Teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) retire jersey numbers of players who either are considered by the team to have made significant contributions to that team's success, or who have experienced untimely deaths during their playing career. As with other leagues, once a team retires a player's jersey number, it never issues the number to any other player, unless the player or team explicitly allows it.

History Since NCAA teams began retiring numbers, many players have had their jersey number retired. Pittsburgh have the most retired numbers with 10. Unlike professional leagues, no one player has had his number retired by two teams.

Unlike major sports leagues in the United States such as MLB (which retired Jackie Robinson's number 42), the NHL (which did so for Wayne Gretzky's 99), and the NBA (Bill Russell's 6) the NCAA has never retired a jersey number league-wide in honor of anyone.

Nevertheless, there are some cases of retirement of a same number honoring two different players, such as Houston, which retired number 7 worn by David Klingler and Case Keenum, among other similar cases.

Moreover, Michigan retired a number for three players, the #11 in honor of the Wistert brothers.Hail! Al Wistert, Back in the Big House at MVictors.com, 10 Nov 2012 Brigham Young University (BYU) did the same, retiring number 6 for three different players, Marc Wilson, Robbie Bosco, and Luke Staley.

Since 2005, Syracuse holds the record of players honored with a number retirement after the University retired no. 44 worn by 25 different players between 1921 and 1998.

There are also some strange cases such as UCLA retiring #42 for Jackie Robinson; although he wore No. 28 for the football team; the school chose to retire No. 42 because it was more identified with him after Robinson wore that number throughout his Hall of Fame baseball career with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Retired numbers

Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame

Team No. Player Tenure Ref. Akron Chris Angeloff 1974–1975 1975 Alabama A&M John Stallworth 1971–1974 1974 Biography at John Stallworth.com Robert Mathis 1999–2002 2012 Robert Mathis has jersey retired at Alabama A&M by Mark McCarter at Alabama.com, 4 Mar 2012 Appalachian State Armanti Edwards 2006–2009 2023 John Settle 1983–1986 1986 SETTLE RETURNS TO NC AS PANTHERS' RB COACH at Appstatesports.com Dexter Coakley 1993–1996 2005 COAKLEY TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME at Appstatesports.com Dino Hackett 1982–1985 2005 Appalachian to Retire Dino Hackett?(TM)s No. 38 Jersey as Part of Homecoming Festivities at Appstatesports.com Larry Hand 1960–1964 2006 A Big Hand: 'Late Bloomer' Will Have His No. 71 Retired by Appalachian at Appstatesports.com Arizona State Danny White 1971–1973 Bobby Mulgado 1954–1957 Wilford White 1947–1950 Mike Haynes 1971–1975 Pat Tillman 1994–1997 2004 Arkansas Clyde Scott 1946–1949 1949 Brandon Burlsworth 1994–1998 1999 Army Pete Dawkins 1956–1958 2008 Uniform numbers have special meaning for Army football players by SAL INTERDONATO. 18 Oct 2012 Doc Blanchard 1944–1946 2009 Glenn Davis 1943–1946 2005 Joe Steffy 1945–1947 2009 Auburn Cam Newton 2010 2025 Pat Sullivan 1969–1971 Auburn should retire Derrick Brown's number at Auburn Wire, 20 March 2020 Bo Jackson 1982–1985 Terry Beasley 1969–1971 Austin Peay John Ogles 1963–1966 2015 Austin Peay football media guide, p. 66 Harold Roberts 1967–1970 Boise State Jim McMillan 1971–1974 1978 Boston College Doug Flutie 1981–1984 Retired jerseys and numbers at BCEagles.com Mike Ruth 1982–1985 Bowling Green Paul Miles 1970–1973 BYU Marc Wilson 1975–1979 2017 Retired jerseys at BYU Cougars.com Robbie Bosco 1981–1985 2017 Luke Staley 1999–2001 2017 Steve Young 1980–1983 2003 Jim McMahon 1977–1981 2014 Gifford Nielsen 1973–1977 2007 Ty Detmer 1987–1991 2007 Eldon Fortie 1960–1962 1963 Marion Probert 1952–1954 1977 Cal PolyOsbaldo Orozco1996–1999John Madden1957–19582026 California Joe Roth 1975–1976 1977 Central Michigan Jim Podoley 1952–1956 Clemson Steve Fuller 1975–1978 1979 C. J. Spiller 2006–2009 2010 Banks McFadden 1937–1939 1987 Colorado 2023–2024 2025 1967–1969 1969 2023–2024 2025 1992–1994 2017 1935–1937 1937 1959–1961 1961 Colorado State John Mosley 1939–1943 2024 Eddie Hanna 1947–1949 1949 Thurman McGraw 1946–1949 Drake Johnny Bright 1949–1951 2006 A brutal attack on a black Heisman favorite led the NCAA to make face masks mandatory By Branson Wright at Andscape.com, 8 Dec 2017 East Carolina Robert Farris 1965–1967 2021 East Carolina football media guide Norman Swindell 1963–1965 James Speight 1955–1959 Roger Thrift 1949–1950 Eastern Illinois Tony Romo 1999–2002 2009 Sean Payton 1983–1986 2010 Eastern Washington Michael Roos 2001–2004 2009 We picked the top-5 players all-time for Eastern Washington football at NCAA.com, 29 Jan 2022 Bob Picard 1968–1969, 1971–1972 2003 Florida State Deion Sanders1985–1988 2011 Peter Warrick 1995–1999 2018 Derrick Brooks 1991–1994 2010 Chris Weinke 1997–2000 2017 Charlie Ward 1997–1999 2025 Fred Biletnikoff 1962–1964 1964 Terrell Buckley 1989–1991 2011 Warrick Dunn 1993–1996 2015 Ron Sellers 1966–1969 1969 Sebastian Janikowski 1997–1999 2026 Ron Simmons 1977–1980 1988 Marvin Jones 1990–1992 2015 Fresno State Derek Carr 2009–2013 2017 David Carr 1997–2001 2007 Kevin Sweeney 1983–1986 Trent Dilfer 1991–1993 Vince Petrucci 1976–1978 Davante Adams 2011–2013 2022 Dale Messer 1958–1960 Lorenzo Neal 1990–1992 2022 Henry Ellard 1979–1982 Georgia Frank Sinkwich 1941–1943 1943 Retired Georgia Jerseys at Georgiadogs.com, 31 Mar 2009 Herschel Walker 1980–1982 1985 Theron Sapp 1955–1958 1959 Charley Trippi 1942, 1945–1946 1947 Georgia Southern Adrian Peterson 1998–2001 ADRIAN PETERSON - Director of Student-Athlete Development at GSEagles.com Tracy Ham 1982–1986 Tracy Ham - Senior Associate Athletics Director, Administration at GSEagles.com Georgia Tech Clint Castleberry 1942 Hawaii Colt Brennan 2005–2007 2021 Tom Kaulukukui 1934–1937 Hofstra Wayne Chrebet 1991–1994 Retired numbers - Hofstra University Walter Kohanowich 1948–1952 Dave Fiore 1992–1995 John Schmitt 1961–1963 Marques Colston 2001–2005 Houston David Klingler 1988–1991 2016 Houston to Retire No. 7 to Honor Keenum and Klingler at UH Cougars, 19 Oct 2016 Case Keenum 2006–2011 2016 Andre Ware 1987–1989 Elmo Wright 1968–1970 2025 Wilson Whitley 1973–1976 Idaho Ken Hobart 1980–1983 Father, daughter share Vandal ties at NCAA.com John Friesz 1986–1989 2006 John Friesz at Govandals.com Wayne Walker 1955–1957 Former Boise High, Idaho, NFL star Wayne Walker dies at 80 at Idahostatesman.com, 20 May 2017 John Yarno 1973–1976 1977 John Yarno at Govandals.com Jerry Kramer 1955–1957 1963 Idaho State Jared Allen 2000–2003 Illinois Dick Butkus 1962–1964 2003 Red Grange 1923–1925 2003 Indiana Anthony Thompson 1986–1989 Indiana State Vincent Allen 1973–1977 2025 Iowa Nile Kinnick 1936–1939 Just two retired football numbers at Iowa, and that’s OK by Mike Hlas at The Gazette, Nov. 6, 2014 Cal Jones 1952–1955 Iowa State Mike Cox 1963–1964 1964 Indiana Anthony Thompson 1986–1989 IU Legend Anthony Thompson on ESPN's Top 100 Running Backs in the Last 60 Years, 16 Apr 2022 at Hoosier Huddle.com Kansas John Hadl 1959–1961 KU All Americans at KU SportsJohn Hadl (1994) Hall of Fame at Football Foundation.org Ray Evans 1941–1942, 1946–1947 Ray Evans on Kansas Athletics Gale Sayers 1962–1964 1989 KANSAS TO RETIRE GALE SAYERS` NO. 48 at Chicago Tribune, Sep 14, 1989´ Kansas State Lynn Dickey 1968–1970 Kansas State Football: 15 Best Quarterbacks of All-Time by Leigh Oleszczak on KC Kingdom, 27 May 2016 Steve Grogan 1972–1974 Kent State Josh Cribbs 2001–2004 2010 Kent State to Retire Josh Cribbs' Jersey Number, 22 Nov 2015 Eric Wilkerson 1985–1988 Former Kent State running back, ex-Pittsburgh Steeler charged in fatal Cleveland stabbing at Cleveland.com, 25 Feb 2022 Jim Corrigall 1967–1969 1969 Corrigal profile at Barrie Sports Jack Lambert 1971–1973 1977 Jack Lambert, Kent State (Football) Kentucky Calvin Bird 1958–1960 1997 Mark Higgs 1984–1987 1997 Lafayette Fred Kirby 1939–1941 2011 Liberty Rashad Jennings 2006–2008 2020 Jerry Falwell 2006 Kelvin Edwards 1982–1985 2019 Eric Green 1985–1989 2008 Lincoln (MO) Lemar Parrish 1966–1969 Louisville Lamar Jackson 2015–2017 2021 Johnny Unitas 1951–1955 2003 Louisville Cardinals to retire No. 8 jersey of former football player Lamar Jackson by Andrea Adelson at ESPN, 16 Oct 2021 LSU Billy Cannon 1957–1959 1960 Jerry Stovall 1960–1962 2018 Tommy Casanova 1969–1971 2009 Marshall Frank Gatski 1940–1941 2005 The 75 Reasons to Retire a Number By JACK BOGACZYK at Herdzone.com, 13 Nov 2015 Miami (FL) George Mira 1961–1963 1997 Retired Numbers at Miami Hurricanes, 28 Jul 2011 Vinny Testaverde 1982–1986 1997 Jim Dooley 1949–1951 1997 Ted Hendricks 1966–1968 1997 Miami (OH) Ben Roethlisberger 2000–2003 2007 Bob Hitchens 1971–1973 Football Legend Bob Hitchens Passes Away at Redhawks.com, 10 Jul 2020 John Pont 1949–1951 Miami Football & Its Numbers Game at Redhawks.com, 11 Jul 2021 Memphis Charles Greenhill 1983 Tigers to retire number of legendary linebacker on Nov. 19 By Jacob Gallant at Actionnew5.com – Oct. 27, 2022 DeAngelo Williams 2002–2005 Dave Casinelli 1960–1963 Danton Barto 1990–1993 2021 John Bramlett 1959–1962 Harry Schuh 1962–1964 Isaac Bruce 1992–1993 Michigan Whitey Wistert 1931–1933 1949 Retired Numbers and Honored Jerseys on MGoBlue, 10 Jun 2019 Al Wistert 1940–1942 1949 Alvin Wistert 1947–1949 1949 Desmond Howard 1989–1991 2015 Bennie Oosterbaan 1925–1927 1927 Gerald Ford 1932–1934 1994 Ron Kramer 1954–1956 1956 Tom Harmon 1938–1940 1940 Michigan State Clinton Jones 1964–1966 2015 Michigan State football: 15 greatest running backs in Spartans history by John Buhler at Spartan Vanue.com, 29 jul 2019 John Hannah 1969 See who Kirk Gibson will join in Michigan State football's 'Ring of Fame' by Eric Lacy at the Lansing State Journal, 20 Sep 2017 Percy Snow 1986–1989 2013 Don Coleman 1949–1951 1951 George Webster 1964–1966 1967 Bubba Smith 1964–1966 2006 Middle Tennessee Teddy Morris 1962–1965 1965 Teddy Morris - 1976 Hall of Fame induction at Goblueraiders.com Kevin Byard 2012–2015 2022 Blue Raiders to retire Byard's number at Goblueraiders.com, 4 Aug 2022MTSU is retiring Kevin Byard's No. 20, an honor about much more than football by Gentry Estes at