How many college football games are decided by one score?
36.6% of regular-season games between two FBS (top-division) teams in 2025 were decided by 8 points or fewer, what a touchdown and a two-point conversion can make up. About one game in three has been that close in most seasons since the 1940s; the closest seasons were the low-scoring 1930s, peaking at 49.4% in 1937. Ties count as close games. The chart starts in 1900; CollegeFootballData.com's records before then cover only a few dozen such games a season.
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Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Season | Games decided by 8 points or fewer (%) |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 34.4 |
| 1901 | 35.4 |
| 1902 | 37.2 |
| 1903 | 27.2 |
| 1904 | 28.8 |
| 1905 | 30.2 |
| 1906 | 42.8 |
| 1907 | 41.7 |
| 1908 | 44.5 |
| 1909 | 41 |
| 1910 | 38.5 |
| 1911 | 44.3 |
| 1912 | 32.9 |
| 1913 | 30.9 |
| 1914 | 33.5 |
| 1915 | 31.6 |
| 1916 | 32.7 |
| 1917 | 30.4 |
| 1918 | 33.7 |
| 1919 | 43.4 |
| 1920 | 36.5 |
| 1921 | 42.6 |
| 1922 | 36.5 |
| 1923 | 35.3 |
| 1924 | 45.1 |
| 1925 | 40.7 |
| 1926 | 45.5 |
| 1927 | 37.3 |
| 1928 | 40.7 |
| 1929 | 39.2 |
| 1930 | 40.5 |
| 1931 | 42.6 |
| 1932 | 45 |
| 1933 | 49.1 |
| 1934 | 46.1 |
| 1935 | 40.1 |
| 1936 | 42.6 |
| 1937 | 49.4 |
| 1938 | 44.8 |
| 1939 | 47.8 |
| 1940 | 45.7 |
| 1941 | 42.5 |
| 1942 | 36 |
| 1943 | 26.3 |
| 1944 | 32.7 |
| 1945 | 34.1 |
| 1946 | 35.7 |
| 1947 | 34.6 |
| 1948 | 35.1 |
| 1949 | 30.3 |
| 1950 | 37.5 |
| 1951 | 35.7 |
| 1952 | 35.7 |
| 1953 | 39.1 |
| 1954 | 38.9 |
| 1955 | 36.9 |
| 1956 | 38.1 |
| 1957 | 42.7 |
| 1958 | 44.2 |
| 1959 | 37.5 |
| 1960 | 34.5 |
| 1961 | 36.3 |
| 1962 | 38.4 |
| 1963 | 40.2 |
| 1964 | 43.3 |
| 1965 | 38 |
| 1966 | 35.7 |
| 1967 | 37.4 |
| 1968 | 31.1 |
| 1969 | 28.9 |
| 1970 | 29.8 |
| 1971 | 32.5 |
| 1972 | 32.7 |
| 1973 | 32.9 |
| 1974 | 36.2 |
| 1975 | 37.5 |
| 1976 | 32.9 |
| 1977 | 33.6 |
| 1978 | 35 |
| 1979 | 34.6 |
| 1980 | 33.8 |
| 1981 | 38.5 |
| 1982 | 37.2 |
| 1983 | 35.2 |
| 1984 | 40.4 |
| 1985 | 36.9 |
| 1986 | 36.1 |
| 1987 | 32.4 |
| 1988 | 33.6 |
| 1989 | 35.1 |
| 1990 | 34.3 |
| 1991 | 34.9 |
| 1992 | 37.6 |
| 1993 | 35.9 |
| 1994 | 34.6 |
| 1995 | 34.1 |
| 1996 | 32.5 |
| 1997 | 32 |
| 1998 | 34.4 |
| 1999 | 32.9 |
| 2000 | 34 |
| 2001 | 34.4 |
| 2002 | 34.3 |
| 2003 | 31.7 |
| 2004 | 35 |
| 2005 | 36.2 |
| 2006 | 35.6 |
| 2007 | 36.8 |
| 2008 | 36.5 |
| 2009 | 38.2 |
| 2010 | 35.1 |
| 2011 | 36.8 |
| 2012 | 37.7 |
| 2013 | 31.1 |
| 2014 | 35.4 |
| 2015 | 35.2 |
| 2016 | 36.4 |
| 2017 | 35.7 |
| 2018 | 34.9 |
| 2019 | 35.6 |
| 2020 | 36 |
| 2021 | 37.7 |
| 2022 | 40.3 |
| 2023 | 37.5 |
| 2024 | 38.3 |
| 2025 | 36.6 |