N.C.A.A. Division I National Champions
Men's Cross Country
| Year | Name | School | Performance |
| 2008 | Samuel Chelenga | Liberty (VA) | 29:23 |
| 2009 | Samuel Chelenga | Liberty (VA) | 28:41 |
| 2008 | Galen Rupp | Oregon | 29:03.2 |
| 2007 | Josh McDougal | Liberty (VA) | 29:22 |
| 2006 | Josh Rohatinsky | Brigham Young | 30:44 |
| 2005 | Simon Bairu | Wisconsin | 29:15 |
| 2004 | Simon Bairu | Wisconsin | 30:37 |
| 2003 | Dathan Ritzenhein | Colorado | 29:14.1 |
| 2002 | Jorge Torres | Colorado | 29:04.7 |
| 2001 | Boaz Cheboiywo | Eastern Michigan | 28:47 |
| 2000 | Keith Kelly | Providence | 30:14.5 |
| 1999 | David Kimani | South Alabama | 30:06.6 |
| 1998 | Adam Goucher | Colorado | 29:26.9 |
| 1997 | Mebrahtom Keflezighi | UCLA | 28:54 |
| 1996 | Godfrey Siamusiye | Arkansas | 29:49 |
| 1995 | Godfrey Siamusiye | Arkansas | 30:09 |
| 1994 | Martin Keino | Arizona | 30:08.7 |
| 1993 | Josephat Kapkory | Washington State | 29:32.4 |
| 1992 | Bob Kennedy | Indiana | 30:15.3 |
| 1991 | Sean Dollman | Western Kentucky | 30:17.1 |
| 1990 | Jonah Koech | Iowa State | 29:05 |
| 1989 | John Nuttall | Iowa State | 29:30.6 |
| 1988 | Bob Kennedy | Indiana | 29:20 |
| 1987 | Joe Falcon | Arkansas | 29:15.0 |
| 1986 | Aaron Ramirez | Arizona | 30:27.6 |
| 1985 | Tim Hacker | Wisconsin | 29:17.9 |
| 1984 | Ed Eyestone | Brigham Young | 29:28.8 |
| 1983 | Zakarie Barie | Texas-El Paso | 29:20.0 |
| 1982 | Mark Scrutton | Colorado | 30:12.6 |
| 1981 | Mathews Motwarateu | Texas-El Paso | 28:45.6 |
| 1980 | Suleiman Nyambui | Texas-El Paso | 29:04.0 |
| 1979 | Henry Rono | Washington State | 28:19.6 |
| 1978 | Alberto Salazar | Oregon | 29:29.7 |
| 1977 | Henry Rono | Washington State | 28:33.5 |
| 1976 | Henry Rono | Washington State | 28:06.6 |
| 1975 | Craig Virgin | Illinois | 28:23.3 |
| 1974 | Nick Rose | Western Kentucky | 29:22.0 |
| 1973 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 28:14.8 |
| 1972 | Neil Cusack | East Tennessee State | 28:23 |
| 1971 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 29:14 |
| 1970 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 28:00.2 |
| 1969 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 28:59.2 |
| 1968 | Mike Ryan | Air Force | 29:16.8 |
| 1967 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 30:45.6 |
| 1966 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 29:01.4 |
| 1965 | John Lawson | Kansas | 29:24.0 |
| 1964 | Elmore Banton | Ohio | 20:07.5 |
| 1963 | Vic Zwolak | Villanova | 19:35.0 |
| 1962 | Tom O'Hara | Loyola (IL) | 19:20.3 |
| 1961 | Dale Story | Oregon State | 19:46.6 |
| 1960 | Al Lawrence | Houston | 19:28.2 |
| 1959 | Al Lawrence | Houston | 20:35.7 |
| 1958 | Crawford Kennedy | Michigan State | 20:07.1 |
| 1957 | Max Truex | Southern California | 19:12.3 |
| 1956 | Walter McNew | Texas | 19:55.7 |
| 1955 | Charles "Deacon" Jones | Iowa | 19:57.4 |
| 1954 | Allen Frame | Kansas | 19:54.2 |
| 1953 | Wes Santee | Kansas | 19:43.5 |
| 1952 | Charles Capozzoli | Georgetown | 19:36.7 |
| 1951 | Herb Semper | Kansas | 20:09.5 |
| 1950 | Herb Semper | Kansas | 20:31.7 |
| 1949 | Robert Black | Rhode Island | 20:25.7 |
| 1948 | Robert Black | Rhode Island | 19:52.3 |
| 1947 | Jack Milne | North Carolina | 20:41.1 |
| 1946 | Quentin Brelsford | Ohio Wesleyan | 20:22.9 |
| 1945 | Fred Feller | Drake | 21:14.2 |
| 1944 | Fred Feller | Drake | 21:04.2 |
| 1942 | Oliver Hunter | Notre Dame | 20:18.0 |
| 1941 | Fred Wilt | Indiana | 20:32.1 |
| 1940 | Gilbert Dodds | Ashland (OH) | 20:30.2 |
| 1939 | Walter Mehl | Wisconsin | 20:30.9 |
| 1938 | Greg Rice | Notre Dame | 20:12.9 |
