A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, individual (or other entity) in a particular nation and in a particular field. Often, the use of the term cup or championship is just a choice of words.
Bandy
Basketball
Bridge
Cross country running
Curling
Men's
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA cites national champions based on the final results of '"wire service'" (AP and UPI) polls. The AP poll in 1964 consisted of the votes of 55 sportswriters, each of whom would give their opinion of the ten best teams. Under a point system of 10 points for first place, 9 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. In the preseason poll for 1964, Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) was #1 with 425 points and the Oklahoma Sooners second with 400 points. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press (AP) was the most popular.
The Associated Press presented the AP Trophy to the Alabama Crimson Tide due to their 10-0-0 regular season record and their #1 finish in the AP poll. The University of Arkansas also had a 10-0-0 regular season in 1964, but finished #2 in the final AP poll. On New Year's Day, the Crimson Tide lost to the #5 ranked Texas Longhorns 17-21 in the Orange Bowl to finish the season with a 10-1 record. Arkansas, which had beaten Texas in October, finished its season undefeated, 11-0-0, with a win over the 7th ranked University of Nebraska 10-7 in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Since there were no further polls, Alabama's national championship was unaffected, despite Arkansas' undefeated, untied season. The Arkansas Razorbacks also did not win the UPI Poll in 1964 because it too named its national champion before the bowl games were played. However the Arkansas Razorbacks were named national champion by the Football Writers Association of America. After a one-year trial run in 1965, the AP Poll in 1968 began the still on-going practice of naming their national champion at the conclusion of the bowl games. The UPI Poll followed suit in 1974.
The 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship was a bowl game that determined a national champion of NCAA Division I FBS college football for the 2015 season. It was played at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on January 11, 2016, and was the culminating game of the 2015–16 bowl season.
The game was played between the winners of two pre-designated semifinal bowls played on December 31, 2015: the No. 1 Clemson Tigers, who beat the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners 37-17 at the Orange Bowl, coached by Dabo Swinney in his 8th season with Clemson, and the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide, who shut out the No. 3 Michigan State Spartans 38-0 at the Cotton Bowl Classic, coached by Nick Saban.
The 13-1 Alabama Crimson Tide won the game, beating the undefeated Clemson Tigers 45–40. Heisman Finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson had a historic performance setting the record for most total yards in national championship game history, with 478 yards (405 passing / 73 rushing) against the nation's best defense in Alabama. Following the game, the AP Poll also named Alabama as its top team of the season, giving Alabama their fourth title in seven seasons.