Springfield, Ohio – On the same day that Wittenberg University welcomed students in the Class of 2023 to kick off the start of the 2019-20 school year, the famed Tiger football program was recognized for its tremendous success spanning more than a century.
On Aug. 15, ESPN.com published an article titled “The 50 best college football programs over 150 years” with the stated goal to “Honor the accomplishments of teams across 150 seasons and all divisions, while rewarding successful programs at the highest level in the sport’s most competitive era.” This ambitious project encompassed football programs across all three NCAA divisions and utilized a variety of metrics.
The ranking begins in a predictable way, featuring NCAA Division I scholarship programs Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, and Michigan in the top six positions. However, universities competing in lower divisions populate much of the rest of the list, starting with Yale at No. 7. The Wittenberg Tigers, owners of five national championships since 1960, are the third of five current NCAA Division III members to earn a spot in the ranking, checking in at No. 27.