What Does FBS Stand For In College Football?

College sports governed by the NCAA are broken down into three different divisions: Division I, Division II, and Division III.

NCAA Division I sports are the most popular among both fans and bettors. When most college sports fans think of things like March Madness or college football national championship odds, they are thinking of Division I athletics.

Inside college football specifically, there is an additional subdivision that creates two different sections of Division I. That’s where the term FBS comes in.

What Does FBS Stand For In College Football?

FBS stands for Football Bowl Subdivision. Division I FBS is the highest level of Division I college football and includes teams like Alabama, Michigan, Boise State, UCLA, Texas, Arkansas State, and more. As of 2023, there are currently 133 teams in Division I FBS.

College Football’s subdivisions used to be referred to as I-A and I-AA, though this changed in the 1990s and 2000s. Because the I-A postseason was increasingly centered around the BCS bowl system, it became known as FBS.

I-AA became formally known as FCS, or Football Championship Subdivision, in 2006. The name is a reference to the fact that I-AA/FCS has historically played a full bracket in its postseason, unlike FBS. 

The FBS move to a 12-team playoff model in 2024 could stir another change in nomenclature, since both levels of Division I have now embraced a true playoff model. For now, though, the subdivisions remain FBS and FCS.