The Lambert Trophy (formerly the "Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy") is an annual award given to the best team in the East in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) college football.

In affiliation with the Metropolitan New York Football Writers (founded 1935), the Lambert Trophy was established by brothers Victor A. and Henry L. Lambert in memory of their father, August V. Lambert. The Lamberts were the principals in a distinguished Madison Avenue jewelry house and were prominent college football boosters.

By the time the “Lambert Trophy” was established in 1936, major schools in other regions of the country had formed their own leagues (i.e., SEC, Big Ten, Big Eight, Pacific Coast Conference, etc.) and Division I FBS (formerly I-A) schools located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions remained independent, with the exception of the 1954 formation of the Ivy League. Emblematic of the "Eastern championship", the Lambert Trophy, voted on by a panel of sports writers in New York, became the de facto conference championship for those schools.

Since 1936, there have been 19 different winners in Division I-A/FBS. To be eligible for the Lambert Award, a school must be located in the "East." Teams in the "East" were originally interpreted as being north of Washington D.C. and east of the western boundary of Pennsylvania, but has sometimes been expanded to include teams located in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia (although there are no FBS teams in Washington D.C., there are teams that compete at lower levels that can win the various Lambert Cup awards for their levels). Additionally, while the Big East Conference was a football conference, members of that conference outside of the "East" were also made eligible if at least half their schedule was against Lambert-eligible teams.

A set of parallel trophies collectively known as the Lambert Cup were formerly awarded to teams in Division I FCS (formerly I-AA), Division II, and Division III. The Metropolitan New York Football Writers, owned and operated by American Football Networks, Inc., took the administration of the Lambert Meadowlands Awards back from the New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority in 2011.

In 2024, the Lambert Trophy was revived and has been awarded without hiatus since. The newly announced Lambert Trophy Championship Association awarded retroactive championships to Pittsburgh for 2021 and Penn State for 2023. It was additionally re-announced that Penn State had been awarded the trophy in 2022. Boston College, Temple, Navy, Army, Buffalo, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Penn State, UMass, UConn, and Syracuse had automatic eligibility for The Lambert Trophy in 2024, with Delaware becoming eligible in 2025.

Lambert Trophy winners By year

Year School Record Final AP rank Bowl 1936 Pittsburgh 8–1–1 No. 3 Won Rose 1937 Pittsburgh 9–0–1 No. 1 No bowl 1938 Carnegie Tech 7–2 No. 6 Lost Sugar 1939 Cornell 8–0 No. 4 No bowl 1940 Boston College 11–0 No. 5 Won Sugar 1941 Fordham 8–1 No. 6 Won Sugar 1942 Boston College 8–2 No. 8 Lost Orange 1943 Navy 8–1 No. 4 No bowl 1944 Army 9–0 No. 1 No bowl 1945 Army 9–0 No. 1 No bowl 1946 Army 9–0–1 No. 2 No bowl 1947 Penn State 9–0–1 No. 4 Tied Cotton 1948 Army 8–0–1 No. 6 No bowl 1949 Army 9–0 No. 4 No bowl 1950 Princeton 9–0 No. 6 No bowl 1951 Princeton 9–0 No. 6 No bowl 1952 Syracuse 7–3 No. 14 Lost Orange 1953 Army 7–1–1 No. 14 No bowl 1954 Navy 8–2 No. 5 Won Sugar 1955 Pittsburgh 7–4 No. 11 Lost Sugar 1956 Syracuse 7–2 No. 8 Lost Cotton 1957 Navy 8–1–1 No. 5 Won Cotton 1958 Army 8–0–1 No. 3 No bowl 1959 Syracuse 11–0 No. 1 Won Cotton 1960 Navy 9–2 No. 4 Lost Orange Yale 9–0 No. 14 No bowl 1961 Penn State 8–3 No. 17 Won Gator 1962 Penn State 9–2 No. 9 Lost Gator 1963 Navy 9–2 No. 2 Lost Cotton 1964 Penn State 6–4 NR No bowl 1965 Dartmouth 9–0 NR No bowl 1966 Syracuse 8–3 NR Lost Gator 1967 Penn State 8–2–1 No. 10 Tied Gator 1968 Penn State 11–0 No. 2 Won Orange 1969 Penn State 11–0 No. 2 Won Orange 1970 Dartmouth 9–0 No. 14 No bowl 1971 Penn State 11–1 No. 5 Won Cotton 1972 Penn State 10–2 No. 10 Lost Sugar 1973 Penn State 12–0 No. 5 Won Orange 1974 Penn State 10–2 No. 7 Won Cotton 1975 Penn State 9–3 No. 10 Lost Sugar 1976 Pittsburgh 12–0 No. 1 Won Sugar 1977 Penn State 11–1 No. 5 Won Fiesta 1978 Penn State 11–1 No. 4 Lost Sugar 1979 Pittsburgh 11–1 No. 7 Won Fiesta 1980 Pittsburgh 11–1 No. 2 Won Gator 1981 Penn State 10–2 No. 3 Won Fiesta 1982 Penn State 11–1 No. 1 Won Sugar 1983 Boston College 9–3 No. 19 Lost Liberty 1984 Boston College 10–2 No. 5 Won Cotton 1985 Penn State 11–1 No. 3 Lost Orange 1986 Penn State 12–0 No. 1 Won Fiesta 1987 Syracuse 11–0–1 No. 4 Tied Sugar 1988 West Virginia 11–1 No. 5 Lost Fiesta 1989 Penn State 8–3–1 No. 15 Won Holiday 1990 Penn State 9–3 No. 11 Lost Blockbuster 1991 Penn State 11–2 No. 3 Won Fiesta 1992 Syracuse 10–2 No. 6 Won Fiesta 1993 West Virginia 11–1 No. 7 Lost Sugar 1994 Penn State 12–0 No. 2 Won Rose 1995 Virginia Tech 10–2 No. 10 Won Sugar 1996 Penn State 11–2 No. 7 Won Fiesta 1997 Penn State 9–3 No. 16 Lost Citrus 1998 Penn State 9–3 No. 17 Won Outback 1999 Virginia Tech 11–1 No. 2 Lost Sugar 2000 Miami (FL) 11–1 No. 2 Won Sugar 2001 Miami (FL) 12–0 No. 1 Won Rose 2002 Miami (FL) 12–1 No. 2 Lost Fiesta 2003 Miami (FL) 11–2 No. 5 Won Orange 2004 Boston College 9–3 No. 21 Won Continental Tire 2005 Penn State 11–1 No. 3 Won Orange 2006 Louisville 12–1 No. 5 Won Orange 2007 West Virginia 11–2 No. 6 Won Fiesta 2008 Penn State 11–2 No. 8 Lost Rose 2009 Penn State 11–2 No. 9 Won Capital One 2010 Connecticut 8–5 NR Lost Fiesta 2011 West Virginia 10–3 No. 17 Won Orange 2012 Cincinnati 10–3 NR Won Belk 2013 Penn State 7–5 NR No Bowl 2014 Rutgers 8–5 NR Won Quick Lane 2015 Navy 11–2 No. 18 Won Military 2016 Penn State 11–3 No. 7 Lost Rose 2017 Penn State 11–2 No. 8 Won Fiesta 2018 Army 11–2 No. 19 Won Armed Forces 2019 Penn State 11–2 No. 9 Won Cotton 2020 Army 9–3 NR Lost Liberty 2021 Pittsburgh 11–3 No. 13 Lost Peach 2022 Penn State 11–2 No. 7 Won Rose 2023 Penn State 10–3 No. 13 Lost Peach 2024 Penn State 13–3 No. 5 Won CFP First Round, Won Fiesta, Lost Orange 2025 Navy 11–2 No. 23 Won Liberty

By team School Total Years won Penn State 35 1947, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024 Army 9 1944, 1945, 1946, 1948, 1949, 1953, 1958, 2018, 2020 Pittsburgh 7 1936, 1937, 1955, 1976, 1979, 1980, 2021 Navy 7 1943, 1954, 1957, 1960 (co-champions), 1963, 2015, 2025 Syracuse 6 1952, 1956, 1959, 1966, 1987, 1992 Boston College 5 1940, 1942, 1983, 1984, 2004 Miami (FL)* 4 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 West Virginia 4 1988, 1993, 2007, 2011 Dartmouth^ 2 1965, 1970 Princeton^ 2 1950, 1951 Virginia Tech* 2 1995, 1999 Carnegie Tech† 1 1938 Cincinnati* 1 2012 Connecticut 1 2010 Cornell^ 1 1939 Fordham^ 1 1941 Louisville* 1 2006 Rutgers 1 2014 Yale^ 1 1960 (co-champions) ^ Now a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).† Now a member of NCAA Division III.

* No longer eligible to win Lambert Trophy

Lambert Cup Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA)

Year Team Record Playoff results 1982 Delaware 12–2 Championship Game 1983 Holy Cross 9–2–1 First Round 1984 Rhode Island 10–3 Semifinals 1985 Rhode Island 10–3 Quarterfinals 1986 Holy Cross 10–1 Did not play (Patriot) 1987 Holy Cross 11–0 Did not play (Patriot) 1988 Holy Cross 9–2 Did not play (Patriot) 1989 Holy Cross 10–1 Did not play (Patriot) 1990 William & Mary 10–3 Quarterfinals 1991 Delaware 10–2 First Round 1992 Villanova 9–3 First Round 1993 Boston University 12–1 Quarterfinals 1994 James Madison 10–3 Quarterfinals 1995 Delaware 11–2 Quarterfinals 1996 William & Mary 10–3 Quarterfinals 1997 Delaware 12–2 Semifinals 1998 UMass 12–3 National Champions 1999 Hofstra 11–2 Quarterfinals 2000 Delaware 12–2 Semifinals

Year Team Record Playoff results 2001 Lehigh 11–1 Quarterfinals 2002 Villanova 11–4 Semifinals 2003 Delaware 15–1 National Champions 2004 James Madison 13–2 National Champions 2005 New Hampshire 11–2 Quarterfinals 2006 UMass 13–2 Championship Game 2007 Delaware 11–4 Championship Game 2008 James Madison 12–2 Semifinals 2009 Villanova 14–1 National Champions 2010 Delaware 12–3 Championship Game 2011 Lehigh 11–2 Quarterfinals 2012 Old Dominion 11–2 Quarterfinals 2013 Towson 13–3 Championship Game 2014 New Hampshire 12–2 Semifinals 2015 Dartmouth; Harvard; Penn 9–1; 9–1; 7–3 Did not play (Ivy) 2016 James Madison 14–1 National Champions 2017 James Madison 14–1 Championship Game 2018 Colgate 10–2 Quarterfinals 2019 James Madison 14–2 Championship Game

Year Team Record Playoff results 2020 James Madison 7–1 Semifinals 2021 James Madison 12–2 Semifinals 2022 Holy Cross; William & Mary 12–1; 11–2 Quarterfinals; Quarterfinals 2023 Albany 11–4 Semifinals 2024 Rhode Island 11–3 Second Round 2025 Villanova 12–3 Semifinals

NOTE: Until 2025, the Ivy League, and until 1997, the Patriot League, did not participate in the NCAA Division I Football Tournament.

Most FCS Lambert Cups Team Total Years won Delaware † 8 1982, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010 James Madison † 8 1994, 2004, 2008, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 Holy Cross 6 1983, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2022 Villanova 4 1992, 2002, 2009, 2025 Rhode Island 3 1984, 1985, 2024 William & Mary 3 1990, 1996, 2022 Lehigh 2 2001, 2011 UMass † 2 1998, 2006 New Hampshire 2 2005, 2014 Albany 1 2023 Boston University ‡ 1 1993 Colgate 1 2018 Dartmouth 1 2015 Harvard 1 2015 Hofstra ‡ 1 1999 Old Dominion † 1 2012 Penn 1 2015 Towson 1 2013 † Now a member of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). ‡ Discontinued football

Division II

Year Team Record Playoff results 1957 Lehigh 8–1 No playoffs 1958 Buffalo 8–1 Tangerine Bowl (refused) 1959 Delaware 8–1 No playoffs 1960 Bucknell 7–2 No playoffs 1961 Lehigh 7–2 No playoffs 1962 Delaware 7–2 No playoffs 1963 Delaware 8–0 No playoffs 1964 Bucknell 7–2 No playoffs 1965 Maine 8–2 Tangerine Bowl (L) 1966 Gettysburg 7–2 No playoffs 1967 10–1 Tangerine Bowl (L) 1968 Delaware 8–3 Boardwalk Bowl 1969 Delaware 9–2 Boardwalk Bowl Wesleyan 8–0 No playoffs 1970 Delaware 9–2 Boardwalk Bowl 1971 Delaware 10–1 National Champions 1972 Delaware 10–0 National Champions 1973 Delaware 8–4 Quarterfinals Lehigh 7–4–1 Quarterfinals 1974 Delaware 12–2 Championship Game 1975 Lehigh 9–3 Quarterfinals 1976 Delaware 8–3–1 Quarterfinals 1977 Lehigh 12–2 National Champions 1978 UMass 9–4 I-AA Championship Game 1979 Delaware 13–1 National Champions 1980 Lehigh 9–1–2 I-AA Semifinals 1981 12–1 Div II Semifinals 1982 9–2 No playoffs 1983 10–2 Quarterfinals 1984 9–4 Semifinals 1985 12–1 Semifinals 1986 8–3–1 Quarterfinals

Year Team Record Playoff results 1987 10–2 Quarterfinals 1988 10–2 Quarterfinals 1989 11–2 Semifinals 1990 12–2 Championship Game 1991 12–1 Semifinals 1992 12–1 Semifinals 1993 13–1 Championship Game 1994 10–3 Semifinals 1995 10–1–1 Quarterfinals 1996 11–3 Semifinals 1997 12–2 Championship Game 1998 12–2 Semifinals 1999 9–4 Semifinals 2000 12–3 Championship Game 2001 8–2 First Round 2002 11–2 Quarterfinals 2003 10–1 No playoffs 2004 11–4 Semifinals 2005 11–3 Semifinals 2006 9–4 Second Round 2007 13–1 Semifinals 2008 9–4 Second Round 2009 11–4 Semifinals 2010 10–3 Quarterfinals 2011 11–2 Quarterfinals 2012 IUP 12–2 Quarterfinals 2013 13–2 Semifinals 2014 11–2 Quarterfinals 2015 Shepherd 13–1 Championship Game 2016 Shepherd 13–1 Semifinals 2017 IUP 13–1 Semifinals 2018 10–1 First Round

Year Team Record Playoff results 2019 9–3 First Round 2020 N/A N/A – 2021 N/A N/A – 2022 10–2 Quarterfinals

Most D-II Lambert Cups