N.C.A.A. Division I National Champions
Men's Outdoor 5000-Meter Run
| Year | Name | School | Performance |
| 2011 | Samuel Chelanga | Liberty (VA) | 13:29.30 |
| 2010 | David McNeill | Northern Arizona | 13:44.81 |
| 2009 | Galen Rupp | Oregon | 14:04.12 |
| 2008 | Bobby Curtis | Villanova | 13:33.93 |
| 2007 | Chris Solinsky | Wisconsin | 13:35.12 |
| 2006 | Chris Solinsky | Wisconsin | 14:11.71 |
| 2005 | Ryan Hall | Stanford | 13:22.32 |
| 2004 | Robert Cheseret | Arizona | 13:49.85 |
| 2003 | Alistair Cragg | Arkansas | 13:47.87 |
| 2002 | David Kimani | Alabama | 13:59.30 |
| 2001 | Jonathan Riley | Stanford | 13:42.51 |
| 2000 | Brad Hauser | Stanford | 13:48.80 |
| 1999 | Bernard Lagat | Washington State | 14:01.09 |
| 1998 | Adam Goucher | Colorado | 13:31.64 |
| 1997 | Mebrahtom Keflezighi | UCLA | 13:44.17 |
| 1996 | Alan Culpepper | Colorado | 13:47.26 |
| 1995 | Martin Keino | Arizona | 14:36.78 |
| 1994 | Brian Baker | Arkansas | 14:22.09 |
| 1993 | Jon Dennis | South Florida | 13:59.00 |
| 1992 | Jon Dennis | South Florida | 14:02.40 |
| 1991 | Shannon Butler | Montana State | 13:41.61 |
| 1990 | John Trautmann | Georgetown | 14:07.47 |
| 1989 | Marc Davis | Arizona | 14:07.88 |
| 1988 | Matt Guisto | Arizona | 13:55.94 |
| 1987 | Dean Crowe | Boston University | 13:43.30 |
| 1986 | Terry Brahm | Indiana | 13:56.64 |
| 1985 | Ed Eyestone | Brigham Young | 13:56.72 |
| 1984 | Julius Korir | Washington State | 13:47.77 |
| 1983 | Gidamis Shahanga | Texas-El Paso | 13:54.13 |
| 1982 | Suleiman Nyambui | Texas-El Paso | 13:54.09 |
| 1981 | Suleiman Nyambui | Texas-El Paso | 13:38.8 |
| 1980 | Suleiman Nyambui | Texas-El Paso | 13:44.43 |
| 1979 | Sydney Maree | Villanova | 13:20.63 |
| 1978 | Rudy Chapa | Oregon | 13:35.29 |
| 1977 | Joshua Kimeto | Washington State | 13:38.14 |
| 1976 | Joshua Kimeto | Washington State | 13:47.84 |
| 1975 | John Ngeno | Washington State | 13:22.73* |
| 1974 | Paul Geis | Oregon | 13:38.89* |
| 1973 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 13:05.3* |
| 1972 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 13:31.4 |
| 1971 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 13:20.1* |
| 1970 | Steve Prefontaine | Oregon | 13:22.0* |
| 1969 | Ole Oleson | Southern California | 13:42.0* |
| 1968 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 13:47.2 |
| 1967 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 13:47.8* |
| 1966 | Gerry Lindgren | Washington State | 13:33.7* |
| 1965 | Doug Brown | Montana | 13:40.2* |
| 1964 | Tie.Bill Straub Jim Murphy |
Army Air Force |
14:12.3 |
| 1963 | Julio Marin | Southern California | 14:24.9* |
| 1962 | Pat Clohessy | Houston | 13:51.6* |
| 1961 | Pat Clohessy | Houston | 13:47.7* |
| 1960 | Al Lawrence | Houston | 14:19.8 |
| 1959 | Paul Whiteley | Emporia State (KS) | 13:59.0* |
