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List of NCAA Division I FBS football programs

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Map of FBS football programs as of 2024

This is a list of the 134 schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States.[1] 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 being 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.

Starting in 2014, the FBS began playing a tournament known as the College Football Playoff (CFP) culminating in a National Championship Game to determine its national champion, a system that has been in place from the 2014–2025 seasons by contract with ESPN, broadcaster of the games. The CFP featured four teams from its first season in 2014 through the 2023 season, and is expanding to 12 teams in 2024. But since the CFP is not sanctioned by the NCAA, this makes FBS football the only sport without an NCAA-sanctioned champion. The FCS is the highest division in college football to hold a playoff tournament sanctioned by the NCAA to determine its champion.

Conference affiliations are current for the 2024 season.

The list includes all current and former FBS, Division I-A, Division I, University Division, and Major-College football teams since 1946 when the NCAA started having continuous records of major football teams. In the 1940s, 50s, and 60s major-status was only based on whether the team had a majority of their schedule filled with major opponents which caused schools like Arizona State to lose "major" status in certain years and schools that were on the borderline like Idaho and Pacific who scheduled each other in certain seasons to change status almost every other year.[2]

FBS programs

[edit]

In addition to the following list of FBS programs, there is also a List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums.

School Nickname City State [a] Enrollment Current
Conference[b]
Former
Conferences
First
Year
Joined
FBS
First Joined
FBS
Left
FBS
Air Force Falcons USAF Academy[c] CO 4,181 Mountain West WAC 1955 1957
Akron Zips Akron OH 14,516 MAC OAC, MCC, OVC 1891 1987
Alabama Crimson Tide Tuscaloosa AL 38,316 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1892
Appalachian State Mountaineers Boone NC 20,641 Sun Belt NSC, SoCon 1928 2014 1974 1981
Arizona Wildcats Tucson AZ 49,471 Big 12 BIAA, WAC, Pac-12 1899
Arizona State Sun Devils Tempe AZ 77,881 Big 12 BIAA, WAC, Pac-12 1896 1956 -
1950
1948
1954
Arkansas Razorbacks Fayetteville AR 29,068 SEC SWC 1894
Arkansas State Red Wolves Jonesboro AR 12,863 Sun Belt Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference, Southland, Big West 1911 1992 1975 1981
Army Black Knights West Point NY 4,594 American[d] CUSA, Independent 1890
Auburn Tigers Auburn AL 31,526 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1892
Ball State Cardinals Muncie IN 19,337 MAC IIC, ICC 1924 1982 1975 1981
Baylor Bears Waco TX 20,626 Big 12 TIAA, SWC 1899
Boise State Broncos Boise ID 25,830 Mountain West[e] ICAC, Big Sky, Big West, WAC 1933[f] 1996
Boston College Eagles Chestnut Hill[g] MA 15,046 ACC Big East 1893
Bowling Green Falcons Bowling Green OH 17,645 MAC Northwest Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association, OAC 1919 1982 1962 1981
Buffalo Bulls Buffalo[h] NY 32,332 MAC New York State Conference 1894 1999 1962 1970
BYU Cougars Provo UT 34,802 Big 12 Rocky Mountain, Mountain States, WAC, MW, Independent 1922
California Golden Bears Berkeley CA 45,435 ACC PCC, Pac-12 1882
Central Michigan Chippewas Mount Pleasant MI 15,465 MAC MCC, IIAC 1896 1975
Charlotte 49ers Charlotte NC 30,448 American Sun Belt, CUSA, A-10, CUSA 1946[i] 2015
Cincinnati Bearcats Cincinnati OH 50,921 Big 12 OAC, Buckeye Intercollegiate Athletic Association, MAC, MVC, CUSA, Big East, American 1885 1983 -
1948
1946
1948
1981
Clemson Tigers Clemson SC 27,341 ACC SIAA, SAIAA, SoCon 1896
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Conway SC 10,473 Sun Belt Big South 2003 2017
Colorado Buffaloes Boulder CO 37,956 Big 12 Colorado Football Association, Rocky Mountain, Mountain States, Big Eight, Pac-12 1890
Colorado State Rams Fort Collins CO 32,777 Mountain West[e] Colorado Football Association, Rocky Mountain, Mountain States, WAC 1890
Duke Blue Devils Durham NC 17,620 ACC SoCon 1888
East Carolina Pirates Greenville NC 28,021 American NSC, Carolinas, SoCon, CUSA 1932 1966
Eastern Michigan Eagles Ypsilanti MI 15,370 MAC MIAA, MCC, IIAC, PAC 1891 1982 1976 1981
Florida Atlantic Owls Boca Raton FL 30,155 American Sun Belt, C-USA 2001 2006
FIU Panthers Miami[j] FL 56,732 CUSA Sun Belt 2002 2006
Florida Gators Gainesville FL 55,781 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1906
Florida State Seminoles Tallahassee FL 45,130 ACC Dixie 1947 1955
Fresno State Bulldogs Fresno CA 24,585 Mountain West[e] California Coast Conference, NCAC, CCAA, Big West, WAC 1921 1969
Georgia Bulldogs Athens GA 40,118 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1892
Georgia Southern Eagles Statesboro GA 27,091 Sun Belt SoCon 1924 2014
Georgia State Panthers Atlanta GA 55,466 Sun Belt CAA Football 2010 2013
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Atlanta GA 43,844 ACC SIAA, SoCon, SEC 1892
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors Honolulu HI 19,097 Mountain West[k] WAC 1909 1974
Houston Cougars Houston TX 47,031 Big 12 Lone Star, Gulf Coast, MVC, SWC, CUSA, American[l] 1946 1949
Illinois Fighting Illini Urbana-Champaign[m] IL 56,607 Big Ten Illinois Intercollegiate Football League 1890
Indiana Hoosiers Bloomington IN 45,328 Big Ten IIAA 1887
Iowa Hawkeyes Iowa City IA 29,909 Big Ten WIUFA, MVC 1889
Iowa State Cyclones Ames IA 30,708 Big 12 MVC, Big 8 1892
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Jacksonville AL 9,540 CUSA Independent, SIAA, SSC, GSC, DII Independent, Southland, OVC, AQ7, ASUN 1904 2023
James Madison Dukes Harrisonburg VA 22,224 Sun Belt DII Independent, VCAA, Yankee, A-10, CAA Football 1972 2022
Kansas Jayhawks Lawrence[n] KS 26,780 Big 12 KCAC, WIUFA, MVC, Big 8 1890
Kansas State Wildcats Manhattan KS 20,229 Big 12 MVC, Big 8 1896
Kennesaw State Owls Kennesaw[o] GA 45,152 CUSA ASUN, FCS independent 2015 2024
Kent State Golden Flashes Kent OH 26,597 MAC OAC 1920 1982 1962 1981
Kentucky Wildcats Lexington KY 30,390 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1881
Liberty Flames Lynchburg VA 95,148 CUSA Big South, Independent 1973 2018
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Lafayette LA 16,225 Sun Belt Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference, Gulf States Conference, SIAA, Southland, Big West 1902 1974
Louisiana–Monroe[p] Warhawks Monroe LA 8,565 Sun Belt Gulf States Conference, Southland, Independent 1951 1994 1975 1981
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Ruston LA 11,037 CUSA Louisiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Louisiana Intercollegiate Conference, Gulf States Conference, SIAA, Southland, Big West, WAC 1901 1989 1975 1981
Louisville Cardinals Louisville KY 22,140 ACC KIAC, SIAA, KIAC, OVC, MVC, CUSA, Big East, American 1910 1962 1951 1951
LSU Tigers Baton Rouge LA 35,912 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1893
Marshall Thundering Herd Huntington WV 11,125 Sun Belt WVIAC, Buckeye Conference, OVC, MAC, SoCon, CUSA 1895 1997 1962 1981
Maryland Terrapins College Park MD 41,272 Big Ten MIFA, SAIAA, SoCon, ACC 1888
Memphis Tigers Memphis TN 21,622 American Mississippi Valley Conference, SIAA, MVC, CUSA[l] 1912 1960
Miami (FL) Hurricanes Coral Gables[q] FL 19,096 ACC SIAA, Big East 1926
Miami (OH) RedHawks Oxford OH 19,216 MAC OAC, Buckeye Conference 1888 1982 1948
1961
1949
1981
Michigan Wolverines Ann Arbor MI 50,278 Big Ten None[r] 1879
Michigan State Spartans East Lansing MI 49,659 Big Ten MIAA 1885
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Murfreesboro TN 20,857 CUSA VSAC, SIAA, OVC, Sun Belt 1911 1999
Minnesota Golden Gophers Minneapolis MN 52,376 Big Ten None[r] 1882
Mississippi State Bulldogs Mississippi State[s] MS 23,086 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1895
Missouri Tigers Columbia MO 31,412 SEC WIUFA, Big 8, Big 12 1890
Navy Midshipmen Annapolis MD 4,528 American[d] Independent 1879
NC State Wolfpack Raleigh NC 36,831 ACC SAIAA, SIAA, SoCon 1892
Nebraska Cornhuskers Lincoln NE 24,431 Big Ten WIUFA, MVC, Big 8, Big 12 1890
Nevada Wolf Pack Reno NV 21,034 Mountain West NCAC, Big Sky, Big West, WAC 1896 1992 1950
New Mexico Lobos Albuquerque NM 21,738 Mountain West BIAA, WAC 1892
New Mexico State Aggies Las Cruces NM 13,904 CUSA BIAA, MVC, Big West, Sun Belt, WAC, Independent 1893 1959 -
1952
1947
1953
North Carolina Tar Heels Chapel Hill NC 31,733 ACC SAIAA, SIAA, SoCon 1888
North Texas Mean Green Denton TX 46,940 American TIAA, Lone Star, Gulf Coast Conference, MVC, Southland, Big West, Sun Belt, CUSA 1913 1995 1957 1981
Northern Illinois Huskies DeKalb IL 16,234 MAC IIAC, Big West 1899 1982 1969 1981
Northwestern Wildcats Evanston[t] IL 22,933 Big Ten None[r] 1876
Notre Dame Fighting Irish South Bend IN 13,139 Independent ACC[u] 1887
Ohio Bobcats Athens OH 24,429 MAC OAC, Buckeye Conference 1894 1982 1948
1961
1948
1981
Ohio State Buckeyes Columbus OH 61,677 Big Ten OAC 1889
Oklahoma Sooners Norman OK 28,042 SEC Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference, SWC, MVC, Big 8, Big 12 1895
Oklahoma State Cowboys Stillwater OK 24,660 Big 12 Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference, SWC, MVC, Big 8 1901
Old Dominion Monarchs Norfolk VA 23,494 Sun Belt CAA Football, CUSA 2009 2014
Ole Miss Rebels University[v] MS 21,203 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1893
Oregon Ducks Eugene OR 22,257 Big Ten PCC, Independent, Pac-12 1894
Oregon State Beavers Corvallis OR 33,193 Pac-12 PCC, Independent 1893
Penn State Nittany Lions University Park[w] PA 47,560 Big Ten Independent 1881
Pittsburgh Panthers Pittsburgh[x] PA 29,238 ACC Big East 1890
Purdue Boilermakers West Lafayette IN 49,639 Big Ten IIAA 1887
Rice Owls Houston TX 8,285 American TIAA, SWC, WAC, CUSA 1912
Rutgers Scarlet Knights Piscataway[y] NJ 50,804 Big Ten Middle Atlantic, Big East, American 1869
Sam Houston Bearkats Huntsville TX 21,679 CUSA Independent, TIAA, LSC, GSC, Southland, WAC 1912 2023
San Diego State Aztecs San Diego CA 35,732 Mountain West[e] Southern California Junior College Conference, SCIAC, CCAA, Big West, WAC 1921 1969
San Jose State Spartans San Jose CA 37,133 Mountain West California Coast Conference, NCAC, California Collegiate, Big West, WAC 1892 1950
SMU Mustangs Dallas[z] TX 12,385 ACC TIAA, SWC, WAC, CUSA[l] 1915 1989 1986
South Alabama Jaguars Mobile AL 13,992 Sun Belt FCS Independent 2009 2012
South Carolina Gamecocks Columbia SC 35,471 SEC SIAA, SoCon, ACC 1892
South Florida Bulls Tampa[aa] FL 44,322 American C-USA, Big East 1997 2001
Southern Miss Golden Eagles Hattiesburg MS 14,146 Sun Belt Gulf States Conference, SIAA. C-USA 1912 1963 1960 1960
Stanford Cardinal Stanford[ab] CA 17,680 ACC PCC, Pac-12 1891
Syracuse Orange Syracuse NY 21,772 ACC Big East 1889
TCU Horned Frogs Fort Worth TX 11,938 Big 12 TIAA, SWC, WAC, CUSA, MW 1896
Temple Owls Philadelphia[ac] PA 35,626 American Middle Atlantic, Big East, MAC, Big East 1894 1971
Tennessee Volunteers Knoxville TN 31,701 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1891
Texas Longhorns Austin TX 51,991 SEC SIAA, TIAA, SWC, Big 12 1893
Texas A&M Aggies College Station TX 72,530 SEC SIAA, SWC, Big 12 1894
Texas State Bobcats San Marcos TX 37,864 Sun Belt TIAA, Lone Star, Gulf Star, Southland, WAC 1904 2012
Texas Tech Red Raiders Lubbock TX 40,542 Big 12 BIAA, SWC 1925
Toledo Rockets Toledo OH 17,045 MAC Northwestern Ohio Intercollegiate Athletic Association, OAC 1917 1962
Troy Trojans Troy AL 14,901 Sun Belt Alabama Intercollegiate Conference, SIAA, Alabama Collegiate Conference, Mid-South Athletic Conference, Gulf South, Southland 1909 2002
Tulane Green Wave New Orleans LA 13,127 American SIAA, SoCon, SEC, CUSA 1893
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Tulsa OK 3,832 American Oklahoma Intercollegiate Conference, Big 4 Conference, MVC, WAC, CUSA 1895
UAB Blazers Birmingham AL 22,289 American FCS Independent, CUSA 1991 2017 1996 2014
UCF Knights Orlando[ad] FL 70,406 Big 12 MAC, CUSA, American 1979 1996
UCLA Bruins Los Angeles CA 47,516 Big Ten SCIAC, PCC, Pac-12 1919
UConn Huskies Storrs[ae] CT 32,146 Independent Yankee, A-10, Big East, American 1896 2000
UMass Minutemen Amherst[af] MA 32,045 Independent[ag] Yankee, A-10, CAA Football, MAC 1879 2012
UNLV Rebels Las Vegas[ah] NV 30,679 Mountain West Big West, WAC 1968 1978
USC Trojans Los Angeles CA 49,318 Big Ten PCC, Pac-12 1888
Utah Utes Salt Lake City UT 34,464 Big 12 Colorado Football Association, RMAC, Mountain States, WAC, MW, Pac-12 1892
Utah State Aggies Logan UT 27,426 Mountain West[e] Colorado Football Association, RMAC, Mountain States, Big West, Independent, Sun Belt, WAC 1892
UTEP Miners El Paso TX 24,003 CUSA[ai] BIAA, WAC 1914
UTSA Roadrunners San Antonio TX 34,734 American WAC, CUSA 2011 2012
Vanderbilt Commodores Nashville TN 13,796 SEC SIAA, SoCon 1890
Virginia Cavaliers Charlottesville VA 26,026 ACC SAIAA, SoCon 1887
Virginia Tech Hokies Blacksburg VA 37,279 ACC SAIAA, SIAA, SoCon, Big East 1892
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Winston-Salem NC 8,947 ACC Big Five Conference, SoCon 1888
Washington Huskies Seattle WA 52,439 Big Ten PCC, Pac-12 1889
Washington State Cougars Pullman WA 29,843 Pac-12 PCC, Independent 1893
West Virginia Mountaineers Morgantown WV 25,474 Big 12 SoCon, WVIAC, Big East 1891
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Bowling Green KY 16,750 CUSA SIAA, KIAC, OVC, MVFC, Sun Belt 1913 2009
Western Michigan Broncos Kalamazoo MI 19,038 MAC MCC 1905 1982 1962 1981
Wisconsin Badgers Madison WI 47,932 Big Ten None[r] 1889
Wyoming Cowboys Laramie WY 11,479 Mountain West Colorado Football Association, RMAC, WAC 1893
Notes
  1. ^ 9 states (Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont) and Washington, D.C. do not currently have FBS programs.
  2. ^ According to conferences in football, not necessarily a team's primary conference.
  3. ^ While the academy is often described as being in Colorado Springs, virtually the entire grounds, including the football stadium, lies outside the city limits in an area designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as "Air Force Academy" and the U.S. Postal Service as "USAF Academy".
  4. ^ a b American football-only member. Primary conference: Patriot.
  5. ^ a b c d e Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State join the Pac-12 in 2026.
  6. ^ At that time, the school was a two-year college known as Boise Junior College. The school did not become a four-year institution until 1965, and only began playing football against four-year schools in 1968.
  7. ^ BC's main campus and stadium have Chestnut Hill mailing addresses. However, Chestnut Hill is not an incorporated community; the stadium is within the city limits of Newton.
  8. ^ UB's campus has a Buffalo mailing address, but most of the campus, including the football stadium, is in the adjacent town of Amherst.
  9. ^ The team played in its first three years of existence (1946–1948), but folded in 1949. The football program was restarted in 2013; 11 years ago.[3]
  10. ^ The FIU campus has a Miami mailing address, but is located outside the Miami city limits in University Park, Florida, an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County.
  11. ^ Mountain West football-only member. Primary conference: Big West.
  12. ^ a b c Houston, Memphis, and SMU had originally planned to join the Big East Conference in 2013. However, the conference split along football lines in July 2013, with the seven non-FBS schools of the original conference buying the "Big East" name and reorganizing as a new, non-football Big East Conference. The FBS schools that did not leave at that time for the ACC joined the three newcomers, remaining in the original conference structure under the new name of American Athletic Conference.
  13. ^ The Illinois campus is bisected by the Urbana–Champaign border. The academic administration and most of the undergraduate campus are in Urbana; the athletic administration and most athletic facilities are in Champaign.
  14. ^ Due to stadium renovations, Kansas is playing its 2024 home schedule at two off-campus venues. The two non-conference games are being played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, and the four conference games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
  15. ^ The KSU campus has a Kennesaw mailing address, but is located in unincorporated Cobb County.
  16. ^ While national media use "Louisiana–Monroe", the school, Sun Belt Conference, and NCAA all use "ULM" as the primary athletic brand.
  17. ^ Miami currently plays its home games off campus in Miami Gardens, Florida at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins.
  18. ^ a b c d Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, and Wisconsin have never switched conferences.
  19. ^ Although Mississippi State is usually identified as being in Starkville, virtually all of the Mississippi State campus, including the athletic facilities, is actually in an unincorporated area of Oktibbeha County designated by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Postal Service as "Mississippi State".
  20. ^ With Northwestern having demolished its on-campus stadium to replace it on-site with a new stadium, it will play its 2024 home schedule at two separate venues. Most games will be played at a temporary on-campus stadium, while two games will be played at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
  21. ^ Even though Notre Dame is a member of the ACC in other sports, it was a member of the ACC in football for the 2020 season due to COVID-19 impacts.
  22. ^ Although Ole Miss is usually identified as being in Oxford, the entire campus is in an unincorporated area of Lafayette County designated by both the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Postal Service as "University".
  23. ^ "University Park" is the United States Postal Service designation for the Penn State campus, which straddles the boundary between State College and College Township. The football stadium is in College Township.
  24. ^ Pittsburgh plays its home games off campus at Acrisure Stadium, home of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers.
  25. ^ The Rutgers campus is divided between New Brunswick and Piscataway. The overall administration and most campus buildings are in New Brunswick, while the athletic administration and most sports facilities, including the football stadium, are in Piscataway.
  26. ^ The SMU campus is located in University Park, Texas, a separate city contained within the Dallas city limits. The U.S. Postal Service considers all of University Park to have a Dallas mailing address.
  27. ^ South Florida plays its home games off campus at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  28. ^ While the university is often described as being in Palo Alto, the core of the campus, including the football stadium, lies outside the city limits in the census-designated place of Stanford. The entire campus, including the small parts within the Palo Alto city limits, has a mailing address of Stanford.
  29. ^ Temple plays its home games off campus at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.
  30. ^ UCF has an Orlando mailing address, but the main campus, including all athletic facilities, is located in unincorporated Orange County.
  31. ^ UConn currently plays its home games off campus at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.
  32. ^ The UMass campus has an Amherst mailing address, but the football stadium is in the adjacent town of Hadley.
  33. ^ UMass joins the MAC on July 1, 2025.
  34. ^ The UNLV campus is not within the City of Las Vegas, but is instead in the unincorporated community of Paradise. The Rebels play off campus at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, also within the boundaries of Paradise. The U.S. Postal Service considers all unincorporated communities in the Las Vegas Valley, including Paradise, to have a Las Vegas address.
  35. ^ UTEP joins the MW in 2026.

Transitioning FBS programs

[edit]
School Team City State Current
conference
Future
conference
First
played
FBS transition
begins
FBS football full
membership
Kennesaw State Owls Kennesaw[a] Georgia CUSA 2015 2023 2025[b]
  1. ^ The Kennesaw State campus has a Kennesaw mailing address but entirely lies within unincorporated Cobb County.
  2. ^ Kennesaw State officially obtained FBS membership as of July 1, 2024. However, it is ineligible for postseason play.

Future FBS programs

[edit]
School Team City State Current
conference
Future
conference
First
played
FBS transition
begins
FBS football full
membership
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Newark Delaware CAA Football CUSA 1889 2024 2026
Missouri State Bears Springfield Missouri Missouri Valley Football Conference CUSA[4] 1909 2024 2026[5]

Former programs

[edit]
Team School City State Former FBS conference First FBS season Final FBS season Subsequent and Current status
Alcorn State Braves Alcorn State University Lorman Mississippi SWAC 1977 1977 FCS
Boston University Terriers Boston University Boston Massachusetts Independent 1947 1977 College Division
Discontinued
Brown Bears Brown University Providence Rhode Island Ivy 1981 FCS
Bucknell Bison Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania Independent 1947 Small-College
FCS
Cal State Fullerton Titans California State University, Fullerton Fullerton California Big West 1975 1992 Discontinued
Centenary Gentlemen Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport Louisiana LIC 1947 1947 Discontinued
Division III
Chattanooga Mocs University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga Tennessee Southern 1977 1981 FCS
Chicago Maroons University of Chicago Chicago Illinois Big Ten 1939 Discontinued
Division III
Colgate Raiders Colgate University Hamilton New York Independent 1981 FCS
Colorado College Tigers Colorado College Colorado Springs Colorado Rocky Mountain 1947 Small-College
Discontinued
Columbia Lions Columbia University Manhattan New York Ivy 1981 FCS
Cornell Big Red Cornell University Ithaca New York Ivy 1981 FCS
Dartmouth Big Green Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire Ivy 1981 FCS
Davidson Wildcats Davidson College Davidson North Carolina Southern -
1967
1953
1976
Division II
FCS
Dayton Flyers University of Dayton Dayton Ohio Independent 1956 1976 Division III
FCS
Denver Pioneers University of Denver Denver Colorado Skyline 1960 Discontinued
Detroit Titans University of Detroit Mercy Detroit Michigan Independent 1964 Discontinued
Drake Bulldogs Drake University Des Moines Iowa Missouri Valley 1973 1981 FCS
Duquesne Dukes Duquesne University Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Independent 1947 1950 Discontinued
FCS
East Tennessee State Buccaneers East Tennessee State University Johnson City Tennessee Southern 1978 1981 FCS
Florida A&M Rattlers [a] Florida A&M University Tallahassee Florida Independent 2004 2004 FCS
Fordham Rams Fordham University Bronx New York Independent 1954 Discontinued
FCS
Furman Paladins Furman University Greenville South Carolina Southern -
1965
1971
1957
1965
1981
FCS
Georgetown Hoyas Georgetown University Washington District of Columbia Independent 1950 Discontinued
FCS
Grambling State Tigers Grambling State University Grambling Louisiana SWAC 1977 1977 FCS
Hardin-Simmons Cowboys Hardin-Simmons University Abilene Texas Independent -
1950
1948
1962
College Division
Division III
Harvard Crimson Harvard University Cambridge[b] Massachusetts Ivy 1981 FCS
Holy Cross Crusaders College of the Holy Cross Worcester Massachusetts Independent 1981 FCS
Idaho Vandals University of Idaho Moscow Idaho WAC -
1969
1996
1966
1977
2017[6]
FCS
Illinois State Redbirds Illinois State University Normal Illinois Missouri Valley 1976 1981 FCS
Indiana State Sycamores Indiana State University Terre Haute Indiana Missouri Valley 1976 1981 FCS
Jackson State Tigers Jackson State University Jackson Mississippi SWAC 1977 1977 FCS
Lafayette Leopards Lafayette College Easton Pennsylvania Middle Three 1950 Small-College
FCS
Lamar Cardinals Lamar University Beaumont Texas Southland 1974 1981[7] FCS
Lehigh Engineers Lehigh University Bethlehem Pennsylvania Middle Three 1947 Small-College
FCS
Long Beach State 49ers[c] California State University, Long Beach Long Beach California Big West 1973 1991 Discontinued
Loyola Lions Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles California Independent 1950 1951 Small-College
Discontinued
Marquette Warriors Marquette University Milwaukee Wisconsin Independent 1960 Discontinued
McNeese Cowboys[d] McNeese State University Lake Charles Louisiana Southland 1975 1981[7] FCS
Merchant Marine Mariners United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point New York Independent 1947 Small-College
Division III
Montana Grizzlies University of Montana Missoula Montana Independent 1962 College Division
FCS
Montana State Bobcats Montana State University Bozeman Montana Rocky Mountain 1948 Small-College
FCS
NYU Violets New York University New York New York Independent -
1951
1948
1952
Discontinued
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona Border 1947 Small-College
FCS
Northern Colorado Bears University of Northern Colorado Greeley Colorado Rocky Mountain 1947 Small-College
FCS
Pacific Tigers University of the Pacific Stockton California Big West -
1962
1966
1969
1960
1963
1966
1995
Discontinued
Penn Quakers University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia Pennsylvania Ivy 1981 FCS
Princeton Tigers Princeton University Princeton New Jersey Ivy 1981 FCS
Richmond Spiders University of Richmond Richmond Virginia Independent 1981 FCS
Southern Illinois Salukis Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale Illinois Missouri Valley 1973 1981 FCS
Tennessee State Tigers Tennessee State University Nashville Tennessee Independent 1977 1980 FCS
Texas Arlington Mavericks[e] University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas Southland 1972 1981[7] I-AA
Discontinued
The Citadel Bulldogs The Citadel Charleston South Carolina Southern -
1959
1952
1981
FCS
VMI Keydets Virginia Military Institute Lexington Virginia Southern 1981 FCS
William & Mary Tribe College of William & Mary Williamsburg Virginia Independent 1981 FCS
Villanova Wildcats Villanova University Villanova Pennsylvania Independent 1980 Discontinued
FCS
Western Carolina Catamounts Western Carolina University Cullowhee North Carolina Southern 1977 1981 FCS
Western Reserve Red Cats Western Reserve University Cleveland Ohio MAC 1948 1948 Small-College
Division III
West Texas State Buffalos West Texas State University [f] Canyon Texas Missouri Valley 1958 1981 FCS
Division II
Wichita State Shockers Wichita State University Wichita Kansas Independent 1986 Discontinued
Yale Bulldogs Yale University New Haven Connecticut Ivy 1981 FCS
Notes
  1. ^ Florida A&M did not complete the FBS transition phase and backed out after the first year.
  2. ^ Harvard's overall administration and undergraduate campus are in Cambridge. However, the athletic department offices and most athletic facilities, including the football stadium, are within the Boston city limits and have a Boston mailing address.
  3. ^ Long Beach State rebranded its athletic program as "The Beach" effective in 2020–21, long after football was discontinued.
  4. ^ McNeese dropped the word "State" from its athletic branding in 2016. The university's formal name has not changed.
  5. ^ The school now brands itself in both athletics and academics as UT Arlington or UTA, although the university's formal name has not changed.
  6. ^ West Texas State joined the Texas A&M University System in 1990, and in 1993 the university's name was renamed to West Texas A&M University.

Notes

[edit]
  • Several schools have different athletic nicknames for men's and women's teams. Usually, this is a matter of preceding the main nickname with "Lady", such as LSU Lady Tigers and Tennessee Lady Vols. The two FBS schools nicknamed Cowboys, Oklahoma State and Wyoming, use Cowgirls for women's teams. However, in some cases, the women's team nickname has a completely different form, as in Hawaii Rainbow Wahine and Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters. Because this is a list of American football programs, which are traditionally all-male, only the men's form is given.
  • The Pac-12 considers the Pacific Coast Conference or PCC as part of its own history, even though the PCC was established with different charter members and was disbanded due to major crisis and scandal. There is considerable continuity between the two leagues. The Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), which would eventually become the Pac-12, was founded by five former PCC members, and by 1964 all of the final PCC members except for Idaho had been reunited in the AAWU.
  • Texas leads the nation with 13 FBS programs based in the state.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Division I-FBS Football Institutions". NCAA Directory.
  2. ^ "Major-College Alignment History Page 2" (PDF). NCAA.
  3. ^ "Celebrating 10 years of Charlotte football". ninertimes.com. September 2, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  4. ^ Lyndal Scranton, Missouri State to join Conference USA for chance to ‘play at the highest level in all sports’, Springfield Daily Citizen, May 10, 2024.
  5. ^ "Missouri State to join Conference USA for chance to 'play at the highest level in all sports'". 10 May 2024.
  6. ^ Idaho Vandals [@Idaho_Vandals] (April 28, 2016). "President Staben - "The University of Idaho Vandal football team will accept an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference" beginning in '18" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ a b c White Jr., Gordon S. (December 5, 1981). "IVY LEAGUE IS FORCED TO LOSE MAJOR-TEAM FOOTBALL STATUS". The New York Times.

Sources

[edit]