The Worst College Football Programs in America

Established in 1957, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas began as an extension of the University of Nevada, Reno. Once University of Nevada, Las Vegas became its own entity in 1968, the Rebels football team took shape and played as a Division II program until 1978, when they became Division 1.

The Rebels played winning seasons between 1978-1981 and again in 1983-1984. They also played and won the California Bowl against the University of Toledo in 1984 but had to forfeit their entire season, Big West Conference title, and their bowl win for the year after fielding seven ineligible players. In 1994 and 1999, UNLV won the Las Vegas Bowl but have not won a bowl game since. Since 2000, the Rebels have only one title to their name, one winning season, and one even-record season. The Rebel's overall record is 235-335-4.

Iowa State University was founded in 1858 and held its first classes eleven years later. Officially named Iowa State University of Science and Technology in 1959, Iowa State's football team dates back to 1892 when the school was known as the Iowa Agricultural College.

Iowa State University started on a high note when the team defeated University of Iowa during their first sanctioned season in 1894. The Cyclones boasted an above-average record until 1945, after which they had one winning season over the next fifteen years. The Cyclones lost their first four bowl games during the 1970s and did not appear in a bowl game again until they defeated University of Pittsburgh at the Cactus Bowl in 2000.

Since 2001, the Cyclones have lost five of eight bowl games, and it has been more than a century since they won a conference title. Currently, Iowa State's record stands at 420-631-46.

Established in 1851, Northwestern University grew along the shore of Lake Michigan during the early 1850s and offered classes to its first students in 1855. Northwestern fielded its first football team in 1876 and in 1896 became a founding member of the Western Conference, precursor to the Big Ten Conference.

The played their first bowl game in 1948, defeating the California Golden Bears at the Cotton Bowl. The Wildcats did not enter another bowl game until 1995, when they lost nine bowl games between 1995 and 2012. The Wildcats also experienced a losing streak of 34 games between 1979 and 1982. A Gator Bowl victory in 2012, a Pinstripe Bowl win in 2016, and a Music City Bowl win in 2017 signaled a postseason turn around for the team. The Wildcats have ten conference championships to their name (although only two are held without co-winners), and their all-time record holds at 504-642-44.

Wake Forest University was originally founded in Wake Forest, North Carolina, in 1834 and moved to Winston-Salem in 1956. First established as a manual labor institute, Wake Forest University now has more than 8,000 students.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons began competing in 1888 as an intercollegiate team but did not start Division I play until 1908. The Demon Deacons earned their first winning season in 1923, and they made their first bowl appearance in 1945, winning against the University of South Carolina at the Gator Bowl, 26-14. Their next bowl victory came in 1992, but since 1999, the Demon Deacons have won six of eight bowl appearances. When it comes to conference championships, Wake Forest has only two titles in its 130-year history: the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1970 and again in 2006. Overall, Wake Forest's record is 450-647-33.

As a private research institution, Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, began as a medical college in 1834 and now offers over 1,700 classes to students. The Tulane Green Wave football team played their first game in 1890 and began intercollegiate play three years later. With Riptide the Pelican as its mascot, the Green Wave plays at Yulman Stadium, a facility that seats 30,000 spectators.

Since 1902, Tulane Green Wave has played in eleven bowl games and won four. Their first bowl appearance came in 1931 when they lost against University of Southern California, ending their winning streak. Tulane made no bowl appearances between 1939-1970, and the team has not won a conference championship since 1998. Out of its nine total conference titles, five are shared with other teams. Since 1999, Tulane Green Wave has had three winning seasons, and their overall record is 518-642-38.

Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began as a school for students that could only attend classes in the evening, or "night owls." From this, Temple gained its mascot -- the Owl -- and became a degree-granting institution by 1907. The Temple Owls football team can trace their history to 1894, but football did not really begin on campus until 1925. The Owls played their first bowl game in 1934, losing to Tulane at the Sugar Bowl; out of seven bowl games, the Owls have won three.

Between 1938-1963, Temple had only four winning seasons. The drought picked up again in 1991, after which the Owls experienced losing seasons for eighteen years in a row. During the 2004-2006 seasons, the Owls lost twenty games in a row and have only won their conference twice -- once in 1967 and 2016. Overall, Temple's record stands at 463-599-52.

Kansas State University was founded in 1863, and its football team developed 33 years later, holding its first official game in 1896. Kansas State houses the Bill Snyder football stadium and a state-of-the-art indoor practice facility for the Kansas State Wildcats football team. The KSU Wildcats won the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 1909, 1910, and 1912 before joining the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1913.

The Wildcats thrived during the 1920s and 1930s, winning the Big Six Conference in 1934, but failed to earn another conference title until 2003. The Wildcats suffered a 28-game losing streak from 1945-1948 and didn't make their first bowl appearance until 1982. Twenty bowl appearances since 1993 led to nine bowl victories, but it is only recently that the Wildcats turned their record around. The Wildcats have a all-time record of 528-641-41.

Colorado State University began as a small, 30-acre institution in 1870. Once Colorado became a state six years later, the school became the Colorado Agricultural College, transitioned to Colorado A&M in 1935, and became Colorado State in 1957.

The Colorado State Rams trace their origins to 1893, although the team won fewer than ten games total until the 1912 season. The Rams lost their first bowl game at the Raisin Bowl in 1948, and they did not appear in a bowl again until 1990. They have won 6 out of the 17 bowl games they have played and experienced a 26-game losing streak from 1960-1963. The Rams hold an overall record of 508-554-43.

Duke University was founded as the Brown School in 1838, later renamed the Union Institute in 1841, Normal College in 1851, Trinity College between 1859 and 1924, and finally as Duke University in 1924. The Trinity College Blue and White football team, later known as the Duke Blue Devils, competed on and off until 1922 and joined the Southern Conference in 1928. Duke played in two Rose Bowl games in 1938 and 1941, hosting the latter at Wallace Wade Stadium. They lost both and did not win a bowl game until the Sugar Bowl in 1944. The Blue Devils have played 13 bowl games but won only five. Duke has not won a conference championship since 1989 when it shared the title with the University of Virginia. Duke's overall record is 475-493-31, though the team has shown some signs of improvement and promise.

University of Louisiana at Lafayette opened in 1901 and spans 1,500 acres. The school's Ragin' Cajun football team played its first game one year after the school opened but did not become a Division I team until 1978. By that time, the Ragin' Cajuns proved themselves to be contenders on the football field -- something the school rewarded by building Cajun Field during the 1970s. Prior to becoming a Division I team, the Ragin' Cajuns (at the time still known as Southwestern Louisiana Institute) won the first Oil Bowl in in 1943. However, the Ragin' Cajuns struggled in Division I, never winning more than seven games until things turned around and they won four New Orleans Bowls between 2011-2014. However, the school had to vacate their 2011 and 2013 victories as well as 22 games between 2011-2014 after the NCAA found them guilty of player eligibility violations. Currently, the UL Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns hold an overall 501-549-34 record.

Ohio University has its origins in the late eighteenth century, but was officially recognized by the newly created state of Ohio in 1808. The first football team took the field in 1826, although the school did not play its first intercollegiate game until 1894. Early success in the 1940s and 1950s led the OU Bobcats to their first bowl game in 1962 against West Texas A&M. The Bobcats lost, a tradition that carried on in bowl game play until 2011 when they defeated Utah State at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Overall, the Bobcats have won three out of eleven bowl games.

As a member of the Buckeye Athletic Association, OU dominated and won six championships between 1929-1938. Once the Bobcats became a member of the Mid-American Conference in 1946, they won the MAC championship six times between 1953-1968, though the Bobcats have not won a conference title since 1968. Overall, their record is above .500 but their dismal conference and postseason performance earns them a spot on this list.

University of Idaho, Idaho's oldest public university, has more than 12,000 enrolled students. The Vandals football team voluntarily stepped down to Division I-AA FCS status in 2018 after playing in the Division I-A FBS since 1995. Prior to 1997, the Vandals never made a bowl game appearance, although they won three bowl titles between 1998 and 2016. Perhaps now that the Vandals have rejoined the Big Sky Conference, they may go back to winning conference championships, as the team snagged eight league titles between 1963-1995 during their time as charter members of the Big Sky Conference. The all-time record for the Vandals is 463-611-27.

The University of Memphis started a football program in 1912, but the Tigers remained independent until 1968 when they joined the Missouri Valley Conference, which they won three times before going back to their independent status in 1973. In 1996, the Tigers became members of Conference USA, and in 2013 they became members of the American Athletic Conference.

The Tigers have won four out of ten bowl games, most recently defeating Brigham Young University in 2014 at the Miami Beach Bowl. The Tigers have an overall record of 455-507-33.

Founded in 1889, The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque sits on 600 acres in the heart of the city. The football tradition began three years later, but The University of New Mexico Lobos did not consistently take the field until 1911. The Lobos were independent until 1931 when the team joined the Border Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which they went on to win in 1938. When they joined the Western Athletic Conference in 1962, the Lobos dominated with consecutive conference titles from 1962-1964.

Currently members of the Mountain West Conference, the Lobos have failed to win a conference championship since 1964. With an all-time record of 483-590-31, the Lobos continue to struggle to bring in fans.

Florida Atlantic University sits near the Atlantic Ocean on a 850-acre campus halfway between Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. Founded in 1961, FAU offers 170 undergraduate and graduate program at its main and affiliate campuses.

The FAU Owl football team did not play its first season until 2001. First a member of the Sunbelt Conference and now in Conference USA, the Owls won the Sunbelt co-championship in 2007 (with Troy University) and a Conference USA title in 2017. The Owls also won the New Orleans Bowl in 2007, the Motor City Bowl in 2008, and the Boca Raton Bowl in 2017. However, the overall record for the FAU Owls is 87-112, revealing the team's inconsistencies throughout its short history. In fifteen years, the Owls have four winning seasons and one even-record season.