Perfect Season
Encyclopedia
A perfect season is any sports season
, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.
A perfect season may also be part of a multi-season winning streak
.
, who won their fourteen regular season games and three postseason games to finish 17-0.
The 2007 New England Patriots
had the only other case of a perfect regular season, after winning their sixteen regular season games; however, they did not complete the perfect season, losing Super Bowl XLII
to finish with a record of 18–1.
Preseason games are not counted toward standings, for or against. For example, the 1972 Miami Dolphins (mentioned below) lost three of their preseason games but still are considered to have a perfect season.
won fourteen regular season games and three postseason games, including Super Bowl VII
, to finish the season 17–0–0. They extended their winning streak the following season to 18 straight wins, until finally losing to the Oakland Raiders on September 23, 1973. It has often been reported that the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins would gather to drink champagne when the final undefeated team earned its first loss, or that the team would send a case of champagne to the team that beat the final undefeated team. The head coach of the 1972 Dolphins, Don Shula
, denied this in a 2007 interview with ESPN.
, the 1922 Canton Bulldogs
, the 1923 Canton Bulldogs
, and the 1929 Green Bay Packers
. Under NFL practices at the time, tied games were discounted when the win percentage was calculated; so, these four teams were recorded with perfect win percentages of 1.000. (In 1972, the NFL retroactively altered its standings to treat tied games as being worth half of a win - so, these four teams are no longer recorded as having the perfect 1.000 percentage).
The 1921 Buffalo All-Americans
were controversially denied a similar type of near-perfect season, when they believed that their final game, a 7-10 loss to the Chicago Staleys
, was an exhibition game which would not count to the final standings; the NFL records that game as official, and Buffalo's record as 9-1-2.
The 2007 New England Patriots
were the first team to complete a perfect regular season since the length of the season was increased to sixteen games. They continued their success into the postseason before being beaten in Super Bowl XLII
by the New York Giants
, losing the perfect season by 3 points.
was played professionally in a number of leagues, including an earlier version of the NFL. During this period, three teams completed perfect regular seasons: the 1934 Chicago Bears
, the 1942 Chicago Bears
, and the 1948 Cleveland Browns
. Only the 1948 Browns had a true perfect season, but in the All-America Football Conference
, not the NFL proper. AAFC records are not considered part of NFL history records, because not all of its teams entered the NFL.
.
to military service in World War II
, the 1942 Bears played a perfect season, finishing 11–0–0. The Bears were again defeated in the NFL Championship Game
, this time by the Washington Redskins
.
were a member of the All-America Football Conference
, a professional football league that played from 1946 to 1949. In 1948, the Browns won all fourteen regular season games and the 1948 AAFC championship to post a 15–0–0 record. Cleveland's perfect 1948 season was part of a longer string of 29 straight wins, which stretched from 1947 to 1949 and included both the 1947 and 1948 title games. Overall, the Browns won all four AAFC championship games and were accepted into the NFL when the two leagues merged after the 1949 season.
were a member of the second American Football League
, who joined the league in 1937 after the Cleveland Rams
defected to the NFL. Playing a combination of AFL teams and independent franchises (such as the Providence Steam Roller
and the Salinas Packers
), the team went 16–0, with 8 of those wins coming against AFL teams. The Bulldogs' dominance is cited as one of the key factors in the AFL's demise, and the next season (then as an independent, running up a 10–2–2 record including a 2–1–2 record against NFL teams), several of the team's players were invited to play on the "Pro All Stars" team in the NFL's first Pro All-Star Game
, which was played in Los Angeles. The Bulldogs are considered to be one of the few independent teams to have ever achieved parity with the NFL.
Neither the NFL nor the Pro Football Hall of Fame
recognizes the Bulldogs' perfect season.
, had many perfect seasons. The Massillon Tigers
(1904, 1905), Akron Indians (1909), Shelby Blues
(1911), and Dayton Triangles
(1918) all had perfect seasons during this era. In the New York Pro Football League
, another league that contributed teams to the NFL, the Buffalo Niagaras
went 5–0–0 (6–0–0 including a forfeit) in a league that consisted of teams entirely from the city of Buffalo in 1918. In 1920, the Union Athletic Association of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
(later known as the Philadelphia Quakers), played in a league mostly consisting of local teams and earned a perfect season, claiming for itself a mythical national championship
. Prior to the Ohio League, the 1900
and 1901
Homestead Library and Athletic Club teams, as well as the 1903 Franklin Athletic Club
, all had perfect seasons.
The caliber of talent was neither as high nor as consistent between teams at the time, the seasons were generally shorter (7 to 11 games), and it was not uncommon for top teams to play all their games at home while lesser teams played all of their games on the road. In 1918, Dayton and Buffalo had the additional advantage of having its strongest competitors suspend operations due to the Spanish flu and the First World War
. Thus, it was much easier to earn a perfect season than it would be in later years.
(13–1) and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers
, 1985 Chicago Bears
, 1998 Minnesota Vikings
, and 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
(all 15–1). The 1976 Raiders, 1984 49ers, and 1985 Bears all won three more games in the playoffs, including the Super Bowl
; the '76 Raiders finishing 16–1 and the '84 49ers and '85 Bears both 18–1. The 1998 Vikings and 2004 Steelers each won one playoff game before losing their respective conference championship games to finish 16–2. Most of these teams suffered their regular-season losses early in the year and never made what might be considered a serious run at a perfect season; only the 1985 Bears (12-0) were on track for a perfect season when they lost.
The best start from an NFL team who failed to complete a perfect regular season was by the 2009 Indianapolis Colts
, who started 14–0 before losing their final two regular season games to the New York Jets
and the Buffalo Bills
(both former division rivals) respectively to finish 14–2. Indianapolis, having clinched the top seed in the AFC that year, sacrificed its chances at a perfect regular season and instead rested its starters the final two games to protect them for the playoffs. The Colts would go on to Super Bowl XLIV
but lost to the New Orleans Saints
.
Three other teams have started 13–0 before losing their fourteenth game: the 1998 Denver Broncos
; the 2005 Indianapolis Colts
and the 2009 New Orleans Saints
. All three of which lost at least two of their final three games. The 1998 Broncos and 2009 Saints went on to win the Super Bowl.
, World Football League
, United States Football League
, XFL
, or, to date, the Arena Football League
or United Football League.
The following is a list of teams in minor or alternate leagues that compiled perfect seasons of 6 games or more, including postseason games, with no ties:
In indoor football, the following teams have had perfect seasons:
At least twenty-three other semi-professional football teams have had perfect seasons, seven of them being at least 17 games long. The Chambersburg Cardinals
won a record 72 straight games between 1977 and 1984.
The 1933 Providence Huskies (possibly a successor to the Providence Steam Roller
) played arguably the most perfect season ever recorded by a professional or semi-professional team: a ten-game season in which they won every game and did not concede a single point during any game.
, has completed a perfect regular season.
The current CFL
schedule would require a team to win 20 games (18 regular season, 1 playoff after bye week, and the Grey Cup championship) to post a perfect record.
, the 1948 Calgary Stampeders
completed a perfect regular season with a record of 12-0; they had two wins and a tie during the playoffs to finish with a record of 14-0-1, the only undefeated complete season in CFL history. In the Western Interprovincial Football Union
playoff series (a home-and-home series decided on total points) against the Regina Roughriders
, the first leg was tied 4-4, and the Stampeders won the second 21-10, to win the entire series 25-14. The Stampeders then defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders
12-7 for the 36th Grey Cup
.
completed perfect regular seasons. However, in both years they lost in the playoffs: in the Vanier Cup
to the Laurier Golden Hawks in 2005, and in The Canada West Semi-Final To Alberta Golden Bears
in 2003.
, the football squad representing the University of Manitoba
, located in Winnipeg
, Canada
. The Bisons were undefeated in Canada West Universities Athletic Association
play during the 8-game schedule. In the playoffs, Manitoba comfortably handled the Calgary Dinos
27–5 in the opening round. The Bisons followed up with a 48–5 defeat of the Regina Rams
in the Hardy Trophy
and a strong 52–20 showing against the perennial contenders from the University of Western Ontario
, the Western Ontario Mustangs
, in the Mitchell Bowl
. On Friday, November 23, 2007, two days before the 95th Grey Cup game in Toronto
, the Bisons defeated the Saint Mary's University
squad, known as the Saint Mary's Huskies
, 28–14 to claim their first Vanier Cup
championship since 1970, and third overall title. That victory capped their perfect 12 win season.
, Quebec
, Canada
had a perfect season of 13–0. They were undefeated with an 8–0 record in the QUFL. During the playoffs, they beat the Bishop's Gaiters
56–1 in the opening round. The Rouge et Or won the QUFL championship and the Dunsmore Cup
by a close win of 22–17 against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. They followed with a win of 13–11 against the Western Ontario Mustangs
in the Uteck Bowl
. Finally, on Saturday, November 27, 2010, in their home stadium in Quebec City
, they won the Vanier Cup
29–2 against the Calgary Dinos
, capping a 13–0 season.
, the 1993
Buffalo Bandits
are the only team to have won a perfect season in the National Lacrosse League
. The Bandits won all ten of their regular season games and won the championship in a two-round tournament; the season was the continuation of a multi-season winning streak that dated to the Bandits' successful run for the previous year's
championship.
Major League Lacrosse
, which began play in 2001, has not yet had any perfect season.
, the National Basketball Association
, and the National Hockey League
) it is almost impossible for a team to play a “perfect” season, primarily because there are substantially more games in the regular season (162 in Major League Baseball, and 82 in the NBA and NHL). The Women’s National Basketball Association’s season has been between 28-34 games long, and it too has never produced a perfect season.
It is possible for a baseball pitcher
to achieve a perfect season, taking at least one win and any number of no-decisions throughout the year. This has happened 1813 times in baseball's history, though the majority (1171) were 1–0 seasons, mostly by relief pitchers. The best perfect season belongs to Tom Zachary
of the 1929 New York Yankees
, who posted a 12–0 record in 119.2 innings. No pitcher has ever achieved a perfect season while qualifying for the ERA
title.
In the NBA, the 1985–86
Boston Celtics
played a nearly perfect home season. During the regular season they were 40–1 (.976) in front of their home crowd, their only regular-season home loss occurred on December 6, 1985, to the Portland Trail Blazers
, by the score of 121–103. The Celtics would also win all 10 of their home games in the postseason, to finish 50-1 at home.
or NASCAR
, a perfect season would represent winning every event in a season. Considering the number of tournaments or races in those leagues, and the fact that each individual faces over 40 opponents as opposed to one, a perfect season is almost impossible. Golf instead considers the Grand Slam
, deemed to be the four most difficult contests in professional golf, to be analogous to perfection; since 1934, when The Masters was added as a major, no player has won all four in one year. Tiger Woods
came closest, winning four consecutive professional majors over two years in 2000 and 2001.
The three golfing seasons that could be deemed closest include Bobby Jones
winning all four majors in 1930 (when The (British) Amateur Championship
and U.S. Amateur were still considered majors), Byron Nelson
winning 11 consecutive tournaments he played in (and 18 in one year) in 1945, and Woods' aforementioned four consecutive majors in 2000 and 2001. Professional motorcycle racer Ricky Carmichael
had perfect seasons in 2002 and 2004. In 1997, road racer
Tommy Kendall
started the 13-race SCCA
Trans-Am Series
season 11–0, the longest documentable win streak in worldwide professional road racing. In the 12th race, he was battling for the lead on the final lap, but spun out and finished second. The feat would be extremely difficult in NASCAR, because of the length of the season (currently 36 races).
history, the list of undefeated Division I football teams includes dozens of teams. The highest level of college football, the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, does not use a play-off to determine a champion, instead relying on a combination of polls and computer rankings to choose two teams to play one title game
in a system known as the Bowl Championship Series
. Prior to 1992, no attempt was made to match up the top two teams in a championship game, further increasing the chances of multiple teams achieving a perfect season.
The University of Washington's
FBS record 63 game unbeaten streak included 5 consecutive perfect seasons from 1909–1913. The University of Oklahoma's
FBS record 47 game winning streak included three consecutive perfect seasons from 1954–1956. The record for most wins in an undefeated season is 14–0, accomplished in 2002 by Ohio State
, twice in 2009
by Boise State
and Alabama
, and in 2010
by Auburn
.
in 1938 and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
in 1939, perfect seasons were more common; each season consisted of fewer games and top teams from different parts of the country might never meet.
There have been 7 NCAA men's Division I basketball
champions with perfect records:
Another team in the NCAA Tournament era had an unbeaten record and won a recognized national title:
The UCLA Bruins are the only team to have back-to-back perfect seasons (1972–1973) respectively creating a record of 60–0 technically, and all four perfect seasons were under Hall of Fame head coach John Wooden
.
The following teams have completed a perfect regular season, but lost in the NCAA Tournmament
or other postseason action:
In addition, four other teams in the tournament era had unbeaten records, but did not play in any postseason tournament:
began sponsoring a championship tournament in 1972 (which was followed by the NCAA
tournament in 1982):
The following teams have completed perfect regular seasons, but lost in the NCAA Tournament
or other postseason action:
recorded an unbeaten, untied season. The last college to finish undefeated was Bemidji State University (Div II) during the 1983–84 season.
1955–56 Clarkson Golden Knights were undefeated (23–0–0), and Coach Bill Harrison won the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year, but Clarkson skipped the NCAA tournament because Clarkson had seniors with (4) years of college play which was against NCAA rules at the time.
team to record a perfect season with a record of 38–0–0.
of Germany
in 1942–43 (23 wins out of 23), Ferencvárosi of Hungary
in 1931–32 (22), Sunrise Flacq United of Mauritius
in 1995–96 (22), and Nacional
of Uruguay
in 1941 (20). Al-Ahly (of Egypt) hold the record of going a whole season being unbeaten, in all possible competitions they were involved in (46 matches in total played in: Egyptian Premier League, Egyptian Cup, Egytpian Super Cup and CAF Champions League). The longest winning streak of any team over multiple seasons was Sparta Prague's run of at least 51 wins in a row, between 1920 and 1923.
Teams finishing a season unbeaten (i.e. having won or drawn every match) are more common. In Serie A
, Italian club Perugia
went the entire 1978–79 Serie A season
without losing a game. A.C. Milan
did the same in the 1991–92 Serie A season
. In 1972–73, S.L. Benfica became the first club in Portugal to last a whole season without defeat and won 28 matches — 23 consecutively — out of 30, and drew two; the club once again went undefeated in 1978 but did not win the league that year. Thirty-three years later FC Porto, under the management of André Villas-Boas, finished the 2010–2011 Liga season unbeaten, with 27 wins and 3 draws. In the 2010–11 Saudi Professional League
, Champions Al-Hilal FC finished a 26 game season without defeat, winning 19 games and drawing 7. Norwegian club Rosenborg BK finished the 2010 season undefeated. Arsenal
in the 2003–04 English Premier League season
, finished with no losses from 38 games. Preston North End
was unbeaten in 22 league games and all of its FA Cup games in 1889–90
. The only unbeaten champion in Brazil
was SC Internacional
, who won the 1979 season
with 16 victories and 7 ties.
to win all of its group stage matches, as well as every knockout game, to become the champion is higher than most domestic teams, given this unofficial "season" is only seven games maximum. This is not counting the qualifying round
of the tournament, which lasts over a year and has had a varied format since 1934
. Only one team, the 1970 World Cup champion
Brazilian team
has won every game in all both qualification and finals, without being the host country or defending champions (which allows a team to skip qualifying rounds), in this case, a total of 13 games. In 2010 the Dutch team
came very close achieving the same feat as the Brazilian team did in 1970. The Netherlands won 8 out of 8 qualifying games and went on to win the next 6 World Cup matches only to lose to Spain
in the final, ending with a 14–0–1 record.
The 1990
West German
team was the last to be a champion while incurring no losses in all rounds; they had 8 wins and 5 ties. The last team to win with no losses or ties in the last two rounds (group round and knockout round) was the Brazilian team
at the 2002 World Cup
.
has been slightly greater than in the men's version. The Women's World Cup began in 1991 with 12 teams, and expanded to 16 effective in 1999. Under both structures, the winning team has only had to win six games (three in group play and three in the knockout stage) to win the title unbeaten. The tournament will expand to 24 teams in 2015
, at which time the number of games that the champion must play will increase to seven.
The 2011 event, won by Japan
, was the first in which the champion lost in group play; the other finalist, the USA
, had also lost in group play. Each previous team to have won the title — the USA in 1991 and 1999, Norway
in 1995, and Germany
in 2003 and 2007 — won all of its group stage matches. In fact, only one of these teams, the USA in 1999, had a knockout match go to extra time—specifically the final against China
, which ultimately went to a penalty shootout. Germany won all of its matches in the 2007 final tournament without giving up a goal, becoming the first team in either the men's or women's World Cup to accomplish this feat.
Three Women's World Cup champions also went through their qualifying stage without a loss or draw:
Of the other two teams to win the Women's World Cup without a loss or draw in the finals:
began in 1897 as the Victorian Football League
, based entirely in the state of Victoria, before it expanded through the 1980s and 1990s to become the top level national league in the sport of Australian rules football. The length of a complete season (including finals matches) has typically been between 18 and 26. Through the history of the league, no team has ever completed a perfect season.
Only one team, the Collingwood Magpies
in 1929, has had a perfect home-and-away season, finishing that season with a record of 18-0. The club went on to win the premiership, but did not complete a perfect season after losing a the semi-final against .
team, known as the 'Invincibles'. Port finished the minor round with a 12–0 record, before winning both finals to finish with a 14–0 record and a perfect season. They also won the Championship of Australia against VFL premiers Carlton
, to extend that record to 15-0. The closest any team got to Port Adelaide was North Adelaide, losing by 21 points in Round 10.
In 1912, Port Adelaide had a perfect minor round and then beat West Torrens
in its semi-final but lost both the final and Grand Final to West Adelaide
.
has existed since 1885 within Western Australia, and until the latter part of the 20th century was of equivalent standard to either the VFL or SANFL. The 1946 East Fremantle
team is the only club to have managed a perfect season or even a perfect home-and-away season, winning all twenty-one of its games; it is noted that the playing lists of many of its opponents had been seriously depleted by World War II
.
in 1915, with a record of 14-0 and after an abeyance due to World War I
in 1918 with a record of 12-0; by Geelong West
in 1972 Division 2, with a record of 20-0, and by Port Melbourne
in 2011, with a record of 21-0. There were also cases of teams going undefeated through the season in the nineteenth century, but none completed perfect seasons because some of their matches were drawn.
Three other teams have completed perfect home-and-away seasons, but subsequently lost finals matches. North Melbourne
in 1919 won all eighteen home-and-away games before losing to Brunswick in the second-semi-final and Footscray in the Grand Final. Coburg in 1945 won all twenty home-and-away games before losing by seventeen points to Williamstown
in the second semi-final and then by two points to Port Melbourne in the preliminary final; and Williamstown in 1957 won all twenty home-and-away games before losing narrowly to Moorabbin
in the second semi final, and being beaten by twelve goals by Port Melbourne in the preliminary final.
has existed since 1908. In its history, only one team has completed a perfect season: the South Sydney Rabbitohs
in 1925, who won all twelve games contested.
Five other teams have completed nearly-perfect seasons, going undefeated but featuring at least one drawn match: Balmain
(1915), North Sydney
(1921), Eastern Suburbs
(1936 and 1937) and St George (1959)
and representing a large portion of the South Island
of New Zealand
, finished the 2002 Super 12 season
with an 11–0–0 record and went on to win both of their finals matches to claim the season crown unbeaten.
One other team has won a championship unbeaten — in 1997
, the Auckland Blues (known simply as "Blues" since 2000), which at the time represented the central and southern parts of the Auckland
area plus some adjacent regions to the south, finished the regular season with one draw from 11 matches. They also won both of their finals matches to claim the title.
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.
A perfect season may also be part of a multi-season winning streak
Winning streak (sports)
In sports, a winning streak refers to a consecutive number of games won. A winning streak can be held by a team, as in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, or by an individual, as in tennis...
.
National Football League (1970–present)
Since the NFL/AFL merger in 1970, only one team has played a complete perfect season (both playoff and regular season): the 1972 Miami Dolphins1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
, who won their fourteen regular season games and three postseason games to finish 17-0.
The 2007 New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
had the only other case of a perfect regular season, after winning their sixteen regular season games; however, they did not complete the perfect season, losing Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
to finish with a record of 18–1.
Preseason games are not counted toward standings, for or against. For example, the 1972 Miami Dolphins (mentioned below) lost three of their preseason games but still are considered to have a perfect season.
The Perfect Season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins1972 Miami Dolphins season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only National Football League team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season. The undefeated campaign was led by coach Don Shula and notable players Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka...
won fourteen regular season games and three postseason games, including Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
, to finish the season 17–0–0. They extended their winning streak the following season to 18 straight wins, until finally losing to the Oakland Raiders on September 23, 1973. It has often been reported that the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins would gather to drink champagne when the final undefeated team earned its first loss, or that the team would send a case of champagne to the team that beat the final undefeated team. The head coach of the 1972 Dolphins, Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, denied this in a 2007 interview with ESPN.
NFL undefeated seasons (with ties) prior to 1932
Prior to the development of a playoff system in the NFL in 1932, there were four teams who completed seasons undefeated, but with one or more tied games: the 1920 Akron Pros1920 Akron Pros season
The Akron Pros were an American football team that played in the American Professional Football Association . The team originally formed as the Akron Indians in 1908 in the Ohio League. In their twelfth year in 1920, they became a charter member of the AFPA, which subsequently changed its name to...
, the 1922 Canton Bulldogs
1922 Canton Bulldogs season
- Week 1 : Louisville Brecks :at Lakeside Park, Canton, Ohio* Game time:* Game weather:* Game attendance: 4,500* Referee:Scoring Drives:* Canton - Miller 10 run...
, the 1923 Canton Bulldogs
1923 Canton Bulldogs season
The 1923 Canton Bulldogs season was their fourth in the league. The team improved on their previous output of 10-0-2, winning eleven games. With the best record in the league, they were crowned the NFL Champions.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
, and the 1929 Green Bay Packers
1929 Green Bay Packers season
The 1929 Green Bay Packers season was their ninth season in the National Football League. The club posted an undefeated 12-0-1 record under player/coach Curly Lambeau, earning them a first-place finish and the Packers' first National Football League Championship...
. Under NFL practices at the time, tied games were discounted when the win percentage was calculated; so, these four teams were recorded with perfect win percentages of 1.000. (In 1972, the NFL retroactively altered its standings to treat tied games as being worth half of a win - so, these four teams are no longer recorded as having the perfect 1.000 percentage).
The 1921 Buffalo All-Americans
1921 Buffalo All-Americans season
The 1921 Buffalo All-Americans season was their second in the league. The team matched their previous output of 9-1-1, going 9-1-2 against league opponents, and losing the league title to the Chicago Staleys in a disputed tiebreaker....
were controversially denied a similar type of near-perfect season, when they believed that their final game, a 7-10 loss to the Chicago Staleys
Staley Swindle
The 1921 NFL Championship controversy, known among Buffalo sports historians and fans as the Staley Swindle, is a dispute in which the Buffalo All-Americans unintentionally surrendered the 1921 APFA Championship title to the Chicago Staleys...
, was an exhibition game which would not count to the final standings; the NFL records that game as official, and Buffalo's record as 9-1-2.
2007 New England Patriots
The 2007 New England Patriots
2007 New England Patriots season
The 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
were the first team to complete a perfect regular season since the length of the season was increased to sixteen games. They continued their success into the postseason before being beaten in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
by the New York Giants
2007 New York Giants season
The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...
, losing the perfect season by 3 points.
Pre-modern era (pre 1970) NFL perfect seasons
Before the modern NFL, American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
was played professionally in a number of leagues, including an earlier version of the NFL. During this period, three teams completed perfect regular seasons: the 1934 Chicago Bears
1934 Chicago Bears season
The 1934 Chicago Bears season was their 15th regular season and 3rd postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted an unprecedented 13-0 record in the second year of George Halas's second tenure...
, the 1942 Chicago Bears
1942 Chicago Bears season
The 1942 Chicago Bears season was their 23rd regular season and 7th postseason completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 11-0 record under head coach George Halas and temporary co-coaches Hunk Anderson and Luke Johnsos...
, and the 1948 Cleveland Browns
1948 Cleveland Browns season
The 1948 Cleveland Browns season was the team's third season with the All-America Football Conference. It was also a perfect season, recognized as such by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, although the NFL, as the AAFC's former rival, does not recognize it...
. Only the 1948 Browns had a true perfect season, but in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
, not the NFL proper. AAFC records are not considered part of NFL history records, because not all of its teams entered the NFL.
1934 Chicago Bears
The Bears are a member of the National Football League, which was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association. In 1934, the Bears played to a 13–0–0 regular season record to become the first NFL team to complete an undefeated regular season without tied games. However, the Bears lost the 1934 NFL Championship Game against the New York GiantsNew York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
1942 Chicago Bears
Despite losing several players and head coach George HalasGeorge Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
to military service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the 1942 Bears played a perfect season, finishing 11–0–0. The Bears were again defeated in the NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1942
The 1942 National Football League Championship game was the NFL's tenth title game. The game was played on December 13, 1942 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. and the attendance was 36,006....
, this time by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
1948 Cleveland Browns
The BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
were a member of the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
, a professional football league that played from 1946 to 1949. In 1948, the Browns won all fourteen regular season games and the 1948 AAFC championship to post a 15–0–0 record. Cleveland's perfect 1948 season was part of a longer string of 29 straight wins, which stretched from 1947 to 1949 and included both the 1947 and 1948 title games. Overall, the Browns won all four AAFC championship games and were accepted into the NFL when the two leagues merged after the 1949 season.
1937 Los Angeles Bulldogs
The Los Angeles BulldogsLos Angeles Bulldogs
The Los Angeles Bulldogs were a professional American football team that competed from 1936 to 1948...
were a member of the second American Football League
American Football League (1936)
Sometimes called AFL II, the second American Football League was a professional American football league that operated in 1936 and 1937. The AFL operated in direct competition with the more established National Football League throughout its existence...
, who joined the league in 1937 after the Cleveland Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
defected to the NFL. Playing a combination of AFL teams and independent franchises (such as the Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
and the Salinas Packers
Salinas Packers
There were two incarnations of the team known as the Salinas Packers. The first existed from 1954 to 1958, and was affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1955 and the Milwaukee Braves from 1956 to 1958. The second incarnation existed from 1973 to 1975, and was affiliated with the California...
), the team went 16–0, with 8 of those wins coming against AFL teams. The Bulldogs' dominance is cited as one of the key factors in the AFL's demise, and the next season (then as an independent, running up a 10–2–2 record including a 2–1–2 record against NFL teams), several of the team's players were invited to play on the "Pro All Stars" team in the NFL's first Pro All-Star Game
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
, which was played in Los Angeles. The Bulldogs are considered to be one of the few independent teams to have ever achieved parity with the NFL.
Neither the NFL nor the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
recognizes the Bulldogs' perfect season.
Pre-NFL era
An NFL predecessor, the Ohio LeagueOhio League
The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1903 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship . As the name implied, its teams were based in Ohio...
, had many perfect seasons. The Massillon Tigers
Massillon Tigers
The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships in 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, then merged to become...
(1904, 1905), Akron Indians (1909), Shelby Blues
Shelby Blues
The Shelby Blues were an American football team based in Shelby, Ohio. The team played in the Ohio League from 1900 to 1919. In 1920, when the Ohio League became the APFA , the Blues did not join but continued to play against APFA teams, only to later suspend operations...
(1911), and Dayton Triangles
Dayton Triangles
The Dayton Triangles were an original franchise of the American Professional Football Association in 1920. The Triangles were based in Dayton, Ohio, and took their nickname from their home field, Triangle Park, which was located at the confluence of the Great Miami and Stillwater Rivers in north...
(1918) all had perfect seasons during this era. In the New York Pro Football League
New York Pro Football League
The New York Pro Football League was a professional American football league active in the 1910s and based in upstate New York, primarily Western New York. Between 1920 and 1921, the league's best teams were absorbed into the National Football League, though none survive in that league today...
, another league that contributed teams to the NFL, the Buffalo Niagaras
Buffalo (NFL)
Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under three different names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s...
went 5–0–0 (6–0–0 including a forfeit) in a league that consisted of teams entirely from the city of Buffalo in 1918. In 1920, the Union Athletic Association of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
(later known as the Philadelphia Quakers), played in a league mostly consisting of local teams and earned a perfect season, claiming for itself a mythical national championship
Mythical National Championship
A mythical national championship is a colloquial term used to question the validity of national championship recognition that is not explicitly competitive...
. Prior to the Ohio League, the 1900
1900 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team
The 1900 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team won the professional football championship of 1900. The team was affiliated with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club in Homestead, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh...
and 1901
1901 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team
The 1901 Homestead Library & Athletic Club football team won the professional football championship of 1901. The team was affiliated with the Homestead Library & Athletic Club in Homestead, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh...
Homestead Library and Athletic Club teams, as well as the 1903 Franklin Athletic Club
Franklin Athletic Club
The Franklin Athletic Club was an early professional football team based in Franklin, Pennsylvania. It was considered the top team in professional football in 1903, by becoming the becoming the US Football Champions and winning the 1903 World Series of Football, held after the 1903 season, at New...
, all had perfect seasons.
The caliber of talent was neither as high nor as consistent between teams at the time, the seasons were generally shorter (7 to 11 games), and it was not uncommon for top teams to play all their games at home while lesser teams played all of their games on the road. In 1918, Dayton and Buffalo had the additional advantage of having its strongest competitors suspend operations due to the Spanish flu and the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Thus, it was much easier to earn a perfect season than it would be in later years.
Close to perfect
Since 1970, five NFL teams have had regular seasons with one loss: the 1976 Oakland Raiders1976 Oakland Raiders season
-Season:The Road to their first World Championship began on opening day as they faced the reigning world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In their home opener, Oakland trailed 28–14 with just over five minutes to play, yet orchestrated what many to this day refer to as their Comeback Classic of 1976...
(13–1) and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers
1984 San Francisco 49ers season
The 1984 San Francisco 49ers season was their 39th season in the National Football League. The season was highlighted by their second Super Bowl victory. The franchise had their best season ever with a record of 15 wins and only 1 loss...
, 1985 Chicago Bears
1985 Chicago Bears season
The 1985 Chicago Bears season was their 66th regular season and 16th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 15-1 record, earning them the top seed in the NFC for the playoffs. The Bears defeated their three post season opponents by a combined score of 91-10 en...
, 1998 Minnesota Vikings
1998 Minnesota Vikings season
1998 was the 38th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The 1998 Minnesota Vikings became only the third team in NFL history to win 15 games during the regular season. That year, the Vikings high powered offense scored 556 points...
, and 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games....
(all 15–1). The 1976 Raiders, 1984 49ers, and 1985 Bears all won three more games in the playoffs, including the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
; the '76 Raiders finishing 16–1 and the '84 49ers and '85 Bears both 18–1. The 1998 Vikings and 2004 Steelers each won one playoff game before losing their respective conference championship games to finish 16–2. Most of these teams suffered their regular-season losses early in the year and never made what might be considered a serious run at a perfect season; only the 1985 Bears (12-0) were on track for a perfect season when they lost.
The best start from an NFL team who failed to complete a perfect regular season was by the 2009 Indianapolis Colts
2009 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was the 57th season for the team in the National Football League and the 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not have Tony Dungy on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching...
, who started 14–0 before losing their final two regular season games to the New York Jets
2009 New York Jets season
The 2009 New York Jets season was the 50th season for the club and the 40th season in the National Football League and the last season at Giants Stadium. While they did not improve their 9–7 record from 2008, this time the team headed to the playoffs. The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on...
and the Buffalo Bills
2009 Buffalo Bills season
The 2009 Buffalo Bills season was the 50th Professional Football season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL...
(both former division rivals) respectively to finish 14–2. Indianapolis, having clinched the top seed in the AFC that year, sacrificed its chances at a perfect regular season and instead rested its starters the final two games to protect them for the playoffs. The Colts would go on to Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
but lost to the New Orleans Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
.
Three other teams have started 13–0 before losing their fourteenth game: the 1998 Denver Broncos
1998 Denver Broncos season
In 1998 the Denver Broncos had a record of 14–2, second best in the NFL, and won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was John Elway's final season and the season Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards, making him only the fourth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season....
; the 2005 Indianapolis Colts
2005 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2005 Indianapolis Colts season was the 53rd season for the team in the National Football League and 22nd in Indianapolis. The 2005 Colts season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record from 2004 and to advance further into the playoffs...
and the 2009 New Orleans Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
. All three of which lost at least two of their final three games. The 1998 Broncos and 2009 Saints went on to win the Super Bowl.
Other leagues
There have been no perfect seasons (or even perfect regular seasons) in the American AssociationAmerican Association (football)
The American Association was a professional American football league based in New York City. Founded in 1936 as a minor league with teams in New York and New Jersey, the AA extended its reach to Providence, Rhode Island prior to the onset of World War II...
, World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
, United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
, or, to date, the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
or United Football League.
The following is a list of teams in minor or alternate leagues that compiled perfect seasons of 6 games or more, including postseason games, with no ties:
- The Hollywood Bears, a member of the Pacific Coast Professional Football LeaguePacific Coast Professional Football LeagueThe Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
, went 8–0–0 in 1941. - The Hollywood Rangers were a member of the American Football League of 1944American Football League (1944)The Northwest War Industries League, later renamed the American Football League, was a professional football league based on the West Coast of the United States that played for two nonconsecutive seasons during World War II....
(formerly the Northwest War Industries League), a short-lived competitor to the Pacific Coast Professional Football LeaguePacific Coast Professional Football LeagueThe Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
on the West Coast. In their 1944 season, they went 11–0–0 and defeated the PCPFL champion San Diego Bombers (who had also had a perfect season in their league, going 9–0–0) in a two-game series. - The Charleston Rockets of the Continental Football LeagueContinental Football LeagueThe Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
won all 14 games of the league's inaugural season in 1965, going on to defeat the Toronto RiflesToronto RiflesThe Toronto Rifles were a minor-league professional American football team active between 1964 and 1967. It was based in Toronto, Ontario. The team's home fields were Maple Leaf Stadium and Varsity Stadium from 1966 to 1967...
in the league's championship. - The Hartford Knights went 17–0–0 in 1972 as a member of the Seaboard Football LeagueSeaboard Football LeagueThe Seaboard Football League was a minor American football league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded after the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent....
, including a victory over the Chambersburg CardinalsChambersburg CardinalsThe Chambersburg Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.-1946:The team was founded on the basis of local players returning from WWII, they were looking to return back to a life they once remembered...
in the league's championship. The Knights, unhappy with the level of competition (many of the Knights games had margins of victory of 40 points or more), quit the league the following year.
In indoor football, the following teams have had perfect seasons:
- The Quad City SteamwheelersQuad City SteamwheelersThe Quad City Steamwheelers were a professional arena football team. They were a charter member of the af2. They play their home games at i wireless Center in Moline, Illinois....
went undefeated in the inaugural season2000 af2 seasonThe 2000 AF2 season was the very first season of the AF2. The league champions were the Quad City Steamwheelers, who capped off a perfect season with a victory over the Tennessee Valley Vipers in ArenaCup I. This is the only AF2 season lacking division alignment.-Playoffs:-External links:*...
of arenafootball2AF2AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, accruing a record of 19–0–0 including playoffs and an ArenaCup IArenaCup IArenaCup I was the 2000 edition of the af2's championship game, in which the National Conference Champions Tennessee Valley Vipers were defeated by the American Conference Champions Quad City Steamwheelers in Moline, Illinois by a score of 68 to 59 ....
win. - The Ohio Valley GreyhoundsOhio Valley GreyhoundsThe Ohio Valley Greyhounds were a professional indoor football team. They began play in 1999 as the Steel Valley Smash, a charter member of the IFL. After the league folded, they moved to the NIFL, became a charter member, and renamed themselves as the Ohio Valley Greyhounds...
of the National Indoor Football LeagueNational Indoor Football LeagueNational Indoor Football League was a professional indoor football league in the United States. For their first six years, the league had teams in markets not covered by either the Arena Football League or its developmental league, af2, however, that changed briefly with their expansion into AFL...
accrued a perfect season in 2003. - The Sioux Falls StormSioux Falls StormThe Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team. They are a member of the Indoor Football League. They play their home games at Sioux Falls Arena...
of United Indoor FootballUnited Indoor FootballUnited Indoor Football was a United States indoor football league that started in 2005. Ten owners from the National Indoor Football League, including one expansion and two from arenafootball2 took their franchises and formed their own league...
won back-to-back perfect seasons in 2006 and 2007, winning the United Bowl championship both years. - The Fayetteville GuardFayetteville GuardThe Fayetteville Force is the former name of a professional indoor football team in the Southern Indoor Football League. They debuted the SIFL following the SIFL/AIFA merger and play home games at the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum....
won a perfect season in 2007 in the NIFL. - The Baltimore MarinersBaltimore MarinersThe Baltimore Mariners were an indoor football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The team was founded when the American Indoor Football Association expelled the Baltimore Blackbirds for negotiating with another league. The AIFA maintained the lease rights to 1st Mariner Arena, so the Mariners were...
won a perfect season in 20102010 American Indoor Football Association seasonThe 2010 American Indoor Football Association season is the league's sixth overall season, and the last before its split and cessation of operations. The regular season began on Saturday, March 6 and ended on Sunday, July 4...
in the American Indoor Football Association.
At least twenty-three other semi-professional football teams have had perfect seasons, seven of them being at least 17 games long. The Chambersburg Cardinals
Chambersburg Cardinals
The Chambersburg Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.-1946:The team was founded on the basis of local players returning from WWII, they were looking to return back to a life they once remembered...
won a record 72 straight games between 1977 and 1984.
The 1933 Providence Huskies (possibly a successor to the Providence Steam Roller
Providence Steam Roller
The Providence Steam Roller was a professional American football team based in Providence, Rhode Island in the National Football League from 1925 to 1931. Providence was the first New England team to win an NFL championship...
) played arguably the most perfect season ever recorded by a professional or semi-professional team: a ten-game season in which they won every game and did not concede a single point during any game.
Professional
A true perfect season (no losses and no ties through the regular season and playoffs) has never been achieved in professional Canadian football. Only one team, the 1948 Calgary StampedersCalgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
, has completed a perfect regular season.
The current CFL
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
schedule would require a team to win 20 games (18 regular season, 1 playoff after bye week, and the Grey Cup championship) to post a perfect record.
1948 Calgary Stampeders
Under legendary head coach Les LearLes Lear
Leslie Lear was a National Football League and Canadian Football League player and coach as well as a owner and trainer of Thoroughbred race horse.-Football:...
, the 1948 Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
completed a perfect regular season with a record of 12-0; they had two wins and a tie during the playoffs to finish with a record of 14-0-1, the only undefeated complete season in CFL history. In the Western Interprovincial Football Union
Canadian Football League West Division
The West Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the West Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.-Pre-1936:...
playoff series (a home-and-home series decided on total points) against the Regina Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
, the first leg was tied 4-4, and the Stampeders won the second 21-10, to win the entire series 25-14. The Stampeders then defeated the Ottawa Rough Riders
Ottawa Rough Riders
The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
12-7 for the 36th Grey Cup
36th Grey Cup
The 36th Grey Cup was played on November 27, 1948, before 20,013 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto.The Calgary Stampeders defeated Ottawa Rough Riders 12 to 7....
.
2003, 2005 Saskatchewan Huskies
In 2003 and 2005, the Saskatchewan HuskiesSaskatchewan Huskies
The University of Saskatchewan began in 1907 and has operated teams that compete with others since 1911. The term Huskie Athletics is defined as those student athletes from the University of Saskatchewan that compete in elite interuniversity competition administered by Canadian Interuniversity...
completed perfect regular seasons. However, in both years they lost in the playoffs: in the Vanier Cup
Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup is the name of the championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl...
to the Laurier Golden Hawks in 2005, and in The Canada West Semi-Final To Alberta Golden Bears
Alberta Golden Bears
The Alberta Golden Bears are the men's athletic teams that represent the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The women's teams are known as the Alberta Pandas.-History:...
in 2003.
2007 Manitoba Bisons
A perfect season was attained in 2007 by the Manitoba BisonsManitoba Bisons
The Manitoba Bisons are the athletic teams that represent the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The football and soccer teams play their games at University Stadium, which also serves as the location of track & field events...
, the football squad representing the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
, located in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Bisons were undefeated in Canada West Universities Athletic Association
Canada West Universities Athletic Association
The Canada West Universities Athletic Association is a regional membership association for Canadian universities which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and providing contact information, schedules, results, and releases about those programs and...
play during the 8-game schedule. In the playoffs, Manitoba comfortably handled the Calgary Dinos
Calgary Dinos
The Calgary Dinos football team has won the Vanier Cup national championship four times, the most out of any of the Canada West teams and most recently in 1995. The Dinos also won in 1983, 1985 and 1988. The team most recently appeared in the 2010 Vanier Cup, but lost to the Laval Rouge et Or...
27–5 in the opening round. The Bisons followed up with a 48–5 defeat of the Regina Rams
Regina Rams
The Regina Rams are the CIS football team that represents the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Rams nickname is used by the university's football team only; all other teams at the school are named Regina Cougars...
in the Hardy Trophy
Hardy Trophy
The Hardy Trophy is a Canadian sport trophy, presented annually to the winner of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association Football Conference of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport federation...
and a strong 52–20 showing against the perennial contenders from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, the Western Ontario Mustangs
Western Ontario Mustangs
The Western Ontario Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada...
, in the Mitchell Bowl
Mitchell Bowl
The Mitchell Bowl is one of the two semifinal bowls of Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's football, and is the semifinal held in the westernmost location of the two semifinal venues. The winner of this game goes on to play against the Uteck Bowl champions for the Vanier Cup...
. On Friday, November 23, 2007, two days before the 95th Grey Cup game in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, the Bisons defeated the Saint Mary's University
Saint Mary's University (Halifax)
Saint Mary's University is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada. The school is best known for having nationally lead programs in Business, Astronomy and International Development Studies as well, one of the best football and Men's hockey programs in Canada .The campus is situated in Halifax's...
squad, known as the Saint Mary's Huskies
Saint Mary's Huskies
The Saint Mary's Huskies are the men's and women's athletic teams that represent Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their primary home turf is Huskies Stadium located in the centre of the University's campus....
, 28–14 to claim their first Vanier Cup
Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup is the name of the championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl...
championship since 1970, and third overall title. That victory capped their perfect 12 win season.
2010 Laval Rouge et Or
In 2010, the Laval Rouge et Or located in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
had a perfect season of 13–0. They were undefeated with an 8–0 record in the QUFL. During the playoffs, they beat the Bishop's Gaiters
Bishop's Gaiters
The Bishop's Gaiters is the name of the men's and women's athletic teams that represent Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Although their logo and mascot suggest the term stems from the word alligator, "Gaiter" actually refers to a boot covering worn by Anglican bishops up until the...
56–1 in the opening round. The Rouge et Or won the QUFL championship and the Dunsmore Cup
Dunsmore Cup
The Dunsmore Cup is a Canadian sports trophy, presented annually to the winner of the Quebec University Football League of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport federation...
by a close win of 22–17 against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. They followed with a win of 13–11 against the Western Ontario Mustangs
Western Ontario Mustangs
The Western Ontario Mustangs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada...
in the Uteck Bowl
Uteck Bowl
The Uteck Bowl is one of the two semifinals in Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's football, held in the easternmost of the two semifinal venues. The Uteck Bowl champion moves on to face the Mitchell Bowl champion for the Vanier Cup...
. Finally, on Saturday, November 27, 2010, in their home stadium in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, they won the Vanier Cup
Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup is the name of the championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl...
29–2 against the Calgary Dinos
Calgary Dinos
The Calgary Dinos football team has won the Vanier Cup national championship four times, the most out of any of the Canada West teams and most recently in 1995. The Dinos also won in 1983, 1985 and 1988. The team most recently appeared in the 2010 Vanier Cup, but lost to the Laval Rouge et Or...
, capping a 13–0 season.
Lacrosse
In professional lacrosseLacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, the 1993
1993 MILL season
The 1993 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season began on January 9, 1993 and concluded with the championship game on April 10. 1993 saw the only undefeated season in the history of the MILL/NLL; the Buffalo Bandits won all eight of their regular season games, then defeated Boston in the Divisional...
Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
are the only team to have won a perfect season in the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
. The Bandits won all ten of their regular season games and won the championship in a two-round tournament; the season was the continuation of a multi-season winning streak that dated to the Bandits' successful run for the previous year's
1992 MILL season
-Awards:-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Detroit*Paul Gait, Detroit*Dave Pietramala, Pittsburgh*Rick Sowell, Baltimore*John Tucker, Philadelphia*Sal LoCascio, New York Second Team:*Jeff Jackson, Baltimore*Derek Keenan, Buffalo...
championship.
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
, which began play in 2001, has not yet had any perfect season.
Other North American professional sports leagues
In North America’s three other major professional sports leagues (Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
) it is almost impossible for a team to play a “perfect” season, primarily because there are substantially more games in the regular season (162 in Major League Baseball, and 82 in the NBA and NHL). The Women’s National Basketball Association’s season has been between 28-34 games long, and it too has never produced a perfect season.
It is possible for a baseball pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
to achieve a perfect season, taking at least one win and any number of no-decisions throughout the year. This has happened 1813 times in baseball's history, though the majority (1171) were 1–0 seasons, mostly by relief pitchers. The best perfect season belongs to Tom Zachary
Tom Zachary
Jonathan Thompson Walton Zachary was a pitcher who had a 19-year career that lasted from 1918 to 1936. He played for the Philadelphia A's, Washington Senators, St...
of the 1929 New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, who posted a 12–0 record in 119.2 innings. No pitcher has ever achieved a perfect season while qualifying for the ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
title.
In the NBA, the 1985–86
1985-86 NBA season
-Statistics leaders:-NBA awards:*Most Valuable Player: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics*Rookie of the Year: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks*Defensive Player of the Year: Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs...
Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
played a nearly perfect home season. During the regular season they were 40–1 (.976) in front of their home crowd, their only regular-season home loss occurred on December 6, 1985, to the Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, by the score of 121–103. The Celtics would also win all 10 of their home games in the postseason, to finish 50-1 at home.
Other professional sports
For other sports leagues for individuals, such as the PGA TourPGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
or NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
, a perfect season would represent winning every event in a season. Considering the number of tournaments or races in those leagues, and the fact that each individual faces over 40 opponents as opposed to one, a perfect season is almost impossible. Golf instead considers the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (golf)
The Grand Slam in golf is winning all the golf's major championships in the same calendar year.-The Men's Grand Slam:The Grand Slam in men's golf is an unofficial concept, having changed over time. In the modern era, The Grand Slam is generally considered to be winning all four of golf's major...
, deemed to be the four most difficult contests in professional golf, to be analogous to perfection; since 1934, when The Masters was added as a major, no player has won all four in one year. Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
came closest, winning four consecutive professional majors over two years in 2000 and 2001.
The three golfing seasons that could be deemed closest include Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
winning all four majors in 1930 (when The (British) Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship
The Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. It is one of the two leading individual tournaments for amateur golfers, alongside the U.S. Amateur...
and U.S. Amateur were still considered majors), Byron Nelson
Byron Nelson
John Byron Nelson, Jr. was an American PGA Tour golfer between 1935 and 1946.Nelson and two other well known golfers of the time, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, were born within seven months of each other in 1912...
winning 11 consecutive tournaments he played in (and 18 in one year) in 1945, and Woods' aforementioned four consecutive majors in 2000 and 2001. Professional motorcycle racer Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael
Ricky Carmichael is a racer known for his success in Motocross. He is currently competing in NASCAR. He drives the #4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado for Turner Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series and the #30 Chevrolet Impala part-time for Turner Motorsports in the Nationwide Series...
had perfect seasons in 2002 and 2004. In 1997, road racer
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
Tommy Kendall
Tommy Kendall
Tommy Kendall is an American race car driver and television broadcaster. He is best known for his SCCA Trans-Am Series career....
started the 13-race SCCA
Sports Car Club of America
The Sports Car Club of America is a club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional racers.-History:...
Trans-Am Series
Trans-Am Series
The Trans-Am Series is an automobile racing series which was created in 1966 by Sports Car Club of America President John Bishop. Originally known as the Trans-American Sedan Championship it has evolved over time from its original format as a manufacturers championship for modified racing sedans...
season 11–0, the longest documentable win streak in worldwide professional road racing. In the 12th race, he was battling for the lead on the final lap, but spun out and finished second. The feat would be extremely difficult in NASCAR, because of the length of the season (currently 36 races).
NCAA Football
Due to relatively short seasons through most of college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
history, the list of undefeated Division I football teams includes dozens of teams. The highest level of college football, the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, does not use a play-off to determine a champion, instead relying on a combination of polls and computer rankings to choose two teams to play one title game
BCS National Championship Game
The BCS National Championship Game, or BCS National Championship, is the final bowl game of the annual Bowl Championship Series and is intended by the organizers of the BCS to determine the U.S. national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision...
in a system known as the Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
. Prior to 1992, no attempt was made to match up the top two teams in a championship game, further increasing the chances of multiple teams achieving a perfect season.
The University of Washington's
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
FBS record 63 game unbeaten streak included 5 consecutive perfect seasons from 1909–1913. The University of Oklahoma's
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
FBS record 47 game winning streak included three consecutive perfect seasons from 1954–1956. The record for most wins in an undefeated season is 14–0, accomplished in 2002 by Ohio State
2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 2002 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was the national champion of the 2002 college football season. The team was the first in Division I-A history to finish its season at 14–0, and the second to win 14 games, following BYU's 14–1 season in 1996...
, twice in 2009
2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the...
by Boise State
2009 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2009 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2009 college football season. The Broncos played their home games at Bronco Stadium, most famous for its blue artificial turf surface, often referred to as the "smurf-turf"...
and Alabama
2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 2009 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 77th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference and its 18th within the SEC Western Division...
, and in 2010
2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for...
by Auburn
2010 Auburn Tigers football team
The 2010 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2010–2011 college football season. The Tigers, led by second year head coach Gene Chizik were members of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference and played their home games at Jordan-Hare Stadium...
.
Men
Before the establishment of the National Invitation TournamentNational Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
in 1938 and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1939, perfect seasons were more common; each season consisted of fewer games and top teams from different parts of the country might never meet.
There have been 7 NCAA men's Division I basketball
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
champions with perfect records:
- 1956 San Francisco Dons1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball teamThe 1955–56 San Francisco Dons men's basketball team represented the University of San Francisco. The Dons ended the season undefeated, becoming the first NCAA basketball team to record a perfect season.-Roster:-NCAA basketball tournament:*Far West...
(29–0) - 1957 North Carolina Tar Heels1956–57 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball teamThe 1956–57 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented University of North Carolina. The Head Coach was Frank McGuire. The team played its home games at Woollen Gymnasium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and was a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(32–0) - 1964 UCLA Bruins (30–0)
- 1967 UCLA Bruins (30–0)
- 1972 UCLA Bruins (30–0)
- 1973 UCLA Bruins (30–0)
- 1976 Indiana Hoosiers1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball teamThe 1975–76 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represented Indiana University. The Head Coach was Bobby Knight. The team played its home games in the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.-Regular season:...
(32–0)
Another team in the NCAA Tournament era had an unbeaten record and won a recognized national title:
- 19391939 National Invitation TournamentThe 1939 National Invitation Tournament was the 1939 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 6 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket....
LIU Blackbirds (24–0) — won the NIT, which at the time was more prestigious than the newly formed NCAA tournament.
The UCLA Bruins are the only team to have back-to-back perfect seasons (1972–1973) respectively creating a record of 60–0 technically, and all four perfect seasons were under Hall of Fame head coach John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
.
The following teams have completed a perfect regular season, but lost in the NCAA Tournmament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
or other postseason action:
- 19391939 National Invitation TournamentThe 1939 National Invitation Tournament was the 1939 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 6 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket....
Loyola RamblersLoyola Ramblers men's basketballThe Loyola Ramblers men's basketball team represents Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League. Loyola joined that league in the 1979-1980 season, when the league was founded. The Ramblers are currently coached by...
(finished regular season 20–0 and lost in the NIT final to LIU to finish 21–1) - 19411941 National Invitation TournamentThe 1941 National Invitation Tournament was the 1941 edition of the annual NCAA college basketball competition.-Selected teams:Below is a list of the 8 teams selected for the tournament.-Brackets/Results:Below is the tournament bracket....
Seton Hall PiratesSeton Hall Pirates men's basketballThe Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey...
(finished regular season 19–0; lost in the NIT semifinals to LIU and third-place game to CCNY to finish 20–2) - 19511951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1951 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 16 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 20, 1951, and ended with the championship game on March 27 at Williams Arena in Minneapolis,...
Columbia LionsColumbia LionsThe Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
(finished 21–1 after losing in the first round) - 1961 Ohio State Buckeyes1960–61 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball teamThe 1960–61 Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team represented Ohio State University. The Head Coach was Fred Taylor.-NCAA basketball tournament:*Mideast**Ohio State 56, Louisville 55**Ohio State 87, Kentucky 74*Final Four**Ohio State 95, St...
(finished 27–1 after losing in the championship game1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1961 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 24 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 14, 1961, and ended with the championship game on March 25 in Kansas...
to Cincinnati1960–61 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball teamThe 1960–61 Cincinnati Bearcats men's basketball team represented University of Cincinnati. The Head Coach was Ed Jucker.-Regular season:*In the Crosstown Shootout, Cincinnati beat Xavier by a score of 89–53...
) - 1968 Houston Cougars1967–68 Houston Cougars men's basketball teamThe 1967–68 Houston Cougars men's basketball team represented the University of Houston in the 1967–68 NCAA University Division men's basketball season. The team played its home games at Delmar Fieldhouse in Houston for the second consecutive season. This season marked the team's ninth year as an...
(finished regular season 28–0, then lost the semifinal and consolation games at the Final Four1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1968 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 8, 1968, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Los Angeles, California...
) - 1968 St. Bonaventure BonniesSt. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
(finished regular season 22–0, lost in regional semifinals) - 1975 Indiana Hoosiers1974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball teamThe 1974–75 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represented Indiana University. The Head Coach was Bob Knight. The team played its home games in the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.-Roster:...
(finished regular season 29–0, but lost to Kentucky1974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball teamThe 1974–75 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The Head Coach was . The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Rupp Arena.-NCAA basketball tournament:*East...
in the Mideast Regional final1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1975 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 1975, and ended with the championship game on March 31 in San Diego, California...
) - 19761976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1976 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 32 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 13, 1976, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
Rutgers Scarlet KnightsRutgers Scarlet KnightsThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
(finished regular season 28–0, won 3 more games in the NCAA Tournament to go to 31-0, but lost in the Final Four to Michigan and in the consolation game to UCLAUCLA Bruins men's basketballThe UCLA Bruins men's basketball program, established in 1920, owns a record 11 Division I NCAA championships. UCLA teams coached by John Wooden won 10 national titles in 12 seasons from 1964 to 1975, including 7 straight from 1967 to 1973. UCLA went undefeated a record 4 times, in 1964, 1967,...
) - 1979 Indiana State Sycamores (finished regular season 31–0, but lost in the championship game1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 40 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 9, 1979, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Salt Lake City, Utah...
to Michigan State1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball teamThe 1978–1979 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.-Regular season:...
) - 1979 Alcorn State BravesAlcorn State UniversityAlcorn State University is an historically black university comprehensive land-grant institution in Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871-History:...
finished the regular season with a perfect 27–0 record, but were not invited to the NCAA Tournament. The Braves lost in the second round of the National Invitation TournamentNational Invitation TournamentThe National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
to Indiana. - 1991 UNLV Runnin' Rebels1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball teamThe 1990–91 UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball team represented the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in NCAA Division I men's competition in the 1990–91 season...
(entered the tournament 30–0, but lost in the Final Four1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 14, 1991, and ended with the championship game on April 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
to eventual champion Duke). - 2004 Saint Joseph's HawksSaint Joseph's Hawks men's basketballThe Saint Joseph's Hawks men's basketball team represents Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Its home court is the Hagan Arena. The team's only Final Four appearance in 1961 was removed from the NCAA records due to a gambling scandal. Through...
(finished the regular season 27–0, lost in the first round of the 2004 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament2004 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball TournamentThe 2004 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 10 to March 13, 2004, at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The winner was named champion of the Atlantic 10 Conference and received an automatic bid to the 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. Xavier...
.)
In addition, four other teams in the tournament era had unbeaten records, but did not play in any postseason tournament:
- 1940 Seton Hall PiratesSeton Hall Pirates men's basketballThe Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey...
(19–0) — not invited to either the NCAA Tournament or NIT. - 1944 Army CadetsArmy Black Knights men's basketballThe Army Black Knights men's basketball team represents the United States Military Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball. Army currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and plays its home games at Christl Arena in West Point, New York.Army is...
(15–0) — not invited to either the NCAA Tournament or NIT. (Given that this season was during World War II, it is also possible that Army chose to turn down tournament invitations.) - 1954 Kentucky Wildcats1953–54 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball teamThe 1953–54 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky. The Head Coach was Adolph Rupp. The team was a member of the Southeast Conference and played their home games at Memorial Coliseum.-Postseason:...
(25–0) — declined a bid to the NCAA Tournament due to an NCAA ruling that graduate students could not compete. - 1973 NC State WolfpackNC State Wolfpack men's basketballThe NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
(27–0) — ineligible for postseason competition due to rule violations earlier that season.
Women
In the women's game, the following national championship teams have had perfect records since the AIAWAIAW Women's Basketball Tournament
-1973 tournament:The 1973 AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament was held on March 22–25, 1973. The host site was Queens College in Flushing, New York...
began sponsoring a championship tournament in 1972 (which was followed by the NCAA
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
tournament in 1982):
- 1973 Immaculata Mighty MacsImmaculata UniversityImmaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
(20–0) - 1975 Delta State Lady StatesmenDelta State UniversityDelta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
(28–0) - 1981 Louisiana Tech Lady TechstersLouisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketballThe Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
(34–0) - 1986 Texas LonghornsTexas Longhorns women's basketballThe Texas Longhorns women's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin and competes in the Big 12 Conference.The team has long been a national power in women's basketball. Under head coach Jody Conradt, the second NCAA Division I basketball coach to win 900 career games , the...
(34–0) - 1995 Connecticut HuskiesConnecticut Huskies women's basketballThe Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
(35–0) - 1998 Tennessee Lady Vols (39–0)
- 2002 Connecticut Huskies2001–02 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2001–02 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2001–2002 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
(39–0) - 2009 Connecticut Huskies2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2008–09 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2008–2009 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
(39–0) - 2010 Connecticut Huskies2009–10 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2009–2010 NCAA Division I basketball season. The Huskies were coached by Geno Auriemma, as the Huskies played their home games at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in the XL Center located in...
(39–0)- The 2009 and 2010 Huskies not only went unbeaten, but also had double-digit victory margins in each game until the 2010 final2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
, in which the Huskies defeated Stanford2009–10 Stanford Cardinal women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Stanford Cardinal women's basketball team represented Stanford University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cardinal, coached by Tara VanDerveer...
53–47.
- The 2009 and 2010 Huskies not only went unbeaten, but also had double-digit victory margins in each game until the 2010 final
The following teams have completed perfect regular seasons, but lost in the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Women's Division I Championship is an annual college basketball tournament for women. Held each April, the Women's Championship was inaugurated in the 1981–82 season...
or other postseason action:
- The 19901990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1990 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 11 and ended on April 1. The tournament featured 48 teams. The Final Four consisted of Virginia, Stanford, Auburn, and Louisiana Tech, with Stanford defeating Auburn 76-60 to win its first NCAA title. Stanford's Jennifer Azzi...
Louisiana Tech Lady TechstersLouisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketballThe Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Teresa Weatherspoon...
entered the NCAA Tournament at 28–0, but lost in the Final Four to Auburn to finish 32–1. - The Vermont CatamountsUniversity of VermontThe University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
were unbeaten entering the NCAA Tournament in both 1992 (29–0) and 1993 (28–0). They lost in the first round in both tournaments—to George WashingtonGeorge Washington ColonialsThe George Washington Colonials are the athletic teams of George Washington University. The school sponsors 21 varsity sports , the majority of which compete in the Division I Atlantic 10 Conference. The men's and women's water polo teams compete in the Collegiate Water Polo Association and the...
in 19921992 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament-West Regional - Seattle, WA:-Midwest Regional - Boulder, CO:-Mideast Regional - West Lafayette, IN:-Final Four - Los Angeles, CA:-References:...
and RutgersRutgers Scarlet KnightsThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
in 19931993 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament-Mideast Regional - Iowa City, IA:-Midwest Regional - Nacogdoches, TX:-West Regional - Missoula, MT:-Final Four - Atlanta, GA:...
. - The 19971997 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Final Four:E-East; ME-Mideast; MW-Midwest; W-West.- Notes :...
Connecticut HuskiesConnecticut Huskies women's basketballThe Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represents the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut in NCAA women's basketball competition. Under head coach Geno Auriemma, the Huskies have won 7 NCAA Division I national championships, advanced to 12 Final Fours, and won over 30 Big...
entered the NCAA Tournament at 30–0, but lost in the final of the Midwest Regional to eventual national champion TennesseeTennessee Lady Volunteers basketballThe Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA women's basketball competition...
, finishing 33–1. - The 19981998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 1998 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 13, 1998 and concluded on March 29, 1998 when Tennessee won the national title. The Final Four was held at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri on March 27 - March 29, 1998. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, NC State, and Arkansas...
Liberty Lady FlamesLiberty FlamesThe Liberty University Flames are the athletics teams of Liberty University. The Liberty Flames are a member of the NCAA Division I level in 18 sports...
entered the NCAA Tournament 28–0, but were seeded #16 in the Mideast Region and matched against Tennessee, with the Lady Vols crushing the Lady Flames 102–58. - The 2003 Connecticut Huskies2002–03 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball teamThe 2002–03 Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2002–2003 NCAA Division I basketball season. Coached by Geno Auriemma, the Huskies played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Connecticut, and on campus at the Harry A....
finished the regular season at 29–0, but lost to VillanovaVillanova WildcatsThe Villanova Wildcats is the name of the athletic teams of Villanova University. They compete in the Big East for every sport except football, where they compete in the Colonial Athletic Association .-Men's basketball:The Villanova Wildcats compete in the Big EAST and are currently coached by Jay...
in the final of the Big East Tournament, ending their then-record winning streak at 70 games. The Huskies went on to win the NCAA Tournament2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2003 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 22, 2003 and concluded on April 8, 2003 when the Connecticut Huskies won their second straight national title. The Final Four was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on April 6 - April 8, 2003...
, finishing 37–1. - The 2007 Duke Blue DevilsDuke Blue DevilsDuke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
finished the regular season at 29–0, but lost in the semifinals of the ACC TournamentACC Women's Basketball TournamentThe ACC Women's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference . The tournament has been held every year since 1978, several years before the first NCAA championships for women. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is...
to North Carolina StateNC State Wolfpack women's basketballThe NC State Wolfpack women's basketball team is one of the most storied programs in women's college basketball history.-The Early Days :The women's basketball team at NC State had its beginnings in 1974...
. In the NCAA Tournament2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 17, 2007 and concluded on April 3 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Final Four consisted of Tennessee, LSU, Rutgers, and North Carolina, with Tennessee defeating Rutgers 59-46 for their seventh National Title...
, they lost in the semifinals of the Greensboro Regional to RutgersRutgers Scarlet KnightsThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
to finish 32–2. - The 2010 Nebraska Cornhuskers2009–10 Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Nebraska Cornhuskers women's basketball team represented the University of Nebraska in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cornhuskers, a member of the Big 12 Conference, were coached by Connie Yori, and completed the regular season unbeaten at 29–0. However, they...
finished the regular season at 29–0, but lost in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament2010 Big 12 Women's Basketball TournamentThe 2010 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women's Basketball Championship was the 2010 edition of the Big 12 Conference's championship tournament. It was held at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City from March 11 until March 14, 2010...
to Texas A&MTexas A&M Aggies women's basketballThe Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I women's basketball. The team has been coached by Gary Blair since 2003. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M.The Aggies...
. In the NCAA Tournament2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball TournamentThe 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament started Saturday, March 20, 2010 and was completed on Tuesday, April 6 of the same year with University of Connecticut Huskies defending their title from the previous year by defeating Stanford, 53-47. The tournament bids were announced on...
, they lost in the semifinals of the Kansas City Regional to Kentucky2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team represented the University of Kentucky in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season...
to finish 32–2.
NCAA Hockey
The 1970 Cornell Big RedCornell Big Red men's ice hockey
The Cornell Big Red men's ice hockey team represents Cornell University, located in Ithaca, New York, in NCAA Division I men's competition. Cornell is one of eight members of the academically prestigious Ivy League conference and the hockey team plays in the ECAC Hockey conference.The 1970 Cornell...
recorded an unbeaten, untied season. The last college to finish undefeated was Bemidji State University (Div II) during the 1983–84 season.
1955–56 Clarkson Golden Knights were undefeated (23–0–0), and Coach Bill Harrison won the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year, but Clarkson skipped the NCAA tournament because Clarkson had seniors with (4) years of college play which was against NCAA rules at the time.
ACHA Hockey
The 2007–2008 University of Illinois Fighting Illini are the only American Collegiate Hockey AssociationAmerican Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association is the national governing body of non-varsity college ice hockey in the U.S. The organization provides structure, regulations, promotes the quality of play, sponsors National Awards and National Tournaments....
team to record a perfect season with a record of 38–0–0.
Domestic teams
Many association football teams have also had perfect seasons, however doing so in a season of 20 or more matches is very rare. Clubs to have achieved this include: Dresdner SCDresdner SC
Dresdner SC is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1942–43 (23 wins out of 23), Ferencvárosi of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1931–32 (22), Sunrise Flacq United of Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 1995–96 (22), and Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
of Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
in 1941 (20). Al-Ahly (of Egypt) hold the record of going a whole season being unbeaten, in all possible competitions they were involved in (46 matches in total played in: Egyptian Premier League, Egyptian Cup, Egytpian Super Cup and CAF Champions League). The longest winning streak of any team over multiple seasons was Sparta Prague's run of at least 51 wins in a row, between 1920 and 1923.
Teams finishing a season unbeaten (i.e. having won or drawn every match) are more common. In Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, Italian club Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
went the entire 1978–79 Serie A season
Serie A 1978-79
The 1978/1979 Serie A season was won by A.C. Milan.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
without losing a game. A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
did the same in the 1991–92 Serie A season
Serie A 1991-92
During this season, under the guidance of Fabio Capello, AC Milan completed a remarkable unbeaten season, a run that eventually totalled 58 games.- Final classification :- Results :-Top scorers:25 goals* Marco van Basten 18 goals...
. In 1972–73, S.L. Benfica became the first club in Portugal to last a whole season without defeat and won 28 matches — 23 consecutively — out of 30, and drew two; the club once again went undefeated in 1978 but did not win the league that year. Thirty-three years later FC Porto, under the management of André Villas-Boas, finished the 2010–2011 Liga season unbeaten, with 27 wins and 3 draws. In the 2010–11 Saudi Professional League
2010–11 Saudi Professional League
-Members clubs:-Pre-season:-During the season:-Final League table:|rowspan=1|2012 AFC Champions League group stage|rowspan=1|2012 AFC Champions League group stage|rowspan=1|2012 AFC Champions League qualifying play-off...
, Champions Al-Hilal FC finished a 26 game season without defeat, winning 19 games and drawing 7. Norwegian club Rosenborg BK finished the 2010 season undefeated. Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the 2003–04 English Premier League season
FA Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 FA Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Premier League. In the end, Arsenal went through the season without a single defeat – only the second ever team to do so and were crowned champions once more, at the expense of Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the...
, finished with no losses from 38 games. Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
was unbeaten in 22 league games and all of its FA Cup games in 1889–90
1888-89 in English football
The 1888–1889 season was the 18th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:A new competition, The Football League, started this season...
. The only unbeaten champion in Brazil
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
was SC Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
, who won the 1979 season
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 1979
-Overview:94 teams took part, and Internacional won the championship undefeated.-Final standings:-References:...
with 16 victories and 7 ties.
FIFA World Cup
The likelihood of a national team in the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
to win all of its group stage matches, as well as every knockout game, to become the champion is higher than most domestic teams, given this unofficial "season" is only seven games maximum. This is not counting the qualifying round
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
of the tournament, which lasts over a year and has had a varied format since 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
. Only one team, the 1970 World Cup champion
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
Brazilian team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
has won every game in all both qualification and finals, without being the host country or defending champions (which allows a team to skip qualifying rounds), in this case, a total of 13 games. In 2010 the Dutch team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
came very close achieving the same feat as the Brazilian team did in 1970. The Netherlands won 8 out of 8 qualifying games and went on to win the next 6 World Cup matches only to lose to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
in the final, ending with a 14–0–1 record.
The 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
West German
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
team was the last to be a champion while incurring no losses in all rounds; they had 8 wins and 5 ties. The last team to win with no losses or ties in the last two rounds (group round and knockout round) was the Brazilian team
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
at the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
.
FIFA Women's World Cup
Through 2011, the likelihood of a national team winning all of its matches in the FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
has been slightly greater than in the men's version. The Women's World Cup began in 1991 with 12 teams, and expanded to 16 effective in 1999. Under both structures, the winning team has only had to win six games (three in group play and three in the knockout stage) to win the title unbeaten. The tournament will expand to 24 teams in 2015
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
The 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup will be the seventh FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international women's football world championship tournament...
, at which time the number of games that the champion must play will increase to seven.
The 2011 event, won by Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
, was the first in which the champion lost in group play; the other finalist, the USA
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
, had also lost in group play. Each previous team to have won the title — the USA in 1991 and 1999, Norway
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
in 1995, and Germany
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
in 2003 and 2007 — won all of its group stage matches. In fact, only one of these teams, the USA in 1999, had a knockout match go to extra time—specifically the final against China
China women's national football team
The China women's national football team represents the People's Republic of China in international women's football.- Records :China had held the record of going for 442 minutes without conceding a World Cup goal, until it was broken by Germany on September 26, 2007, when Germany beat Norway 3-0...
, which ultimately went to a penalty shootout. Germany won all of its matches in the 2007 final tournament without giving up a goal, becoming the first team in either the men's or women's World Cup to accomplish this feat.
Three Women's World Cup champions also went through their qualifying stage without a loss or draw:
- USA, 1991 (5 wins)
- Germany, 2003 (6 wins)
- Germany, 2007 (8 wins)
Of the other two teams to win the Women's World Cup without a loss or draw in the finals:
- Norway went through their 1995 qualification campaign with 8 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss.
- The USA automatically qualified for the 1999 edition as host.
Australian Football League (VFL/AFL)
The Australian Football LeagueAustralian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
began in 1897 as the Victorian Football League
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association , taking its new name as from the 1996 season, is the premier Australian rules football league in Victoria The Victorian Football League (VFL) which evolved from the former Victorian Football Association...
, based entirely in the state of Victoria, before it expanded through the 1980s and 1990s to become the top level national league in the sport of Australian rules football. The length of a complete season (including finals matches) has typically been between 18 and 26. Through the history of the league, no team has ever completed a perfect season.
Only one team, the Collingwood Magpies
Collingwood Football Club
The Collingwood Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
in 1929, has had a perfect home-and-away season, finishing that season with a record of 18-0. The club went on to win the premiership, but did not complete a perfect season after losing a the semi-final against .
South Australian National Football League
The SANFL has existed since 1877 within South Australia, and until the latter part of the 20th century was of equivalent standard to the VFL. The only perfect season to be completed was by the 1914 Port AdelaidePort Adelaide Magpies
The Port Adelaide Football Club, nicknamed The Magpies, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the South Australian National Football League...
team, known as the 'Invincibles'. Port finished the minor round with a 12–0 record, before winning both finals to finish with a 14–0 record and a perfect season. They also won the Championship of Australia against VFL premiers Carlton
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
, to extend that record to 15-0. The closest any team got to Port Adelaide was North Adelaide, losing by 21 points in Round 10.
In 1912, Port Adelaide had a perfect minor round and then beat West Torrens
West Torrens Football Club
West Torrens Football Club was an Australian rules football club that competed in the South Australian National Football League from 1897 to 1990...
in its semi-final but lost both the final and Grand Final to West Adelaide
West Adelaide Football Club
West Adelaide Football Club is an Australian rules football club in the South Australian National Football League . Commonly known as The Bloods and Westies, the clubs home base is City Mazda Stadium located in Richmond, an inner-western suburb of Adelaide.-Early Years :West Adelaide was formed in...
.
West Australian Football League
The WAFLWest Australian Football League
The West Australian Football League is an Australian rules football league based in Perth, Western Australia. The WAFL is the second-most popular in the state, behind the nation-wide Australian Football League...
has existed since 1885 within Western Australia, and until the latter part of the 20th century was of equivalent standard to either the VFL or SANFL. The 1946 East Fremantle
East Fremantle Football Club
The East Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Sharks, is an Australian rules football club playing in the West Australian Football League . The team's home ground is East Fremantle Oval...
team is the only club to have managed a perfect season or even a perfect home-and-away season, winning all twenty-one of its games; it is noted that the playing lists of many of its opponents had been seriously depleted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Victorian Football League (VFA/VFL)
The Victorian Football League, known until 1996 as the Victorian Football Association, began in 1877 and was Victoria's premier football league until 1897, and has been the second-tier league in the state since. Perfect seasons have been completed on four occasions in VFA/VFL history: by North MelbourneNorth Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in 1915, with a record of 14-0 and after an abeyance due to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1918 with a record of 12-0; by Geelong West
Geelong West Football Club
The Geelong West Football Club are an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association from 1963 until 1988. Geelong West, nicknamed the 'Roosters', wore white and red during their time in the association.-History:...
in 1972 Division 2, with a record of 20-0, and by Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne Football Club
The Port Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Borough, is an Australian rules football club based in the Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne and is currently playing in the Victorian Football League ....
in 2011, with a record of 21-0. There were also cases of teams going undefeated through the season in the nineteenth century, but none completed perfect seasons because some of their matches were drawn.
Three other teams have completed perfect home-and-away seasons, but subsequently lost finals matches. North Melbourne
North Melbourne Football Club
The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed The Kangaroos, is the fourth oldest Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League and is one of the oldest sporting clubs in Australia and the world...
in 1919 won all eighteen home-and-away games before losing to Brunswick in the second-semi-final and Footscray in the Grand Final. Coburg in 1945 won all twenty home-and-away games before losing by seventeen points to Williamstown
Williamstown Football Club
The Williamstown Football Club, nicknamed The Seagulls, is an Australian rules football club based in Melbourne and are currently playing in the Victorian Football League...
in the second semi-final and then by two points to Port Melbourne in the preliminary final; and Williamstown in 1957 won all twenty home-and-away games before losing narrowly to Moorabbin
Moorabbin Football Club
Moorabbin Football Club, nicknamed the The Kangaroos, was an Australian rules football club which played in the Victorian Football Association from 1951 to 1963 and then from 1983 to 1987...
in the second semi final, and being beaten by twelve goals by Port Melbourne in the preliminary final.
National Rugby League
In New South Wales Rugby League and National Rugby LeagueNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
has existed since 1908. In its history, only one team has completed a perfect season: the South Sydney Rabbitohs
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in Redfern, a suburb of South-central Sydney, New South Wales. They participate in the National Rugby League premiership and are one of nine existing teams from the state capital...
in 1925, who won all twelve games contested.
Five other teams have completed nearly-perfect seasons, going undefeated but featuring at least one drawn match: Balmain
Wests Tigers
The Wests Tigers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's mid-western suburbs. They have competed in the National Rugby League since they were formed at the end of the 1999 season as a joint-venture club between the Balmain Tigers and the Western Suburbs...
(1915), North Sydney
North Sydney Bears
The North Sydney Bears are an Australian rugby league football club based in North Sydney, New South Wales. They currently compete in the New South Wales Cup, having exited the National Rugby League following the 1999 NRL season after 92 years of top-grade competition. The Bears are based on...
(1921), Eastern Suburbs
Sydney Roosters
The Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. The club competes in the National Rugby League and is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Australian rugby league history, having won twelve New South Wales Rugby League...
(1936 and 1937) and St George (1959)
Super Rugby
The Southern Hemisphere's principal team competition, Super Rugby, established as Super 12 in 1996 and later known as Super 14 before adopting its current name in 2011, has seen only one perfect season. The Crusaders, based in ChristchurchChristchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and representing a large portion of the South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, finished the 2002 Super 12 season
2002 Super 12 season
The 2002 Super 12 season was the seventh season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 2002, with each team playing all the others once...
with an 11–0–0 record and went on to win both of their finals matches to claim the season crown unbeaten.
One other team has won a championship unbeaten — in 1997
1997 Super 12 season
The 1997 Super 12 season was the second season of the Super 12, contested by teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The season ran from February to May 1997, with each team playing all the others once...
, the Auckland Blues (known simply as "Blues" since 2000), which at the time represented the central and southern parts of the Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
area plus some adjacent regions to the south, finished the regular season with one draw from 11 matches. They also won both of their finals matches to claim the title.
ANZ Championship
The ANZ Championship, the principal netball competition for Australia and New Zealand was established in 2008 to replace the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. Comprising 10 teams (5 Australian and 5 New Zealand) there has only been one perfect season in the history of the competition. The Mission Queensland Firebirds, based in Brisbane, Queensland finished the 2011 season undefeated (13 games) and went on to win both their finals matches.See also
- Imperfect seasonImperfect seasonAn imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
, the opposite of a perfect season, where a team loses every game.