The belt’s journey
Everywhere the belt has gone
Every change of hands moves the belt from one campus to another. Add up those 331 hops, home field to home field, and the College Football Belt has traveled 170,607 miles since November 6, 1869 — 6.9 times around the Earth. Press play and watch it go.
Miles traveled170,607
6.9× around the Earth · about 1,087 miles a year
Changes of hands331
515 miles per hop on average
Longest hop2,563 mi
Stanford → Columbia, January 1, 1934
Farthest from home2,547 mi
West Coast Army is the farthest the belt has been from Rutgers, where it started.
Center of gravitynear Louisville
Every campus weighted by the days it held the belt lands 40 miles from Louisville — the star on the map.
Press play to follow the belt from Rutgers.
Longest hops
Straight-line miles between the two campuses
1Stanford → Columbia2,563 miJanuary 1, 19342Fordham → Saint Mary's (CA)2,553 miNovember 15, 19303Ohio State → Stanford2,101 miSeptember 25, 19824Washington → LSU2,029 miSeptember 24, 19835Ohio State → USC1,976 miJanuary 1, 19736Louisville → California1,973 miNovember 8, 20257UCLA → Ohio State1,966 miOctober 4, 19758Ohio State → UCLA1,966 miJanuary 1, 19769Michigan → USC1,947 miJanuary 1, 197010Michigan → USC1,947 miJanuary 1, 2004Shortest hops
Neighbors trading the belt
1Lehigh → Muhlenberg6 miOctober 31, 19252Swarthmore → Pennsylvania9 miOctober 7, 19053Pennsylvania → Swarthmore9 miOctober 13, 19064UCLA → USC12 miNovember 20, 19765USC → UCLA12 miNovember 17, 1984Miles by decade
How far the belt moved in each
1860s15 mi1 hop
1870s222 mi2 hops
1880s920 mi6 hops
1890s635 mi6 hops
1900s1,981 mi13 hops
1910s2,784 mi13 hops
1920s5,467 mi21 hops
1930s9,699 mi20 hops
1940s7,147 mi16 hops
1950s9,377 mi24 hops
1960s6,152 mi17 hops
1970s25,850 mi27 hops
1980s32,609 mi43 hops
1990s25,443 mi42 hops
2000s11,142 mi19 hops
2010s14,684 mi36 hops
2020s16,480 mi25 hops
The belt’s compass: farthest west it has lived is Oregon State, farthest east Harvard, farthest north Washington, farthest south Miami. The busiest decade on the road was the 1980s, 32,609 miles.
Every hop, in order (331)
1Rutgers → Princeton15 miNovember 13, 18692Princeton → Yale111 miNovember 30, 18763Yale → Princeton111 miNovember 28, 18784Princeton → Harvard230 miNovember 18, 18825Harvard → Yale119 miNovember 25, 18826Yale → Princeton111 miNovember 21, 18857Princeton → Harvard230 miNovember 12, 18878Harvard → Yale119 miNovember 24, 18879Yale → Princeton111 miNovember 28, 188910Princeton → Yale111 miNovember 27, 189011Yale → Princeton111 miNovember 30, 189312Princeton → Pennsylvania40 miNovember 10, 189413Pennsylvania → Lafayette52 miOctober 24, 189614Lafayette → Pennsylvania52 miOctober 23, 189715Pennsylvania → Harvard269 miNovember 5, 189816Harvard → Yale119 miNovember 24, 190017Yale → Harvard119 miNovember 23, 190118Harvard → Yale119 miNovember 22, 190219Yale → Princeton111 miNovember 14, 190320Princeton → Navy136 miOctober 15, 190421Navy → Swarthmore88 miOctober 29, 190422Swarthmore → Pennsylvania9 miOctober 7, 190523Pennsylvania → Swarthmore9 miOctober 13, 190624Swarthmore → Navy88 miNovember 10, 190625Navy → Harvard366 miOctober 19, 190726Harvard → Carlisle349 miNovember 9, 190727Carlisle → Harvard349 miNovember 7, 190828Harvard → Yale119 miNovember 20, 190929Yale → Army52 miOctober 15, 191030Army → Harvard161 miOctober 29, 191031Harvard → Princeton230 miNovember 4, 191132Princeton → Harvard230 miNovember 2, 191233Harvard → Cornell273 miOctober 23, 191534Cornell → Harvard273 miOctober 28, 191635Harvard → Brown39 miNovember 18, 191636Brown → Colgate222 miNovember 25, 191637Colgate → Brown222 miOctober 27, 191738Brown → Syracuse255 miNovember 3, 191739Syracuse → Michigan390 miNovember 16, 191840Michigan → Ohio State161 miOctober 25, 191941Ohio State → Illinois276 miNovember 22, 191942Illinois → Wisconsin214 miNovember 13, 192043Wisconsin → Chicago123 miNovember 19, 192144Chicago → Princeton683 miOctober 28, 192245Princeton → Notre Dame611 miOctober 20, 192346Notre Dame → Nebraska547 miNovember 10, 192347Nebraska → Syracuse1,066 miNovember 24, 192348Syracuse → West Virginia Wesleyan351 miNovember 8, 192449West Virginia Wesleyan → Lehigh281 miOctober 17, 192550Lehigh → Muhlenberg6 miOctober 31, 192551Muhlenberg → Villanova40 miNovember 26, 192552Villanova → Lebanon Valley65 miSeptember 25, 192653Lebanon Valley → Penn State78 miOctober 2, 192654Penn State → Notre Dame439 miOctober 16, 192655Notre Dame → Carnegie Mellon337 miNovember 27, 192656Carnegie Mellon → Washington & Jefferson23 miOctober 15, 192757Washington & Jefferson → Duquesne23 miOctober 13, 192858Duquesne → Geneva28 miOctober 27, 192859Geneva → Grove City31 miNovember 3, 192860Grove City → Villanova261 miNovember 17, 192861Villanova → Bucknell103 miNovember 9, 192962Bucknell → Fordham157 miNovember 23, 192963Fordham → Saint Mary's (CA)2,553 miNovember 15, 193064Saint Mary's (CA) → Olympic Club17 miNovember 7, 193165Olympic Club → Loyola Marymount346 miNovember 21, 193166Loyola Marymount → San Diego Marines110 miNovember 29, 193167San Diego Marines → Fresno State317 miSeptember 24, 193268Fresno State → West Coast Army164 miOctober 1, 193269West Coast Army → Stanford30 miOctober 15, 193270Stanford → USC321 miOctober 22, 193271USC → Stanford321 miNovember 11, 193372Stanford → Columbia2,563 miJanuary 1, 193473Columbia → Navy189 miOctober 20, 193474Navy → Pittsburgh212 miNovember 17, 193475Pittsburgh → Notre Dame335 miOctober 19, 193576Notre Dame → Northwestern78 miNovember 9, 193577Northwestern → Notre Dame78 miNovember 21, 193678Notre Dame → Carnegie Mellon337 miOctober 16, 193779Carnegie Mellon → Temple257 miOctober 23, 193780Temple → Michigan State521 miNovember 6, 193781Michigan State → Auburn702 miJanuary 1, 193882Auburn → Tennessee248 miOctober 8, 193883Tennessee → USC1,940 miJanuary 1, 194084USC → Stanford321 miOctober 26, 194085Stanford → Oregon State496 miOctober 11, 194186Oregon State → Washington State331 miOctober 25, 194187Washington State → Texas A&M1,572 miDecember 6, 194188Texas A&M → Alabama546 miJanuary 1, 194289Alabama → Georgia246 miOctober 31, 194290Georgia → Auburn154 miNovember 21, 194291Auburn → Georgia Tech103 miOctober 14, 194492Georgia Tech → Duke345 miNovember 4, 194493Duke → Navy246 miOctober 6, 194594Navy → Army213 miDecember 1, 194595Army → Columbia36 miOctober 25, 194796Columbia → Harvard177 miOctober 2, 194897Harvard → Cornell273 miOctober 9, 194898Cornell → Army148 miOctober 23, 194899Army → Navy213 miDecember 2, 1950100Navy → Princeton136 miOctober 6, 1951101Princeton → Pennsylvania40 miOctober 11, 1952102Pennsylvania → Penn State152 miNovember 1, 1952103Penn State → Syracuse177 miNovember 8, 1952104Syracuse → Alabama918 miJanuary 1, 1953105Alabama → Southern Miss166 miSeptember 18, 1953106Southern Miss → Memphis265 miOctober 31, 1953107Memphis → Arkansas State64 miNovember 7, 1953108Arkansas State → Mississippi State197 miOctober 2, 1954109Mississippi State → Miami729 miOctober 15, 1954110Miami → Auburn557 miNovember 6, 1954111Auburn → Tulane329 miOctober 29, 1955112Tulane → Vanderbilt469 miNovember 12, 1955113Vanderbilt → Tennessee162 miNovember 26, 1955114Tennessee → Baylor815 miJanuary 1, 1957115Baylor → Miami1,092 miOctober 5, 1957116Miami → North Carolina691 miOctober 11, 1957117North Carolina → Maryland242 miOctober 19, 1957118Maryland → Tennessee436 miOctober 26, 1957119Tennessee → Ole Miss335 miNovember 16, 1957120Ole Miss → LSU289 miNovember 1, 1958121LSU → Tennessee568 miNovember 7, 1959122Tennessee → Ole Miss335 miNovember 14, 1959123Ole Miss → LSU289 miNovember 4, 1961124LSU → Ole Miss289 miNovember 3, 1962125Ole Miss → Alabama139 miJanuary 1, 1964126Alabama → Texas631 miJanuary 1, 1965127Texas → Arkansas449 miOctober 16, 1965128Arkansas → LSU427 miJanuary 1, 1966129LSU → Rice257 miSeptember 24, 1966130Rice → Tennessee793 miOctober 1, 1966131Tennessee → Georgia Tech153 miOctober 8, 1966132Georgia Tech → Georgia60 miNovember 26, 1966133Georgia → Ole Miss353 miOctober 14, 1967134Ole Miss → Tennessee335 miNovember 18, 1967135Tennessee → Oklahoma761 miJanuary 1, 1968136Oklahoma → Notre Dame753 miSeptember 21, 1968137Notre Dame → Purdue94 miSeptember 28, 1968138Purdue → Ohio State208 miOctober 12, 1968139Ohio State → Michigan161 miNovember 22, 1969140Michigan → USC1,947 miJanuary 1, 1970141USC → Stanford321 miOctober 10, 1970142Stanford → Air Force945 miNovember 14, 1970143Air Force → Colorado74 miNovember 21, 1970144Colorado → Tulane1,101 miDecember 12, 1970145Tulane → Georgia482 miSeptember 18, 1971146Georgia → Auburn154 miNovember 13, 1971147Auburn → Alabama127 miNovember 27, 1971148Alabama → Nebraska728 miJanuary 1, 1972149Nebraska → UCLA1,259 miSeptember 9, 1972150UCLA → Michigan1,936 miSeptember 23, 1972151Michigan → Ohio State161 miNovember 25, 1972152Ohio State → USC1,976 miJanuary 1, 1973153USC → Notre Dame1,816 miOctober 27, 1973154Notre Dame → Purdue94 miSeptember 28, 1974155Purdue → Duke530 miOctober 5, 1974156Duke → Clemson238 miOctober 19, 1974157Clemson → Tennessee107 miOctober 26, 1974158Tennessee → UCLA1,931 miSeptember 20, 1975159UCLA → Ohio State1,966 miOctober 4, 1975160Ohio State → UCLA1,966 miJanuary 1, 1976161UCLA → USC12 miNovember 20, 1976162USC → Alabama1,763 miOctober 8, 1977163Alabama → USC1,763 miSeptember 23, 1978164USC → Arizona State367 miOctober 14, 1978165Arizona State → Washington1,121 miOctober 28, 1978166Washington → USC965 miNovember 11, 1978167USC → Washington965 miNovember 15, 1980168Washington → Michigan1,901 miJanuary 1, 1981169Michigan → Wisconsin293 miSeptember 12, 1981170Wisconsin → UCLA1,660 miSeptember 19, 1981171UCLA → Iowa1,533 miSeptember 26, 1981172Iowa → Minnesota244 miOctober 24, 1981173Minnesota → Michigan509 miOctober 31, 1981174Michigan → Ohio State161 miNovember 21, 1981175Ohio State → Stanford2,101 miSeptember 25, 1982176Stanford → Arizona State638 miOctober 9, 1982177Arizona State → Washington1,121 miNovember 13, 1982178Washington → Washington State250 miNovember 20, 1982179Washington State → Michigan1,662 miSeptember 10, 1983180Michigan → Washington1,901 miSeptember 17, 1983181Washington → LSU2,029 miSeptember 24, 1983182LSU → Florida531 miOctober 1, 1983183Florida → Auburn276 miOctober 29, 1983184Auburn → Miami557 miAugust 27, 1984185Miami → Michigan1,144 miSeptember 8, 1984186Michigan → Washington1,901 miSeptember 15, 1984187Washington → USC965 miNovember 10, 1984188USC → UCLA12 miNovember 17, 1984189UCLA → Washington956 miSeptember 28, 1985190Washington → Oregon State219 miOctober 19, 1985191Oregon State → Arizona1,080 miNovember 2, 1985192Arizona → UCLA438 miNovember 9, 1985193UCLA → USC12 miNovember 23, 1985194USC → Alabama1,763 miDecember 28, 1985195Alabama → Penn State749 miOctober 25, 1986196Penn State → Alabama749 miSeptember 12, 1987197Alabama → Florida393 miSeptember 19, 1987198Florida → LSU531 miOctober 3, 1987199LSU → Alabama288 miNovember 7, 1987200Alabama → Notre Dame591 miNovember 14, 1987201Notre Dame → Penn State439 miNovember 21, 1987202Penn State → Clemson504 miJanuary 1, 1988203Clemson → Florida State305 miSeptember 17, 1988204Florida State → Southern Miss304 miSeptember 2, 1989205Southern Miss → Mississippi State150 miSeptember 9, 1989206Mississippi State → Georgia313 miSeptember 23, 1989207Georgia → South Carolina135 miSeptember 30, 1989208South Carolina → NC State181 miOctober 28, 1989209NC State → Virginia155 miNovember 4, 1989210Virginia → Illinois540 miJanuary 1, 1990211Illinois → Arizona1,374 miSeptember 8, 1990212Arizona → California748 miSeptember 29, 1990213California → Washington676 miOctober 27, 1990214Washington → UCLA956 miNovember 10, 1990215UCLA → USC12 miNovember 17, 1990216USC → Notre Dame1,816 miNovember 24, 1990217Notre Dame → Colorado999 miJanuary 1, 1991218Colorado → Baylor741 miSeptember 14, 1991219Baylor → Rice163 miOctober 12, 1991220Rice → TCU237 miOctober 19, 1991221TCU → Baylor81 miOctober 26, 1991222Baylor → Texas Tech311 miNovember 16, 1991223Texas Tech → Oklahoma276 miSeptember 3, 1992224Oklahoma → USC1,186 miSeptember 19, 1992225USC → Washington965 miOctober 3, 1992226Washington → Arizona1,221 miNovember 7, 1992227Arizona → USC442 miNovember 14, 1992228USC → UCLA12 miNovember 21, 1992229UCLA → California343 miSeptember 4, 1993230California → Washington676 miOctober 9, 1993231Washington → UCLA956 miOctober 16, 1993232UCLA → Arizona State362 miNovember 13, 1993233Arizona State → Arizona101 miNovember 26, 1993234Arizona → Colorado State662 miOctober 8, 1994235Colorado State → Utah354 miOctober 22, 1994236Utah → New Mexico485 miNovember 5, 1994237New Mexico → Wyoming435 miNovember 12, 1994238Wyoming → Air Force164 miSeptember 9, 1995239Air Force → Colorado State109 miSeptember 16, 1995240Colorado State → BYU346 miSeptember 30, 1995241BYU → Arizona State472 miOctober 14, 1995242Arizona State → Arizona101 miNovember 24, 1995243Arizona → Iowa1,249 miSeptember 7, 1996244Iowa → Tulsa448 miSeptember 21, 1996245Tulsa → BYU898 miOctober 19, 1996246BYU → Washington735 miSeptember 6, 1997247Washington → Nebraska1,345 miSeptember 20, 1997248Nebraska → Texas A&M706 miOctober 10, 1998249Texas A&M → Texas86 miNovember 27, 1998250Texas → NC State1,163 miAugust 28, 1999251NC State → Florida State491 miSeptember 18, 1999252Florida State → Miami396 miOctober 7, 2000253Miami → Ohio State983 miJanuary 3, 2003254Ohio State → Wisconsin393 miOctober 11, 2003255Wisconsin → Purdue223 miOctober 18, 2003256Purdue → Michigan207 miOctober 25, 2003257Michigan → USC1,947 miJanuary 1, 2004258USC → Texas1,228 miJanuary 4, 2006259Texas → Ohio State1,066 miSeptember 9, 2006260Ohio State → Florida716 miJanuary 9, 2007261Florida → Auburn276 miSeptember 29, 2007262Auburn → LSU368 miOctober 20, 2007263LSU → Arkansas427 miNovember 23, 2007264Arkansas → Missouri222 miJanuary 1, 2008265Missouri → Oklahoma State324 miOctober 11, 2008266Oklahoma State → Texas405 miOctober 25, 2008267Texas → Texas Tech333 miNovember 1, 2008268Texas Tech → Oklahoma276 miNovember 22, 2008269Oklahoma → Florida959 miJanuary 8, 2009270Florida → Alabama393 miDecember 5, 2009271Alabama → South Carolina380 miOctober 9, 2010272South Carolina → Kentucky341 miOctober 16, 2010273Kentucky → Georgia288 miOctober 23, 2010274Georgia → Florida303 miOctober 30, 2010275Florida → South Carolina309 miNovember 13, 2010276South Carolina → Auburn275 miDecember 4, 2010277Auburn → Clemson209 miSeptember 17, 2011278Clemson → Georgia Tech108 miOctober 29, 2011279Georgia Tech → Virginia Tech327 miNovember 10, 2011280Virginia Tech → Clemson222 miDecember 4, 2011281Clemson → West Virginia378 miJanuary 4, 2012282West Virginia → Texas Tech1,282 miOctober 13, 2012283Texas Tech → Kansas State486 miOctober 27, 2012284Kansas State → Baylor529 miNovember 17, 2012285Baylor → Oklahoma State316 miNovember 23, 2013286Oklahoma State → Oklahoma67 miDecember 7, 2013287Oklahoma → TCU173 miOctober 4, 2014288TCU → Baylor81 miOctober 11, 2014289Baylor → West Virginia1,112 miOctober 18, 2014290West Virginia → TCU1,081 miNovember 1, 2014291TCU → Oklahoma State237 miNovember 7, 2015292Oklahoma State → Baylor316 miNovember 21, 2015293Baylor → TCU81 miNovember 27, 2015294TCU → Arkansas295 miSeptember 10, 2016295Arkansas → Texas A&M397 miSeptember 24, 2016296Texas A&M → Alabama546 miOctober 22, 2016297Alabama → Clemson288 miJanuary 9, 2017298Clemson → Syracuse680 miOctober 13, 2017299Syracuse → Miami1,202 miOctober 21, 2017300Miami → Pittsburgh1,001 miNovember 24, 2017301Pittsburgh → Penn State116 miSeptember 8, 2018302Penn State → Ohio State277 miSeptember 29, 2018303Ohio State → Purdue208 miOctober 20, 2018304Purdue → Michigan State202 miOctober 27, 2018305Michigan State → Ohio State203 miNovember 10, 2018306Ohio State → Clemson368 miDecember 28, 2019307Clemson → LSU568 miJanuary 13, 2020308LSU → Mississippi State253 miSeptember 26, 2020309Mississippi State → Arkansas355 miOctober 3, 2020310Arkansas → Auburn550 miOctober 10, 2020311Auburn → South Carolina275 miOctober 17, 2020312South Carolina → LSU643 miOctober 24, 2020313LSU → Auburn368 miOctober 31, 2020314Auburn → Alabama127 miNovember 28, 2020315Alabama → Texas A&M546 miOctober 9, 2021316Texas A&M → Ole Miss474 miNovember 13, 2021317Ole Miss → Baylor480 miJanuary 1, 2022318Baylor → BYU1,009 miSeptember 10, 2022319BYU → Oregon640 miSeptember 17, 2022320Oregon → Washington251 miNovember 12, 2022321Washington → Michigan1,901 miJanuary 8, 2024322Michigan → Texas1,134 miSeptember 7, 2024323Texas → Georgia877 miOctober 19, 2024324Georgia → Ole Miss353 miNovember 9, 2024325Ole Miss → Florida532 miNovember 23, 2024326Florida → South Florida116 miSeptember 6, 2025327South Florida → Miami197 miSeptember 13, 2025328Miami → Louisville905 miOctober 17, 2025329Louisville → California1,973 miNovember 8, 2025330California → Stanford31 miNovember 22, 2025331Stanford → Notre Dame1,922 miNovember 29, 2025
How it is measured: each hop is the great-circle distance between the home fields of the program that lost the belt and the one that took it (venue coordinates from the College Football Data API; the four historic programs it no longer tracks are placed by hand), regardless of where the game itself was played. The map is the same Albers projection as the state map; the star is the belt’s days-weighted center of gravity.