The 2016 Tennessee football season was supremely disappointing in Knoxville. In what was supposed to be the year Butch Jones led the Volunteers back to glory, UT instead blew its College Football Playoff chances with three consecutive losses in October.

The week of Tennessee’s regular-season finale, Jones got too cute with the catchphrases for most fans’ tastes.

“They’ve won the biggest championship,” Jones said of UT’s seniors. “That’s the Championship of Life.”

Not exactly what the Volunteer faithful were hoping for. Especially when Tennessee lost to Vanderbilt the next week, relinquishing the Life Championship to its cross-state rival.

Jones lasted another season in Knoxville before being shown the door. After a stint in Nick Saban’s Alabama Finishing School for Wayward Coaches, he’s currently leading Arkansas State.

But what became of the Championship of Life? SB Nation tracked it through Jones’ firing, then awarded it to Tennessee forever.

However, it’s the peak of the offseason, and that’s not good enough for this practice. Working off of the idea that the Championship of Life changes hands every time the current holder loses, here’s every team that has ever held it, from 2016 through present day, broken up by calendar year.

2016

Nov. 27– Vanderbilt beats Tennessee

Dec. 26– NC State beats Vanderbilt in Independence Bowl

2017

Sept. 2– South Carolina beats NC State

The Gamecocks became the first team to win while the incumbent Champion of Life. USC beat Missouri the week after taking down NC State.

Sept. 16– Kentucky beats South Carolina

Sept. 23– Florida beats Kentucky.

Oct. 7– LSU beats Florida

Nov. 4– Alabama beats LSU

After the Crimson Tide won 24-10 to take the Championship of Life in Bryant-Denny Stadium, Nick Saban’s group had a chance to become the first to become champion of both Life and the College Football Playoff at the same time. However, Alabama’s biggest rival had other plans, so UA dropped the championship.

At least temporarily.

Nov. 25– Auburn beats Alabama.

Dec. 2– Georgia beats Auburn

The SEC championship game also had the Championship of Life in the balance. The Bulldogs took it, then beat Oklahoma in the CFP semifinals, before running into a familiar face.

2018

Jan 8– Alabama beats Georgia.

Surprise, surprise, Alabama captured the Championship of Life and national title at the same time, the first school ever to do so. Given how good the Crimson Tide was at the time, it would take something special to take both championships away.

2019

Jan. 2– Clemson beats Alabama

There it was. Dabo Swinney pulled off his second championship win over Alabama, blowing out the Crimson Tide 44-16 in Levi’s Stadium. The Tigers earned the Championship of Life and hung on to it for a lengthy streak.

2020

Jan. 13– LSU beats Clemson

Potentially the best college football team ever rolled over Clemson in the national championship game, led by Ed Orgeron, Joe Burrow and company. Unfortunately for the Bayou Bengals, sustaining success is quite difficult.

Sept. 26– Mississippi State beats LSU

Mike Leach became a Champion of Life in his first game as head coach in Starkville.

Oct. 3– Arkansas beats Mississippi State

Oct. 10– Auburn beats Arkansas

After more than two full seasons, Auburn retook the Championship of Life, taking a narrow 30-28 win at Jordan-Stadium.

Oct. 17– South Carolina beats Auburn.

Oct. 24– LSU beats South Carolina

For the second time ever, a school lost and then retook the Championship of Life within the same season. The Tigers blew out the Gamecocks in Baton Rouge, winning 52-24.

Oct. 31– Auburn beats LSU

Nov. 28– Alabama beats Auburn

Like nearly every other team the Crimson Tide played during the COVID-impacted 2020 season, Auburn couldn’t keep up. Alabama won 42-13 and kept rolling to a national championship.

2021

Oct. 9– Texas A&M beats Alabama

Jimbo Fisher might never have filled in the date on that blank national championship plaque that TAMU gave him upon arrival in College Station. However, he did become a Champion of Life, perhaps making that enormous buyout worthwhile.

Nov. 13– Ole Miss beats Texas A&M

Lane Kiffin was already at Florida Atlantic when Alabama took the Life Championship for the first time in 2017. He finally won it for himself, beating the Aggies in Oxford.

2022

Jan. 1– Baylor beats Ole Miss

With the Sugar Bowl win, Baylor became the first non-SEC team to take over as Champions of Life since Clemson lost it in January of 2020.

Sept. 10– BYU beats Baylor

The Cougars took over the title with a thrilling double-overtime victory in Provo.

Sept. 17– Oregon beats BYU

Nov. 12– Washington beats Oregon

Kalen DeBoer, in his first season with the Huskies became a Life Champion. He and UW would keep the title through the end of the season, capped off with an Alamo Bowl win over Steve Sarkisian’s Texas.

2024

Jan. 8– Michigan beats Washington

Washington remained Champions of Life for more than a calendar year, longer than any other consecutive streak. However, the Michigan team that ended Nick Saban’s career in the CFP semifinal beat DeBoer’s Huskies to take both the Life and national titles.

Sept. 14– Texas beats Michigan.

The Longhorns, fresh off joining their new conference, brought the Championship of Life back to the SEC with a win in Ann Arbor.

Oct. 19– Georgia beats Texas

Nov. 9– Ole Miss beats Georgia

Nov. 23– Florida beats Ole Miss

Billy Napier, in the midst of saving his job at Florida for at least one more season, became the fourth consecutive Nick Saban assistant to win the Championship of Life. Napier and the Gators will carry the title into the 2025 season, opening with Long Island on Aug. 30.

Championship of Life key numbers

Longest streak as Champions of Life– Washington, 423 days (Nov. 12, 2022- Jan. 8, 2024)

Most times holding Championship of Life– 3 (Alabama, LSU and Auburn)

Most total days holding Championship of Life– 698 (Alabama)

Times national championship also changed current Champions of Life– 4

Teams that have held Championship of Life– 20

Nick Saban assistants who have held Championship of Life– 9