Here Are The Worst College Football Teams Ranked From Best to Worst

Academics say practice makes perfect, but that’s not true for the Duke Blue Devils. North Carolina’s Duke University has played college football since 1895, but they are a long way from perfection. Coach Mike Elko’s recent two-year stint improved on Coach David Cutcliffe’s, but things have slipped since Elko moved on to Texas A&M in August 2023.

With an all-time record of 536–556–31, they’ve been one of the worst programs in the ACC for decades, and without Old Man Elko, they’d be much higher on this list.

Despite being named after the fiercest soldiers in history, the San Jose State Spartans couldn’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Fans might say, “No way, San Jose!” and point out that their 518–538–38 record isn’t as bad as many teams on this list.

While that may be true, we reiterate this is a list of the worst college teams in the land. So, while you’re near the top, your .491 win percentage is nothing to brag about. You’ve got soul, but you’re not soldiers!

Arkansas. The Natural State. Land of the Ozarks. Famed for its lakes, rivers, hot springs, Southern Hush Puppies, Arkansas Possum Pie, and having to watch college football because there are practically no professional sports teams in the state.

When you do travel all that way across the state to Jonesboro and hand over your hard-earned cash to see current head Coach Butch Jones’ team get beaten, their overall record of 496–523–37 will have you howling. No wonder their mascot is called Howl!

The Vanderbilt Commodores play out of Nashville, Tennessee, aka Music City. But did you know they were named after the famous Vanderbilt family and Lionel Richie’s 1970s funk and soul band, The Commodores? In recent years, beating Vanderbilt University’s football team has become Easy like a Sunday Morning.

Playing football since 1890, the Commodores have an all-time record of 618–665–50. The Vanderbilt Commodores, that is, not Lionel Richie’s band. They have a record of “Once, Twice, Three Times a Lady”.

The Mustangs represent the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. At the time of writing, Head Coach Rhett Lashlee has led them to a nine-game winning streak at the top of the ​American Athletic Conference. However, things haven’t always looked so peachy for the Mustangs.

Since their inauguration in 1915, the Mustangs have put together a 528–555–54 win/loss/tie record. Coach Lashlee hopes to improve that win ratio further when they switch to the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2024 season.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham football team is known as the UAB Blazers. They’ve only been playing ball since 1991, so are babes in arms compared to some other teams. In that time, they’ve gone 168–179–2.

Now, a win percentage of .481 doesn’t seem terrible, but it’s still bad enough to see them join this list. In recent years, Bill Clark and Bryant Vincent took The Blazers to five Bowl games, and they moved into the 47,000-seat Protective Stadium. Things are looking up!

There’s not much to do in Laramie, Wyoming, except rustle horses and cheer on the Wyoming Cowboys. Seriously, the town’s Main Street looks like it hasn’t changed since the team first picked up a ball in 1893. Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane could rock up at any time.

When it’s not snowing, non-horse-stealing residents pile into the War Memorial Stadium to watch the Cowboys. And under those foggy Friday Night Lights, they watch their team lose, week-in, week-out, as they try to improve their 564–599–28 record.

During the American Revolution, Minutemen went into battle with a minute’s notice, hence the name. Playing out of Amherst since 1879, the University of Massachusetts football team is one of the oldest collegiate teams in existence.

They used to be quite good, picking up 21 Conference championships. However, in recent years, the UMass Minutemen have needed more than a minute to get going and have slipped down the pecking order with an overall 577–624–50 record.

The Akron Zips represent Ohio’s University of Akron. They were originally known as the Zippers after the rubber boots manufactured in the town, but they rarely zipped up and shut out other teams. In fact, they’re more likely to get the ball stuck in their zipper than win!

In their storied history since 1891, they have picked up a 528–584–37 record. However, things have looked slightly better since ​​2005, as the Akron Zips have been to three Bowl games, winning one and losing two.

Oregon State University has been playing gridiron out of Corvallis since 1893. They were outstanding when they were called the Oregon Agricultural Aggies football team. They even became Champions of the Northwest in 1897, with a perfect 5–0 record, shutting out four of five opponents and outscoring their opponents by 164 to 8. They won it again in 1907.

But the Beavers have gone downstream in the 120 years since their halcyon days. They’ve beavered away to amass a record of 569–628–50. No wonder their fans are always saying, “Dam!”

Playing out of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Kansas Jayhawks mascot looks just like Woody Woodpecker. Now, the famous cartoon bird is known for laughing, but not even Woody laughs as much as fans of their biggest rivals, ​​the Missouri Tigers, the Kansas State Wildcats, and the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Their record of 601–681–60 is enough to make fans bang their head against a tree, which is probably why their mascot looks less like a blue jay and more like Woody Woodpecker!

The South Alabama Jaguars represent the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama, and are the babies of the group. Since their inauguration in 2009, they have only won 82 games and lost 92.

In their tender 14-year history, they have been lucky enough to make three Bowl games but have lost them all. Since we always like to find a positive, having played so few games, it would only take one good season to see the Jags vacate this list.

The Colorado State Rams football program dates back to 1893, making it one of the oldest in college football. Over 130 seasons, The Rams have amassed a record of 540–616–33 across multiple conferences. They’ve made 17 postseason bowl appearances, posting a 6–11 overall record.

Maybe they’re not getting enough oxygen so high up in the Rocky Mountains. The Rams’ all-time winning percentage of .468 demonstrates the team’s struggles to sustain consistent success. Head Coach Jay Norvell hasn’t improved the team, going 8–16 in his two seasons.

Before you ask, no… we had no idea why the University of Connecticut’s football team is called the Huskies, either. A quick Google search reveals a 1934 student poll chose the name. If students chose their name today, they’d be called something daft like Husky McHuskyFace.

Anyway, since they started playing ball in 1896, the Huskies have lost far more games than they’ve won, amassing an unenviable 518–600–38 record. In recent years, they’ve made three Bowl games since 2010, losing them all.

Iowa State first picked up a pigskin and began playing football in 1892. Until 1945, they were pretty good, recording an above .500 record. That said, they last won a championship in 1912, the year the Titanic sank! Since World War II, they’ve been one of the worst college football teams and now have a dismal 554–669–46 record.

Current coach Matt Campbell has improved things somewhat, going 55–47 during his eight-season tenure. However, few major conference teams have a worse history than the Iowa State Cyclones.

Kansas State would be higher on the list, but for one man. Between 1896 and 1988, the Wildcats went 299–509–41. When Coach Bill Snyder took over from Stan Parrish, K-State had gone 27 consecutive games without a win (0–26–1) dating to October 1986.

In his first 17-year stint, Snyder won 136 games—just one less than his predecessors had won between 1935 and 1988! Bill Snyder left in 2005, and things went downhill again. Not even his 2009 return could stop the rot, and the Wildcats now have an all-time record of 569–671–41.

Playing out of New Orleans, Louisiana, Tulane has seen an uptick in recent years, with Coach Willie Fritz winning the 2018 Cure Bowl, the 2019 Armed Forces Bowl, the 2022 Cotton Bowl, and losing the 2020 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. This season, the brilliantly named Head Coach Slade Nagle has taken them to the 2023 Military Bowl.

However, historically, they have a dismal 553–671–38 record, losing 118 more games than they have won, making them one of the worst programs in college football.

Idaho Vandals’ quarterbacks have been sacked more often than The Vandals sacked Rome! Their pitiful overall record of 460–614–26 demonstrates they have been bad for most of their 130-year existence. They recorded over .500 percentiles for several seasons in the 1920s and 1980s-90s, but their record since 2000 is abysmal.

Current Head Coach Jason Eck has improved the team in his two seasons with a 16:9 win-loss ratio (.640). Even more impressive when you consider his team plays in one of the country’s worst college football stadiums, the 16,000-seater Kibbie Dome.

Philadelphia is famed for its Freemasonry fraternity, but when it comes to tradition, the Temple Owls have a worse tradition than practically every other team in the American Athletic Conference. Playing football since 1894, Temple’s overall record of 488–623–52 has inspired a lot of hate in the City of Brotherly Love.

George Makris won the Middle Atlantic Conference in 1967, and Matt Rhule won the AAC in 2016. Other than that, the Owls have been to nine bowl games, winning three and losing six.

The Northwestern Wildcats are among the worst college football teams since someone picked up a rugby ball and said you didn’t have to throw it backward. They would be even higher on this list if not for Head Coach Pat Fitzgerald, who took them to 10 Bowl games between 2008 and 2020, winning four and losing six.

However, historically, even Fitzgerald couldn’t do much to improve their awful 566–701–44 record since 1882. With stats like that, you almost feel sorry for their fans.

The Florida Atlantic Owls football program represents Florida Atlantic University and is a relatively recent addition to the NCAA’s Football Bowl Subdivision, starting up in 2001. Since then, they have a record of 122–155. That’s .440 if you’re a math geek.

Two recent interim coaches have recorded a .1000 win percentage: Brian Wright went 4-0 in 2013, and Glenn Spencer went 1-0 in 2019. However, Tom Herman’s 4-8 win-loss record (.333) is much more like what Florida Atlantic Owls fans have gotten used to over their two decades.

The Eastern Michigan Eagles began life in 1891, and between 1899 and 1928, they were called the Michigan State Normal College Normalites. In their 130 years on the gridiron, they’ve turned losing into their normality. Their all-time record is a laughable 490–622–47.

In their first century and a quarter, they only made two Bowl games, but Coach Chris Creighton’s nine seasons (40–59) have seen them make six Bowl games, winning one, with the 2023 68 Ventures Bowl yet to be decided.

The New Mexico Lobos have endured recent struggles in the Mountain West Conference. With roots dating back to 1892, the program has a 495–633–31 record. To give you an idea of just how bad the Lobos are, New Mexico has only claimed four conference titles, with its last crown coming way back in 1964 when the world was still black and white.

The Lobos have made 13 postseason appearances, posting a 4–8–1 record in Bowl games. New Coach Bronco Mendenhall hopes to change all that.

Texas boasts many great football programs; unfortunately, Rice is not one of them. Even though they’ve won eight conference titles, only two occurred since the 1950s, the first in 1994 and the most recent in 2013. Throw in their terrible all-time record of 466–590–32 (.433), and you’ll see why the Rice Owls are one of the worst college football teams in existence.

As for Bowl games, they’ve made six since 2006, winning three. Lifting the upcoming 2023 First Responder Bowl against local rivals Texas State would give them bragging rights.

Not to be confused with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, the University at Buffalo’s football team began playing football in 1894. Despite being one of the oldest collegiate football teams, they’ve learned nothing and boast one of the worst traditions in college football. Their all-time record is 410–557–28.

To make matters worse, they’ve only won one Conference championship in 2008. When it comes to Bowl games, they’ve won three and lost three — which is better than the Buffalo Bills losing the Super Bowl four times between 1991 and 1994!

Since their inception in 1888, the wonderfully named Wake Forest Demon Deacons boast one of the worst winning percentages in the history of college football, with a 488–677–33 record.

They did okay in their first half-century, but have struggled for pretty much the entirety of the second half of the 20th century. The Demon Deacons have been to 17 bowls in its history with an 11-6 record. They’ve won just two conference titles, beating Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 2006.

The Indiana Hoosiers had to make an appearance somewhere on this list, right? They have an all-time record of 506–713–44. Okay, they won Big Ten Conference titles in 1945 and 1967 but haven’t really achieved anything since the Beatles were topping the charts.

Even John, Paul, George, and Ringo knew when to call it a day, but the Hoosiers refuse to admit defeat. Coaches Bill Lynch, Kevin Wilson, and Tom Allen have taken them to six Bowl games since 2007, but in typical Hoosiers style, they lost them all.

Representing the University of Louisiana at Monroe, the Louisiana–Monroe Warhawks do not live up to their mighty name. They first played ball in 1932, and in those 92 years, have picked up an awful record of 319–447–8.

To make matters worse, they’ve only ever made it to one Bowl game, the Independence Bowl, which they lost to the Ohio Bobcats in 2012. The Warhawks’ Head Coach is now Bryant Vincent, and he hopes to instill some fight so they can live up to their fierce name.

Not to be confused with the almost equally dire New Mexico Lobos, the Aggies play out of Los Cruces and take their name from the university’s agricultural beginnings.

Their 455–671–30 record makes them the seventh-worst college team in the land, and not even their mascot “Pistol Pete,” couldn’t even shoot them up the conference! If you’re an Aggies fan, you’ll see them lose two games for every game they win. That means you’ll be crying into your hotdog for two weeks and rejoicing the third.

Since their inception in 1914, the UTEP Miners have been one of the worst teams in the country. Their all-time record of 408–623–28 gives them one of the worst winning percentages in the history of college football.

Playing out of El Paso, Texas, they’ve only ever won two Conference championships, the Border Conference in 1956 and the Western Athletic Conference in 2000. Going by those stats, they might win another in 2044! In fairness, their 15 Bowl appearances (5-10) saved them from being higher on this list.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas football team, aka the UNLV Rebels play in the Mountain West Conference. Playing their first game in 1968, they haven’t been playing football as long as many other teams on this list. But being an adolescent is no excuse for an all-time .401 percentile.

In the 625 games they’ve played, they have won just 250 and lost 375. Despite their terrible historical record, things seem to be looking up. In 2023, Coach Barry Odom took them to the top of the Mountain West Conference.

They might incorporate the names of the two fastest comic book superheroes on Earth — Clark “Superman” Kent and Barry “The Flash” Allen, but there’s nothing super about the Kent State Golden Flashes. If you’re a fan of Ohio’s Kent State University football team, you’ll be used to seeing your team lose.

If your superpower is immortality and you’ve been to see every game in their 103-year history, you’ll have seen them win 324 games, lose 505, and tie 28. Only three teams currently have a less super win-loss ratio.

The Georgia State Panthers have several things in common with The Walking Dead. They both come from Atlanta, Georgia and came into existence in 2010. They were both quite good in their first couple of seasons before they lost the plot.

Yes, folks, the Panthers are as easy to defeat as a bunch of slow-walking zombies. All you have to do is sidestep them and deliver a killer blow to the head to score a touchdown. Allcomers have been slaying the Panthers for 13 years, leaving them with a dismal 60–106 record.

If you watch NFL football, you’ll associate the number 49 with San Francisco, the gold rush, and Art Monk, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, and winning the 1980s. However, if you watch the American Athletic Conference, you’ll associate the number 49 with the University of North Carolina’s Norm the Niner mascot and their feeble attempts to play football.

The Charlotte 49ers currently sit as the second least-winningest team in college football with a 45–95 record and one loss in their only Bowl game. Still, it could be worse; they could be the…

Florida University’s football team is officially the worst in college football. The FIU Panthers currently have an 88–170 record. That’s .341 as a percentile.

But if you thought that was bad, their first coach, Don Strock, had a 5-41 (.109) record between 2002 and 2006, and Ron Turner went 10–30 (.250) between 2013 and 2016. Current Ccoach, Mike MacIntyre, has turned things around, going 4:4 in recent months. In the words of 1990s pop band D:Ream… “Things Can Only Get Better”!