FBS and FCS football are categories of Division I football both regulated under the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) but differ in a variety of ways. There are 129 FBS schools that boast an average team size of 118 players, while there are 125 FCS schools that maintain an average team size of 104.
FBS stands for Football Bowl Subdivision. The power five conferences are five of the ten conferences that make up this division. This division ends their season in a bowl game format rather than a championship format. They play in bowl games like the Peach Bowl, the Fiesta Bowl, or the Cotton Bowl to name a few. FCS stands for Football Championship Subdivision. Teams under this title will end their season in a championship format that eventually leads up to one final championship game.
The two divisions differ in their ability to offer scholarships as well. FBS schools can offer up to 85 scholarships to their players. However, because it is a headcount sport, this means that only 85 players per team can receive a scholarship. Scholarships cannot be divided up among players.
On the other hand, FCS schools can also offer student-athlete support, but they can only offer 63 scholarships. FCS football is an equivalency sport which means that these scholarships can be divided up among athletes. This means that although there are just 63 scholarships to be offered, an average number of 81 football student-athletes at FBS schools receive some form of scholarship.
While they differ in some ways, FBS and FCS football are both competitive levels of NCAA Division I football where student-athletes remain focused on their studies and competitive on the field.
* Originally published on November 18, 2017, by Shayla Lamb
