

Wake Forest had a winning record in 2017, finishing 8-5 overall (4-4 in the conference) under head coach Dave Clawson. The team has taken two conference championships in its 111 seasons and has appeared in 12 bowls with an 8-4 record. Those stats don’t sound terrible, but the team has been hard pressed for wins through the years. They’ve produced several All-Americans and NFL players, but can’t seem to produce too many wins.

Next: This team is fairly new, but they’re not very good.

9. University of Alabama at Birmingham Blazers

• Overall percentage: .401

We want to cut the UAB Blazers a break since they’re one of the newest teams on this list, having played just over 20 seasons in their current D-1 status. But they still have a pretty awful record, producing only 94 wins in 234 games. The team has appeared in two bowls and lost both. But they finished last season 8-5 (with a 6-2 conference record) under coach Bill Clark, so there’s a chance they’re on the up and up.

Next: This team went 0-12 during the 2017 season.

8. University of Texas at El Paso Miners

• Overall percentage: .381

The UTEP Miners had a rough 2017 season — really rough. The team went 0-12 (0-8 in the conference), and former coach Sean Kugler resigned after an 0-5 start. They finished dead last in the rankings last season — 130th. The team has won just two conference championships in its 81 seasons, and they’ve made 14 bowl appearances with a record of 5-9. The team hired Dana Dimel to start off the 2018 season and hopefully turn around a historically terrible team.

Next: This team only has one conference championship.

7. University of Nevada at Las Vegas Rebels

• Overall percentage: .379

The UNLV Rebels finished out their 2017 season with a 5-7 record (4-4 in the conference), which isn’t as terrible as some teams on this list but could definitely be better. The team has won one conference championship over its 41 seasons in the league. The Rebels have appeared in four bowl games and have a 3-1 record. They’ve sent several people on to the NFL, but the team has never quite gained the speed to become a notable football program.

Next: This team has never been ranked in an AP poll.

6. Buffalo Bulls

• Overall percentage: .362

The Buffalo Bulls don’t shine on the football field. The team has won just two conference championships and has made two bowl appearances, where they lost both times. They’ve also never been ranked in an AP poll. The team finished their 2017 season 6-6 (4-4 in the conference) under head coach Lance Leipold, and they’ve produced several NFL players over the years. However, it hasn’t been enough to get solid recruits to the program, and the team continues to be ranked as one of the all-time worst.

Next: Since this school changed its name, its football program has tanked.

5. Lousiana-Monroe Warhawks

• Overall percentage: .360

The Warhawks have nearly one win for every two losses overall. The team has won one conference championship (while known as the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks) and lost its only bowl appearance. The team finished 4-8 in 2017 under coach Matt Viator and had a conference record of 4-4. Under their former name, Northeast Louisiana University, the team won the Division I-AA National Championship in 1987, but they haven’t had a season like that since.

Next: This team has had a hard time during its 85 seasons.

4. New Mexico State Aggies

• Overall percentage: .356

The Aggies finished 7-6 overall (4-4 in the conference) in the 2017 season under head coach Dug Martin, but the team hasn’t been able to develop a program that can stand well on its own two feet. The program falls far below .500 overall, and they’ve only won four conference championships in 85 seasons. Plus, they’ve won three out of four bowl games (and tied the fourth). However, the Aggies have struggled season after season, putting them at No. 4 on this list.

Next: This is the youngest team on the list, but one of the worst.

3. Florida International Golden Panthers

• Overall percentage: .339

Florida International is one of the youngest teams on this list with only 15 seasons under its belt. But the team has struggled for just about all of them. They won a shared conference in 2010, and they’ve appeared in three bowls with a 1-2 record. The team actually had a decent season in 2017, finishing 8-5 overall and 5-3 in the conference. And while that isn’t good enough to turn the program around, it does shed some hope on the struggling Golden Panthers.

Next: This team has long been known as one of the worst in the league.

2. Kent State Golden Flashes

• Overall percentage: .327

The Kent State Golden Flashes have long been one of the worst football teams ever. They managed to win one conference championship but have lost both of their only two bowl appearances. Under head coach Paul Haynes, the team went 2-10 (1-7 in the conference) last season. However, despite having a subpar football record, nearly 40 alumni have gone on to play in the NFL.

Next: This is the overall worst team of all time.

1. Eastern Michigan Eagles

• Overall percentage: .308

In the 44 seasons that Eastern Michigan has been in Division I-A (or FBS) football, they’ve had a pretty rough time building a decent record. They’ve had one conference championship (in 1987, under coach Jim Harkema), and appeared in two bowls; their bowl record is 1-1. They went 5-7 under head coach Chris Creighton in the 2017 season. Creighton has an overall record of 15-34 in the five seasons he’s been head coach. But this team has the lowest winning percentage of any of the 130 FBS teams, making it No. 1 on this list.