At the Division 1 level, you’ll find the best football programs in the country. Division 1 football teams are classified in one of two subdivisions: FBS and FCS.
What is FBS?
FBS, Football Bowl Subdivision, is the highest level of college football in the U.S. The most elite football teams are found in the NCAA FBS.
The most elite teams are found in the FBS subdivision. These schools are allowed to give out 85 full-ride scholarships, and usually attract five-star and four-star recruits at the top of their game.
FCS football teams are extremely competitive in their own right, with their fair share of five-star and four-star athletes, as well.
What is FCS?
FCS stands for Football Championship Subdivision. FCS football teams can give out a maximum of 63 scholarships and can split up their scholarship money however they want.
Division 1 football teams are characterized by their rigorous schedules, and football is almost full-time job on top of the student-athlete’s academics. Student-athletes who play on these teams have to be prepared to put in a lot of work and potentially not see playing time until junior or senior year—or not at all. If an athlete has the talent and love of the game, D1 FBS or FCS good be a good fit for you.
There are 133 Division 1 FCS football teams and 128 FBS football teams. FCS, or the Football Championship Subdivision, comprises 14 conferences: the Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Independent, Ivy, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Pioneer, Southern, Southland and SWAC conferences. FCS football teams compete in a 24-team playoff for the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship.
FBS, or the Football Bowl Subdivision, consists of 11 different conferences: the ACC, American, Big 12, Big Ten, C-USA, Independent, MAC, Mountain West, PAC-12, SEC and Sun Belt conferences. FBS football teams compete in a four-team tournament culminating in the National Championship Game to determine the national champion.
Division 1 football rankings
With 250+ four-year institutions offering college football, researching what program is right for a student-athlete can be time-consuming and stressful. To reduce the stress and help student-athletes more easily research prospective schools, NCSA has developed Power Rankings that analyze data such as cost, academics, size and location, to rank the top D1 football schools.
Visit the NCAA website for Division 1 FBS football rankings and Division 1 FCS football rankings
Review our full list of Division 1 football teams
In this comprehensive list of Division 1 football colleges, families can look for college football teams by state, conference, city and more. Use this information to familiarize yourself with the wealth of schools available.
Full list of Division 1 football teams
School
City and State
Type
Conference
Division
Abilene, Texas
Private
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Normal, Alabama
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Montgomery, Alabama
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Alcorn, Mississippi
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Boone, North Carolina
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Tempe, Arizona
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Auburn, Alabama
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Clarksville, Tennessee
Public
ASUN Conference
NCAA FCS
Muncie, Indiana
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Waco, Texas
Private
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Daytona Beach, Florida
Private
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Boise, Idaho
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
Private
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Bowling Green, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Provo, Utah
Private
West Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Providence, Rhode Island
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Smithfield, Rhode Island
Private
American East Conference
NCAA FCS
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Indianapolis, Indiana
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
San Luis Obispo, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Fresno, California
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Sacramento, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Buies Creek, North Carolina
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
New Britain, Connecticut
Public
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Charleston, South Carolina
Private
Big South Conference
NCAA FCS
Clemson, South Carolina
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Conway, South Carolina
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Hamilton, New York
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Worcester, Massachusetts
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Fort Collins, Colorado
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
New York, New York
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Ithaca, New York
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Hanover, New Hampshire
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Davidson, North Carolina
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Dover, Delaware
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Des Moines, Iowa
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Durham, North Carolina
Private
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Private
Altantic 10 Conference
NCAA FCS
Greenville, North Carolina
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Johnson City, Tennessee
Public
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
Charleston, Illinois
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Richmond, Kentucky
Public
Asun Conference
NCAA FCS
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Cheney, Washington
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Elon, North Carolina
Private
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Tallahassee, Florida
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Boca Raton, Florida
Public
The american athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Miami, Florida
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Tallahassee, Florida
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Bronx, New York
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Greenville, South Carolina
Private
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
Boiling Springs, North Carolina
Private
Big South Conference
NCAA FCS
Washington, District Of Columbia
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Statesboro, Georgia
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Atlanta, Georgia
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Atlanta, Georgia
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Grambling, Louisiana
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Public
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Hampton, Virginia
Private
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Houston, Texas
Private
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Washington, District Of Columbia
Private
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Pocatello, Idaho
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Normal, Illinois
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Terre Haute, Indiana
Public
Missouri Valley Football Conference
NCAA FCS
Bloomington, Indiana
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Ames, Iowa
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Jackson, Mississippi
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Jacksonville, Alabama
Public
ASUN Conference
NCAA FCS
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FBS
Manhattan, Kansas
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Kennesaw, Georgia
Public
Atlantic Sun Conference
NCAA FCS
Kent, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Easton, Pennsylvania
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Beaumont, Texas
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Private
Patriot League
NCAA FCS
Lynchburg, Virginia
Private
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Saint Charles, Missouri
Private
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Long Island, New York
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Ruston, Louisiana
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Poughkeepsie, New York
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Huntington, West Virginia
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Macon, Georgia
Private
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
North Andover, Massachusetts
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Oxford, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
East Lansing, Michigan
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Fremont, Nebraska
Public
Great Plains Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Mississippi State, Mississippi
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Itta Bena, Mississippi
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Springfield, Missouri
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
West Long Branch, New Jersey
Private
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Bozeman, Montana
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Morehead, Kentucky
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Baltimore, Maryland
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Murray, Kentucky
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Thibodaux, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Norfolk, Virginia
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Greensboro, North Carolina
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Durham, North Carolina
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Raleigh, North Carolina
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Fargo, North Dakota
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Flagstaff, Arizona
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Dekalb, Illinois
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Evanston, Illinois
Private
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Columbus, Ohio
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Athens, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Norfolk, Virginia
Public
Sunbelt Conference
NCAA FBS
Corvallis, Oregon
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
University Park, Pennsylvania
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Portland, Oregon
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Prairie View, Texas
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Clinton, South Carolina
Private
Big South Conference
NCAA FCS
Princeton, New Jersey
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
West Lafayette, Indiana
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Houston, Texas
Private
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Moon Township, Pennsylvania
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Piscataway, New Jersey
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Fairfield, Connecticut
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Loretto, Pennsylvania
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Huntsville, Texas
Public
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Birmingham, Alabama
Private
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
San Diego, California
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
San Jose, California
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Orangeburg, South Carolina
Public
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Brookings, South Dakota
Public
Summit League Conference
NCAA FCS
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Hammond, Louisiana
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Carbondale, Illinois
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Dallas, Texas
Private
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Cedar City, Utah
Public
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Stanford, California
Private
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Nacogdoches, Texas
Public
Western Conference
NCAA FCS
Deland, Florida
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Easton, Massachusetts
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Stony Brook, New York
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Albany, New York
Public
America East Conference
NCAA FCS
Buffalo, New York
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Syracuse, New York
Private
American Athletics Conference
NCAA FBS
Stephenville, Texas
Public
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Nashville, Tennessee
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
College Station, Texas
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Commerce, Texas
Public
Lone Star Conference
NCAA FCS
Fort Worth, Texas
Private
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Houston, Texas
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
San Marcos, Texas
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Lubbock, Texas
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Charleston, South Carolina
Public
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
Towson, Maryland
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Troy, Alabama
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
New Orleans, Louisiana
Private
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Usafa, Colorado
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
West Point, New York
Public
Patriot League
NCAA FBS
Annapolis, Maryland
Public
Patriot League
NCAA FBS
Akron, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Birmingham, Alabama
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Tucson, Arizona
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Public
Southwestern Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Berkeley, California
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Davis, California
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Los Angeles, California
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Conway, Arkansas
Public
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Orlando, Florida
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Orlando, Florida
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Cincinnati, Ohio
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Boulder, Colorado
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Storrs, Connecticut
Public
Big East Conference
NCAA FBS
Dayton, Ohio
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Newark, Delaware
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Gainesville, Florida
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Athens, Georgia
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Honolulu, Hawaii
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Houston, Texas
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Moscow, Idaho
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Champaign, Illinois
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Iowa City, Iowa
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Lawrence, Kansas
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Lexington, Kentucky
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Lafayette, Louisiana
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Monroe, Louisiana
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Louisville, Kentucky
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Orono, Maine
Public
America East Conference
NCAA FCS
College Park, Maryland
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Amherst, Massachusetts
Public
Atlantic 10 Conference
NCAA FBS
Memphis, Tennessee
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Coral Gables, Florida
Private
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
University, Mississippi
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Columbia, Missouri
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Missoula, Montana
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Lincoln, Nebraska
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Las Vegas, Nevada
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Reno, Nevada
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Durham, New Hampshire
Public
American East Conference
NCAA FCS
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Florence, Alabama
Public
Gulf South Conference
NCAA FCS
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Charlotte, North Carolina
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Denton, Texas
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Greeley, Colorado
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Public
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Notre Dame, Indiana
Private
Division I-A Independents
NCAA FBS
Norman, Oklahoma
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Eugene, Oregon
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Kingston, Rhode Island
Public
Atlantic Ten Conference
NCAA FCS
Virginia
Private
Atlantic 10 Conference
NCAA FCS
San Diego, California
Private
Pioneer Football League
NCAA FCS
Mobile, Alabama
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Columbia, South Carolina
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Vermillion, South Dakota
Public
The Summit League
NCAA FCS
Tampa, Florida
Public
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Los Angeles, California
Private
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Public
Sun Belt Conference
NCAA FBS
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Private
The Summit League
NCAA FCS
Knoxville, Tennessee
Public
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Public
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
Martin, Tennessee
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Austin, Texas
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
El Paso, Texas
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Edinburg, Texas
Public
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
San Antonio, Texas
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
San Antonio, Texas
Private
Southland Conference
NCAA FCS
Toledo, Ohio
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Private
American Athletic Conference
NCAA FBS
Salt Lake City, Utah
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Charlottesville, Virginia
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Seattle, Washington
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Madison, Wisconsin
Public
Big Ten Conference
NCAA FBS
Laramie, Wyoming
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Logan, Utah
Public
Mountain West Conference
NCAA FBS
Saint George, Utah
Public
Western Athletic Conference
NCAA FCS
Valparaiso, Indiana
Private
Missouri Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Nashville, Tennessee
Private
Southeastern Conference
NCAA FBS
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Private
Big East Conference
NCAA FCS
Lexington, Virginia
Public
Big South Conference
NCAA FCS
Blacksburg, Virginia
Public
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Staten Island, New York
Private
Northeast Conference
NCAA FCS
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Private
Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA FBS
Pullman, Washington
Public
Pacific-12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Ogden, Utah
Public
Big Sky Conference
NCAA FCS
Morgantown, West Virginia
Public
Big 12 Conference
NCAA FBS
Cullowhee, North Carolina
Public
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
Macomb, Illinois
Public
Ohio Valley Conference
NCAA FCS
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Public
Conference USA
NCAA FBS
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Public
Mid-American Conference
NCAA FBS
Williamsburg, Virginia
Public
Colonial Athletic Association
NCAA FCS
Spartanburg, South Carolina
Private
Southern Conference
NCAA FCS
New Haven, Connecticut
Private
Ivy League
NCAA FCS
Youngstown, Ohio
Public
Horizon League
NCAA FCS
