Lambert Trophy Winners
Lambert Trophy/Eastern Champions—
(at one time known as the Lambert/Meadowlands Trophy)
The Lambert Trophy was first awarded in 1936 to Pittsburgh by a group of New York Sportswriters. It was to be given to the “best college football team in the East” and was coveted as much as a conference championship during its heyday. Interest in the Lambert Trophy waned in the 1990s as more and more of the so-called Eastern Independents of the FBS (Division One) shifted into conferences like the Big Ten and the old Big East, and eventually the ACC and Big 12.
Pitt won the award in 1936 and 1937 but only received it 7 times overall. Penn State first won the Lambert in 1947 under Bob Higgins. The ‘47 Lions went unbeaten in the regular season and finished 9-0-1 after a Cotton Bowl tie with SMU. Penn State was ranked 4th in the final AP poll, its highest ever to that point in time. PSU would not win the trophy again until 1961 under Rip Engle, and from there, it would begin to dominate the East under Joe Paterno starting in 1967.
Paterno and the Nittany Lions would win the Lambert 24 times, in all. Joe’s last came in 2009. Bill O’Brien won it once in 2013, and James Franklin has won it 6 times, so far. Franklin’s first was in 2016.
Through the 2024 season, PSU was won the Lambert Trophy 35 times, by far, the most of anyone. Army is 2nd with 9 trophies (most recent in 2020), and Pitt is third with 7 trophies (most recent in 2021—its first since 1980). Syracuse and Navy have won it 6 times each. Penn State won the Lambert 21 times prior to joining the Big Ten in 1993 (17 under Paterno).
Beginning with the 2024 Lambert Trophy, the award itself would, for the first time, physically remain in the possession of the winning school (in this case Penn State) until a different winner claims it. State officially received the Lambert Trophy on May 23, 2025.
PSU Lambert Winners by Coach—
Bob Higgins (1)—1947
Rip Engle (3)—1961, 1962 & 1964
Joe Paterno (24)—1967, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2005, 2008, & 2009
Bill O’Brien (1)—2013
James Franklin (6)—2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024
Penn State is the first Lambert Trophy winner to have participated in the CFP playoffs (2024), and the single season winningest Trophy recipient, to date, with 13 victories in 2024. Penn State also has the longest streak of Lambert Trophies—5 from 1971 to 1975.