CFB stands for College Football, the popular name for the gridiron football competition played by teams representing universities and colleges across the United States. This amateur sport holds a distinct and prominent place in the country’s cultural landscape, generating immense fan passion and significant economic activity. College football evolved from the earliest intercollegiate games in the late 19th century and has since grown into a massive, highly structured athletic endeavor. The sport serves as a feeder system for professional leagues, offering a second tier of competition that is often more popular than the professional game in some parts of the U.S.
Defining College Football and its Governing Body
College football fundamentally involves student-athletes who compete while pursuing a degree, maintaining an amateur status that distinguishes them from professional players. The vast majority of programs in the United States are governed by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a nonprofit organization that oversees athletics for approximately 1,100 schools. The NCAA establishes the rules of play, regulates recruiting practices, and sets academic eligibility standards that student-athletes must meet to participate. It ensures consistency in competition across its member institutions. The NCAA acts as the overarching regulatory body responsible for maintaining the collegiate model of amateurism.
The Structure of CFB: Divisions and Conferences
The NCAA divides its membership into three primary tiers: Division I, Division II, and Division III, with Division I representing the highest level of competition. Within Division I, football is further separated into two subdivisions: the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). FBS schools generally represent larger institutions with substantial athletic budgets and are permitted to offer up to 85 scholarships for football, compared to the 63 scholarships allowed at the FCS level. FBS institutions also face specific requirements, such as an average home game attendance of at least 15,000 spectators over a two-year period.
Teams within these subdivisions are organized into conferences, which manage regular-season scheduling, negotiate television contracts, and distribute revenue among members. The FBS landscape is often discussed in terms of the “Power Five” conferences, which historically commanded the largest media rights deals and held the most influence in post-season selections. Other FBS conferences are referred to as the “Group of Five,” and while they compete at the same level, their resources and national visibility are lower. Conference championships are highly sought after, as they often determine automatic qualification for the post-season structure.
The Post-Season: Bowls and the Playoff System
The way the season concludes is a primary distinction in Division I football, with the FBS post-season historically centered around the bowl system. Bowl games are exhibition contests that provide a reward for teams reaching a minimum win threshold, often referred to as being “bowl eligible.” Teams that do not qualify for the national championship tournament are selected for these various bowl matchups, which are not directly controlled by the NCAA.
The ultimate conclusion for the FBS is the College Football Playoff (CFP), a tournament designed to determine a national champion. The CFP system, which expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season, uses a selection committee composed of athletic directors, former coaches, and administrators to choose and seed the participants. This committee evaluates factors such as win-loss records, strength of schedule, and conference championships to create a final ranking. The expanded format guarantees spots for the five highest-ranked conference champions, with the remaining seven spots awarded as at-large bids.
Key Differences from Professional Football
College football operates with a different set of rules and a distinct player model compared to the professional National Football League (NFL). The most fundamental difference is the amateur status of the players, who are not paid salaries, although name, image, and likeness (NIL) rule changes allow them to profit from endorsement deals. Rule variations also affect the flow of the game, such as the college requirement for a receiver to only get one foot in bounds for a legal catch, while the NFL requires two. Clock management rules also differ, as the clock only stops inside the final two minutes of each half. College football also employs a distinct overtime format, where teams alternate possessions from the opponent’s 25-yard line until a winner is determined. Furthermore, the NCAA enforces the “Targeting” rule, which results in a mandatory player ejection for specific illegal hits to the head and neck area.