The College Football BeltThe CFB Belt

A companion lineage

The Losers Belt

The real belt passes to whoever BEATS the holder. This one is its mirror image: it passes to whoever LOSES to the holder — you catch it the way you’d catch a cold, by losing to the team that currently has it. Lose again, and you keep it (you’re still the reigning worst team in the country). Win, and whoever you just beat catches it from you. It starts the same place the real belt does: Princeton, who lost the very first college football game ever played, 6–4 to Rutgers on November 6, 1869. This one folds FBS and FCS together, exactly how this belt has always worked here.

Combined (FBS + FCS)FBS OnlyFCS Only

How the Losers Belt works

Lost to the holder? It's yours.

The holder wins a game, and the team that just lost to them catches the Losers Belt.

Lose again? Still yours.

The holder loses again, nothing changes — still the reigning worst team.

Ties: holder retained

Same convention as the real belt — in the pre-overtime era a tie changed nothing either way (there hasn’t been one since 1996).

Computed, not curated

Same mechanical, no-editorial-judgment approach as the real belt — just run in reverse.

One wrinkle: this belt can only pass by losing, so a holder that stops fielding a football team at all would hold it forever under the literal rule — and a lot of this belt’s holders are exactly the kind of small or historic programs that don’t exist anymore. When a holder goes roughly two full seasons without playing a single game, it’s treated as having discontinued football, and the belt reverts to whoever it last caught it from.

Florida A&M holds the Losers Belt.

Caught it by losing to Mississippi Valley State, 31–35, on November 29, 2025. Lost 4 more games since — still the reigning worst team in the country.

Next Losers Belt gameFlorida A&M at Alabama State · October 10, 2026 — Alabama State catches it with a loss.

310Days Held
4Losses Since
1869Belt Established
195Reigns
768Belt Games
93Programs
Longest Reign
Elon — 10 yrs, 359 days
September 25, 1920 – September 19, 1931
Most Losses, One Reign
Elon — 28
starting September 25, 1920
Most Reigns, All-Time
Rutgers — 15 separate reigns
caught it back 14 times after passing it on
Reigns 1–100 of 195 · page 1 of 2 · Jump to current holder →
#TeamReignLength LossesCaught itPassed it on
1 Princeton November 6, 1869 – November 13, 1869 7 days 0 Established it (first-ever loss) beat Rutgers
2 Rutgers November 13, 1869 – November 5, 1870 357 days 0 lost to Princeton 0–8 beat Columbia
3 Columbia November 5, 1870 – November 5, 1870 0 days 0 lost to Rutgers 3–6 vacated — stopped playing football
4 Rutgers November 6, 1870 – November 12, 1870 6 days 1 reverted after Columbia stopped playing vacated — stopped playing football
5 Princeton November 13, 1870 – November 16, 1872 2 yrs, 3 days 0 reverted after Rutgers stopped playing beat Rutgers
6 Rutgers November 16, 1872 – November 1, 1873 350 days 1 lost to Princeton 1–4 beat Columbia
7 Columbia November 1, 1873 – November 8, 1873 7 days 0 lost to Rutgers 4–5 beat Rutgers
8 Rutgers November 8, 1873 – October 24, 1874 350 days 0 lost to Columbia 3–4 beat Columbia
9 Columbia October 24, 1874 – November 14, 1874 21 days 1 lost to Rutgers 1–6 beat Rutgers
10 Rutgers November 14, 1874 – November 6, 1875 357 days 3 lost to Columbia 1–4 vacated — stopped playing football
11 Columbia November 7, 1875 – December 4, 1875 27 days 1 reverted after Rutgers stopped playing beat Yale
12 Yale December 4, 1875 – November 18, 1876 350 days 0 lost to Columbia 2–3 beat Harvard
13 Harvard November 18, 1876 – March 3, 1877 105 days 0 lost to Yale 0–1 beat Princeton
14 Princeton March 3, 1877 – November 17, 1877 259 days 0 lost to Harvard 0–1 beat Harvard
15 Harvard November 17, 1877 – November 6, 1880 2 yrs, 355 days 4 lost to Princeton 0–1 beat Columbia
16 Columbia November 6, 1880 – November 13, 1880 7 days 1 lost to Harvard 0–3 beat Rutgers
17 Rutgers November 13, 1880 – November 19, 1881 1 yr, 6 days 3 lost to Columbia 0–3 beat Pennsylvania
18 Pennsylvania November 19, 1881 – November 25, 1882 1 yr, 6 days 5 lost to Rutgers 1–2 beat Lafayette
19 Lafayette November 25, 1882 – November 10, 1883 350 days 2 lost to Pennsylvania 0–1 beat Rutgers
20 Rutgers November 10, 1883 – October 15, 1884 340 days 2 lost to Lafayette 0–25 beat Columbia
21 Columbia October 15, 1884 – October 15, 1884 0 days 0 lost to Rutgers 5–35 vacated — stopped playing football
22 Rutgers October 16, 1884 – November 1, 1884 16 days 2 reverted after Columbia stopped playing beat Lehigh
23 Lehigh November 1, 1884 – November 4, 1885 1 yr, 3 days 3 lost to Rutgers 0–61 beat Rutgers
24 Rutgers November 4, 1885 – October 28, 1891 5 yrs, 358 days 25 lost to Lehigh 5–10 beat Columbia
25 Columbia October 28, 1891 – October 28, 1891 0 days 0 lost to Rutgers 0–44 vacated — stopped playing football
26 Rutgers October 29, 1891 – November 14, 1891 16 days 1 reverted after Columbia stopped playing beat Army
27 Army November 14, 1891 – November 28, 1891 14 days 0 lost to Rutgers 6–27 beat Navy
28 Navy November 28, 1891 – October 22, 1892 329 days 2 lost to Army 16–32 beat Lafayette
29 Lafayette October 22, 1892 – October 29, 1892 7 days 1 lost to Navy 4–22 beat Rutgers
30 Rutgers October 29, 1892 – November 5, 1892 7 days 1 lost to Lafayette 10–24 vacated — stopped playing football
31 Lafayette November 6, 1892 – November 14, 1894 2 yrs, 8 days 13 reverted after Rutgers stopped playing beat Lehigh
32 Lehigh November 14, 1894 – November 24, 1894 10 days 0 lost to Lafayette 0–28 beat Lafayette
33 Lafayette November 24, 1894 – November 29, 1894 5 days 0 lost to Lehigh 8–11 beat Bucknell
34 Bucknell November 29, 1894 – October 31, 1896 1 yr, 337 days 2 lost to Lafayette 0–44 beat Penn State
35 Penn State October 31, 1896 – November 13, 1897 1 yr, 13 days 6 lost to Bucknell 0–10 beat Bucknell
36 Bucknell November 13, 1897 – October 14, 1899 1 yr, 335 days 6 lost to Penn State 4–27 beat Lehigh
37 Lehigh October 14, 1899 – October 13, 1900 364 days 8 lost to Bucknell 0–5 beat Bucknell
38 Bucknell October 13, 1900 – October 26, 1901 1 yr, 13 days 5 lost to Lehigh 6–12 beat Lehigh
39 Lehigh October 26, 1901 – October 12, 1902 351 days 7 lost to Bucknell 0–10 beat Rutgers
40 Rutgers October 12, 1902 – October 12, 1902 0 days 0 lost to Lehigh 0–34 vacated — stopped playing football
41 Lehigh October 13, 1902 – November 8, 1902 26 days 1 reverted after Rutgers stopped playing beat Virginia
42 Virginia November 8, 1902 – November 15, 1902 7 days 0 lost to Lehigh 6–34 beat Virginia Tech
43 Virginia Tech November 15, 1902 – November 27, 1902 12 days 0 lost to Virginia 0–6 beat VMI
44 VMI November 27, 1902 – October 29, 1904 1 yr, 337 days 4 lost to Virginia Tech 5–50 beat Davidson
45 Davidson October 29, 1904 – October 20, 1905 356 days 1 lost to VMI 0–6 beat Auburn
46 Auburn October 20, 1905 – October 27, 1905 7 days 0 lost to Davidson 0–6 beat Mississippi State
47 Mississippi State October 27, 1905 – September 29, 1906 337 days 0 lost to Auburn 0–18 beat Samford
48 Samford September 29, 1906 – November 16, 1907 1 yr, 48 days 7 lost to Mississippi State 0–30 beat Chattanooga
49 Chattanooga November 16, 1907 – November 5, 1910 2 yrs, 354 days 7 lost to Samford 7–21 beat Mercer
50 Mercer November 5, 1910 – November 18, 1910 13 days 0 lost to Chattanooga 0–6 beat The Citadel
51 The Citadel November 18, 1910 – November 24, 1910 6 days 0 lost to Mercer 0–21 beat South Carolina
52 South Carolina November 24, 1910 – October 5, 1912 1 yr, 316 days 6 lost to The Citadel 0–5 beat Wake Forest
53 Wake Forest October 5, 1912 – December 5, 1914 2 yrs, 61 days 14 lost to South Carolina 3–10 beat Wofford
54 Wofford December 5, 1914 – November 30, 1916 1 yr, 361 days 10 lost to Wake Forest 0–41 beat Furman
55 Furman November 30, 1916 – October 6, 1917 310 days 1 lost to Wofford 7–9 beat Wake Forest
56 Wake Forest October 6, 1917 – November 23, 1918 1 yr, 48 days 5 lost to Furman 6–7 beat NC State
57 NC State November 23, 1918 – November 1, 1919 343 days 2 lost to Wake Forest 0–21 beat VMI
58 VMI November 1, 1919 – November 8, 1919 7 days 0 lost to NC State 0–21 beat North Carolina
59 North Carolina November 8, 1919 – November 15, 1919 7 days 0 lost to VMI 7–29 beat Davidson
60 Davidson November 15, 1919 – November 27, 1919 12 days 1 lost to North Carolina 0–10 beat Furman
61 Furman November 27, 1919 – September 25, 1920 303 days 0 lost to Davidson 14–41 beat Elon
62 Elon September 25, 1920 – September 19, 1931 10 yrs, 359 days 28 lost to Furman 0–33 vacated — stopped playing football
63 Furman September 20, 1931 – October 3, 1931 13 days 0 reverted after Elon stopped playing beat Wake Forest
64 Wake Forest October 3, 1931 – October 16, 1931 13 days 0 lost to Furman 7–36 beat NC State
65 NC State October 16, 1931 – November 7, 1931 22 days 1 lost to Wake Forest 0–6 beat Mississippi State
66 Mississippi State November 7, 1931 – September 21, 1934 2 yrs, 318 days 12 lost to NC State 0–6 beat Samford
67 Samford September 21, 1934 – October 20, 1934 29 days 1 lost to Mississippi State 7–13 beat Ole Miss
68 Ole Miss October 20, 1934 – December 1, 1934 42 days 3 lost to Samford 6–7 beat Mississippi State
69 Mississippi State December 1, 1934 – September 20, 1935 293 days 0 lost to Ole Miss 3–7 beat Samford
70 Samford September 20, 1935 – October 19, 1945 10 yrs, 29 days 25 lost to Mississippi State 7–20 vacated — stopped playing football
71 Mississippi State October 20, 1945 – November 10, 1945 21 days 1 reverted after Samford stopped playing beat LSU
72 LSU November 10, 1945 – November 17, 1945 7 days 0 lost to Mississippi State 20–27 beat Georgia Tech
73 Georgia Tech November 17, 1945 – October 5, 1946 322 days 3 lost to LSU 7–9 beat VMI
74 VMI October 5, 1946 – October 19, 1946 14 days 1 lost to Georgia Tech 6–32 beat Davidson
75 Davidson October 19, 1946 – November 28, 1946 40 days 2 lost to VMI 0–25 beat Furman
76 Furman November 28, 1946 – October 17, 1947 323 days 3 lost to Davidson 7–13 beat The Citadel
77 The Citadel October 17, 1947 – November 15, 1947 29 days 2 lost to Furman 0–7 beat VMI
78 VMI November 15, 1947 – November 27, 1947 12 days 0 lost to The Citadel 6–7 beat Virginia Tech
79 Virginia Tech November 27, 1947 – November 12, 1949 1 yr, 350 days 12 lost to VMI 14–28 beat Richmond
80 Richmond November 12, 1949 – November 11, 1950 364 days 5 lost to Virginia Tech 13–28 beat Virginia Tech
81 Virginia Tech November 11, 1950 – September 15, 1951 308 days 3 lost to Richmond 12–32 beat Marshall
82 Marshall September 15, 1951 – September 19, 1953 2 yrs, 4 days 2 lost to Virginia Tech 12–18 vacated — stopped playing football
83 Virginia Tech September 20, 1953 – September 26, 1953 6 days 0 reverted after Marshall stopped playing beat Virginia
84 Virginia September 26, 1953 – September 25, 1954 364 days 6 lost to Virginia Tech 6–20 beat Lehigh
85 Lehigh September 25, 1954 – October 23, 1954 28 days 0 lost to Virginia 21–27 beat Rutgers
86 Rutgers October 23, 1954 – October 30, 1954 7 days 0 lost to Lehigh 13–33 beat Temple
87 Temple October 30, 1954 – September 24, 1955 329 days 1 lost to Rutgers 0–25 vacated — stopped playing football
88 Rutgers September 25, 1955 – October 15, 1955 20 days 0 reverted after Temple stopped playing beat Brown
89 Brown October 15, 1955 – November 12, 1955 28 days 3 lost to Rutgers 12–14 beat Harvard
90 Harvard November 12, 1955 – October 13, 1956 336 days 1 lost to Brown 6–14 beat Cornell
91 Cornell October 13, 1956 – November 22, 1956 40 days 5 lost to Harvard 7–32 beat Pennsylvania
92 Pennsylvania November 22, 1956 – November 9, 1957 352 days 6 lost to Cornell 7–20 beat Yale
93 Yale November 9, 1957 – November 16, 1957 7 days 0 lost to Pennsylvania 20–33 beat Princeton
94 Princeton November 16, 1957 – November 23, 1957 7 days 0 lost to Yale 13–20 beat Dartmouth
95 Dartmouth November 23, 1957 – September 27, 1958 308 days 0 lost to Princeton 14–34 beat Lafayette
96 Lafayette September 27, 1958 – September 25, 1965 6 yrs, 363 days 17 lost to Dartmouth 0–20 beat Columbia
97 Columbia September 25, 1965 – October 16, 1965 21 days 2 lost to Lafayette 10–14 beat Yale
98 Yale October 16, 1965 – October 23, 1965 7 days 0 lost to Columbia 7–21 beat Cornell
99 Cornell October 23, 1965 – October 30, 1965 7 days 0 lost to Yale 14–24 beat Columbia
100 Columbia October 30, 1965 – November 12, 1966 1 yr, 13 days 10 lost to Cornell 6–20 beat Pennsylvania

No reigns match “.”

Reigns 1–100 of 195 · page 1 of 2 · Jump to current holder →