List of NCAA Division I FBS 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. Unlike FBS schools, for whom an athlete receiving a partial scholarship counts fully against the limit of 85, FCS schools can freely grant partial scholarships, but are also limited to a total of 85 players receiving assistance.

• The three service academies that play in Division I FBS — Air Force, Army, and Navy — are exempt from this rule 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.

Football Bowl Subdivision programs

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