Are you curious about League 1 Football Teams and how they stack up? This article provides a comprehensive overview of League 1 football, including the differences between FBS and FCS, team rankings, and a full list of Division 1 football teams. Stay informed with CauHoi2025.UK.COM, your trusted source for in-depth sports information and college insights, covering everything from college athletics to NCAA football standings and Division 1 programs.
Understanding League 1 Football Teams: A Comprehensive Guide
League 1 football represents the pinnacle of college football in the United States. This guide dives into the intricacies of Division 1, including the differences between the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), rankings, and a comprehensive list of teams.
Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll cover:
- The distinction between FBS and FCS.
- The number of Division 1 football teams.
- How Division 1 football teams are ranked.
- A full list of Division 1 football teams, categorized for easy reference.
1. What is FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision)?
FBS, or Football Bowl Subdivision, represents the highest echelon of college football in the United States. These teams are characterized by their large budgets, extensive coaching staffs, and the ability to offer 85 full-ride scholarships to their players. According to the NCAA, FBS programs often attract top-tier recruits, including five-star and four-star athletes, making them highly competitive. These programs participate in bowl games, which are prestigious postseason matchups that draw significant national attention.
2. What is FCS (Football Championship Subdivision)?
FCS, or Football Championship Subdivision, is the tier below FBS. FCS teams are still highly competitive but operate with certain limitations. They can offer a maximum of 63 scholarships, which can be divided among players as the program sees fit. FCS teams compete in a 24-team playoff for the NCAA Division 1 Football Championship. Many FCS players are just as talented and dedicated as their FBS counterparts, making for exciting and closely contested games.
3. How Many Division 1 Football Teams Are There?
There are 133 Division 1 FCS football teams and 128 FBS football teams as of 2024. These teams are spread across the United States, each with unique traditions and fan bases.
4. Division 1 Football Conferences Explained
Division 1 football is organized into conferences, which provide structure and regular competition for the teams.
4.1. FCS Conferences
The FCS includes 14 conferences, each with its own unique identity and competitive landscape:
- Big Sky
- Big South
- CAA (Colonial Athletic Association)
- Independent
- Ivy League
- MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference)
- Missouri Valley
- Northeast
- Ohio Valley
- Patriot League
- Pioneer Football League
- Southern
- Southland
- SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference)
4.2. FBS Conferences
The FBS consists of 11 conferences, each known for its high level of competition and passionate fan base:
- ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference)
- American Athletic Conference
- Big 12
- Big Ten
- Conference USA
- Independent
- MAC (Mid-American Conference)
- Mountain West
- Pac-12
- SEC (Southeastern Conference)
- Sun Belt
5. Division 1 Football Rankings: How Are Teams Evaluated?
Rankings play a significant role in college football, influencing everything from recruiting to bowl game invitations. Several entities provide rankings, each with its own methodology.
5.1. NCAA Rankings
The NCAA provides its own rankings for both FBS and FCS teams. These rankings are often based on a combination of factors, including win-loss record, strength of schedule, and performance against ranked opponents. You can find the latest rankings on the NCAA website for Division 1 FBS football rankings and Division 1 FCS football rankings.
5.2. NCSA Power Rankings
NCSA (Next College Student Athlete) has developed Power Rankings that analyze data such as cost, academics, size, and location, to rank the top D1 football schools. These rankings provide a holistic view of the best D1 football schools, considering factors beyond just athletic performance.
5.3. AP Top 25 Poll
The Associated Press (AP) Top 25 poll is one of the most widely recognized rankings in college football. It’s compiled by sports writers and broadcasters across the nation. These rankings are influential in shaping public perception of teams and their performance.
5.4. College Football Playoff (CFP) Rankings
The College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings are used to determine the four teams that will compete for the national championship. The CFP rankings are released weekly during the season and are based on a selection committee’s evaluation of teams. These rankings are critical for teams vying for a national title.
6. Full List of Division 1 Football Teams
Below is an extensive list of Division 1 football teams. This list includes the school name, city and state, type of institution (public or private), conference, and division (FBS or FCS).
| School | City and State | Type | Conference | Division |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene Christian University | Abilene, Texas | Private | Western Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Alabama A&M University | Normal, Alabama | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Alabama State University | Montgomery, Alabama | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Alcorn State University | Alcorn State, Mississippi | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Appalachian State University | Boone, North Carolina | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Arizona State University | Tempe, Arizona | Public | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Arkansas State University | Jonesboro, Arkansas | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Auburn University | Auburn, Alabama | Public | Southeastern Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Austin Peay State University | Clarksville, Tennessee | Public | Atlantic Sun Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Ball State University | Muncie, Indiana | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Baylor University | Waco, Texas | Private | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Bethune-Cookman University | Daytona Beach, Florida | Private | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Boise State University | Boise, Idaho | Public | Mountain West Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts | Private | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Bowling Green State University | Bowling Green, Ohio | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Brigham Young University | Provo, Utah | Private | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Brown University | Providence, Rhode Island | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Bryant University | Smithfield, Rhode Island | Private | American East Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| Butler University | Indianapolis, Indiana | Private | Big East Conference | NCAA FCS |
| California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, California | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| California State University – Fresno | Fresno, California | Public | Mountain West Conference | NCAA FBS |
| California State University – Sacramento | Sacramento, California | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Campbell University | Buies Creek, North Carolina | Private | Pioneer Football League | NCAA FCS |
| Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, Connecticut | Public | Northeast Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Central Michigan University | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Charleston Southern University | Charleston, South Carolina | Private | Big South Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Clemson University | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway, South Carolina | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Colgate University | Hamilton, New York | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| College of the Holy Cross | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| Colorado State University | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | Mountain West Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Columbia University | New York, New York | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Cottey College | Nevada, Missouri | Private | Association of Independent Institutions | NCAA FBS |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Davidson College | Davidson, North Carolina | Private | Pioneer Football League | NCAA FCS |
| Delaware State University | Dover, Delaware | Public | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Drake University | Des Moines, Iowa | Private | Pioneer Football League | NCAA FCS |
| Duke University | Durham, North Carolina | Private | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Private | Atlantic 10 Conference | NCAA FCS |
| East Carolina University | Greenville, North Carolina | Public | American Athletic Conference | NCAA FBS |
| East Tennessee State University | Johnson City, Tennessee | Public | Southern Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, Illinois | Public | Ohio Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Richmond, Kentucky | Public | Atlantic Sun Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Eastern Michigan University | Ypsilanti, Michigan | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney, Washington | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Elon University | Elon, North Carolina | Private | Colonial Athletic Association | NCAA FCS |
| Florida A&M University | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, Florida | Public | American Athletic Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Florida International University | Miami, Florida | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Fordham University | Bronx, New York | Private | Atlantic 10 Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Formerly Dixie State University | Saint George, Utah | Public | Western Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Furman University | Greenville, South Carolina | Private | Southern Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Gardner-Webb University | Boiling Springs, North Carolina | Private | Big South Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Georgetown University | Washington, District Of Columbia | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, Georgia | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Georgia Tech | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Grambling State University | Grambling, Louisiana | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Hampton University | Hampton, Virginia | Private | Coastal Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Harvard University | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Houston Christian University | Houston, Texas | Private | Southland Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Howard University | Washington, District Of Columbia | Private | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Idaho State University | Pocatello, Idaho | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Illinois State University | Normal, Illinois | Public | Missouri Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Indiana State University | Terre Haute, Indiana | Public | Missouri Valley Football Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Indiana University | Bloomington, Indiana | Public | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | Public | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Jackson State University | Jackson, Mississippi | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville, Alabama | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan, Kansas | Public | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Kennesaw State University | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FCS |
| Kent State University | Kent, Ohio | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Lafayette College | Easton, Pennsylvania | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| Lamar University | Beaumont, Texas | Public | Southland Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Private | Patriot League | NCAA FCS |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg, Virginia | Private | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, Missouri | Private | Ohio Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Long Island University | Long Island, New York | Private | Northeast Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Louisiana State University (LSU) | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | Southeastern Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Louisiana Tech University | Ruston, Louisiana | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| Marist College | Poughkeepsie, New York | Private | Pioneer Football League | NCAA FCS |
| Marshall University | Huntington, West Virginia | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| McNeese State University | Lake Charles, Louisiana | Public | Southland Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Mercer University | Macon, Georgia | Private | Southern Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Mercyhurst University | Erie, Pennsylvania | Private | Northeast Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Merrimack College | North Andover, Massachusetts | Private | Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Miami University | Oxford, Ohio | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| Mississippi State University | Mississippi State, Mississippi | Public | Southeastern Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Mississippi Valley State University | Itta Bena, Mississippi | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Missouri State University | Springfield, Missouri | Public | Missouri Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Monmouth University | West Long Branch, New Jersey | Private | Coastal Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Montana State University | Bozeman, Montana | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Morehead State University | Morehead, Kentucky | Public | Pioneer Football League | NCAA FCS |
| Morgan State University | Baltimore, Maryland | Public | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Murray State University | Murray, Kentucky | Public | Missouri Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| New Mexico State University | Las Cruces, New Mexico | Public | Conference USA | NCAA FBS |
| Nicholls State University | Thibodaux, Louisiana | Public | Southland Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, North Carolina | Public | Colonial Athletic Association | NCAA FCS |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham, North Carolina | Public | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| North Carolina State University | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | Atlantic Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| North Dakota State University | Fargo, North Dakota | Public | Missouri Valley Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, Illinois | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Northwestern State University of Louisiana | Natchitoches, Louisiana | Public | Southland Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, Illinois | Private | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio | Public | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Ohio University | Athens, Ohio | Public | Mid-American Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Oklahoma State University | Stillwater, Oklahoma | Public | Big 12 Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | Sun Belt Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Oregon State University | Corvallis, Oregon | Public | West Coast Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Penn State | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Portland State University | Portland, Oregon | Public | Big Sky Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Prairie View A & M University | Prairie View, Texas | Public | Southwestern Athletic Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Presbyterian College | Clinton, South Carolina | Private | Big South Conference | NCAA FCS |
| Princeton University | Princeton, New Jersey | Private | Ivy League | NCAA FCS |
| Purdue University | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | Big Ten | NCAA FBS |
| Rice University | Houston, Texas | Private | American Athletic Conference | NCAA FBS |
| Robert Morris University – Pennsylvania | Moon Township, Pennsylvania | Private | Northeast Conference | NCAA FCS |
| [Rutgers University](https://www.ncsasports.org/ |
