List of NCAA Division I FBS Football Programs

List Of NCAA Division I FBS Football Programs

This is a list of schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. By definition, all schools in this grouping have varsity football teams. Schools in Division I FBS are distinguished from those in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by the following:

  • FBS programs are allowed to provide scholarship aid to a total of 85 players, and may grant a full scholarship to all 85. FCS schools are limited to financial assistance amounting to a maximum of 63 full scholarships, although some conferences voluntarily place further restrictions on athletic aid. The NCAA classifies FBS football as a "head-count" sport, meaning that each player receiving any athletically-related aid from the school counts fully against the 85-player limit. By contrast, FCS football is classified as an "equivalency" sport, which means that scholarship aid is limited to the equivalent of a specified number of full scholarships. In turn, this means that FCS schools can freely grant partial scholarships, but are also limited to a total of 85 players receiving assistance. Another NCAA rule mandates that any multi-sport athlete who plays football and receives any athletic aid is counted against the football limit, with an exception for players in non-scholarship FCS programs who receive aid in another sport.
  • The three service academies that play in Division I FBS — Air Force, Army, and Navy — are theoretically subject to this rule, but are exempt in practice because all students at these schools receive full scholarships from the federal government.
  • Division I FBS football is the only NCAA sport without a formal tournament to determine an undisputed national champion. FBS schools instead play in a series of postseason bowl games, culminating in the BCS National Championship Game, which attempts to crown a single national champion. Other organizations, most notably the Associated Press, crown their own champions via polling. The BCS and AP have not always agreed on a single champion. In contrast, Division I FCS football conducts a 20-team single-elimination tournament, the NCAA Division I Football Championship, to determine its undisputed champion. A total of 124 (120 full members, 4 transitional) teams will participate in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season.

Read more about List Of NCAA Division I FBS Football Programs:  Football Bowl Subdivision Programs, Reclassifying To FBS From Division I FCS

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