Pittsburgh Panthers retired numbers at Acrisure Stadium, September 2011
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.
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.
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.[3][4]
Johnny Unitas' #16 was retired by Louisville in 2003Roger Staubach's #12 was retired by the Naval Academy in 1965Dan Marino's #13 was retired by PittsburghBrett Favre's #4, retired by Southern Miss in 2015Troy Aikman's #8, retired by UCLAJohn Elway has his #7 retired by StanfordPeyton Manning's #16 was retired by Tennessee in 2005Michigan retired #11 in honor of Whitey Wistert (photo) and his two brothersDoc Blanchard's #35, retired by ArmyColt McCoy's #12, retired by the Texas LonghornsGerald Ford with Michigan in 1933. His number 48 was retired by the programFrank Sinkwich's #21, retired by GeorgiaAndre Ware's #11, retired by HoustonSam Huff's #75 was retired by West Virginia in 2005Nile Kinnick's #24, retired by IowaHoward Cassady's #40 was retired by Ohio StateMissouri retired #23 in honor of Roger Wehrli (photo) and Johnny RolandSteve Largent has his #83 retired by TulsaJoe Greene's #75, retired by North TexasBill Dudley's #35 was retired by VirginiaElroy Hirsch's #40 was retired by Wisconsin in 2005John Mackey's #88, retired by SyracuseJackie Robinson's #42 was retired across all UCLA sports in 2014Randall Cunningham's #17, the only number retired by UNLVJan Stenerud's #78 was retired by Montana StateEddie LeBaron's #40 was retired by PacificKyle Arrington's #24, retired by HofstraFrank Beamers's #25 was retired by Virginia Tech in 2002
^The number was brought out of retirement in 2014 to be worn by quarterback Deshaun Watson, with Fuller's permission.[25]
^In 2016, Spiller gave his permission to bring the number out of retirement to be worn by Tavien Feaster.[26]
^ abcIn 2020, Colorado athletic director Rick George announced plans to re-issue uniform numbers 11, 24, and 67 with the support of the noted players (or their families).[29] Contemporary uniforms issued with those numbers will include a commemorative patch.[29] Nonetheless, as of 2023 season, no player has used any of those numbers since the announcement.[30][31][32][33] Uniform number 19 will remain unused for 19 years, after which it may be re-issued.[29]
^Bright is regarded as the greatest football player ever at Drake.[37][38] At the institution, Bright also competed in basketball and track.
^Kinnick died during a training flight while serving as a United States Navy aviator in World War II.[61]
^Liberty also retired "HC" in honor of Sam Rutigliano, who served as the head football coach from 1989 to 1999. It is not a number, so no player is able to wear it even is officially retired.[76]
^Falwell never played for the football program, but he founded the university in 1971. As such, a "71" jersey was hung over the press box suite, with the number being retired across all Liberty sports teams.[76]
^Hannah was not a player, but gave Michigan State University 46 years of service, 28 of them as president of the institution.[93] He is also the longest-serving president of MSU, being in office from 1941 to 1969.[94][95]
^ abAlthough the No. 42 and 44 were brought out of retirement briefly in the 2021 season, they have been retired again and currently no players wear them.[122][123]
^In 2020, the NCAA approved the use of the No. 0.[132] In order to further pay tribute to Bill Willis, Coach Day decided to start a new tradition and choose the player who will wear the number each season.[133]
^Retired from football after a severe injury lefy him a quadriplegic during a game against Vanderbilt in 1989.
^Regarded as the first black player in the program's history.
^The complete list of players who wore number 44, by chronological order: Gifford Zimmerman, Charles Roberts, Clarence Taylor, Don Baldwin, Richard Fishel, Henry Merz, Hamilton Watt, Francis Mullins, Stanley Stanislay, Benjamin DeYoung, Francis Mazejko, Richard Ransom, J. O'Brien, Robert Eberling, Jim Brown, Thomas Stephens, Ernie Davis, William Schoonover, Floyd Little, Richard Panczyszyn, Mandel Robinson, Glenn Moore, Michael Owens, Terry Richardson, and Rob Konrad.
^ abcdDied in service during World War II. They were honored as "Vol Legends" prior to the game vs. Air Force on Sep 9, 2006.[168]
^He had previously played for SMU Mustangs (1960–1961).[175]
^As a UCLA football player, Robinson wore No. 28; however, the school chose to retire No. 42, which became indelibly identified with him because it was the number he wore throughout his Hall of Fame baseball career with the Brooklyn Dodgers: this included him being the first African American player in the modern era of professional baseball.[3]
^Retired across all UCLA sports on November 22, 2014. Kenny Young, a linebacker who wore No. 42 as a freshman in the 2014 season, was allowed to continue wearing the number for the remainder of his UCLA career.[4]
^ ab"Steve Fuller, Deshaun Watson and the legacy of No. 4". Greenvilleonline.com. January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2019. Watson has worn uniform No. 4 – his number at Gainesville High School – thanks to former Clemson standout quarterback Steve Fuller, who agreed to have his jersey come out of retirement several years ago, not long after Watson committed to coach Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
^ abrewBoardwine (July 25, 2016). "Clemson Football: Tavien Feaster gets C.J. Spiller's number". Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2017. The Clemson freshmen numbers were released today and running back Tavien Feaster will wearing No. 28, the first player to do since explosive playmaker C. J. Spiller was in Tiger Town. Feaster wore No. 28 throughout high school and it seems that the number will come out of retirement for the explosive freshman this season.
^"Banks McFadden, "The Great"". Clemson Tigers Official Athletics Site. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2020. In 1987, both his uniform numbers—23 in basketball and 66 in football—were retired by Clemson Athletics.