What does FBS stand for in college football? The letters mean Football Bowl Subdivision, the highest level of college football in the NCAA. FBS teams are the big programs you see on Saturday TV, in large stadiums, playing in bowl games and competing for the national title through a playoff.
The name points to bowls because, for most of the sport's history, the season ended with bowl games rather than a single tournament. The other half of Division I is the FCS, the Football Championship Subdivision, which settles its title with an NCAA bracket.
Quick facts
Stands for
Football Bowl SubdivisionType
InitialismHow to say it
"F B S"Part of
NCAA Division I footballOlder name
Division I-AOther meaning
Fasting blood sugar (medicine)Not to be confused with
FCS, Football Championship Subdivision
What does FBS stand for in college football, and why bowls?
| Letter | Word | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| F | Football | The rule applies to football only, not other sports |
| B | Bowl | Its teams traditionally finish the season in bowl games |
| S | Subdivision | It is one of two halves of Division I football |
All other sports at these schools, such as basketball or soccer, simply play in Division I. The split exists only in football. To learn more about the governing body, read what NCAA stands for.
FBS vs FCS
The two names came into use in the mid 2000s, replacing the older labels Division I-A and I-AA. The difference is mostly about size, money and how a champion is chosen.
| FBS | FCS | |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | Football Bowl Subdivision | Football Championship Subdivision |
| Older name | Division I-A | Division I-AA |
| Season ends with | Bowl games and a playoff for the national title | An NCAA run playoff bracket |
| Typical program | Larger stadiums, bigger budgets, national TV | Smaller stadiums, regional following |
FBS schools also have to meet extra standards set by the NCAA, such as offering a minimum number of sports and drawing enough fans over time. When an FBS team plays an FCS team early in the season, it is usually a mismatch on paper, though upsets do happen. See the FCS page for that side.
How FBS teams are grouped
There are more than 130 FBS programs. Most belong to a conference, and a few play as independents with no conference at all.
- Power conferences: the largest and richest leagues, with most of the national TV slots.
- Group of Five: the other FBS conferences, smaller in budget but still full members of the top tier.
- Independents: schools that build their own schedule.
Every one of them is FBS, whatever its conference. That is why a sports anchor may talk about "the best team outside the power leagues" while still calling it an FBS program.
FBS in news and on scoreboards
In a game recap: "The win was the program's first ever over an FBS opponent." This tells you the winning school plays below the top tier, probably in the FCS, and beat a bigger program.
You will also see phrases like "FBS record," meaning a record set at the top level only, and "moving up to FBS," when a school leaves the FCS for the higher level. Recruiting news uses "FBS offer" for a scholarship offer from a top tier school.
- "He led all FBS players in rushing yards."
- "The college is moving up to FBS next fall."
- "She covers FBS bowl season for the local paper."
What does FBS stand for outside football?
In medicine, FBS usually means fasting blood sugar, a blood test taken after not eating for several hours, often first thing in the morning. It is used to check for diabetes and to monitor it. A lab slip might read "FBS, draw before breakfast."
Lab and science settings also use FBS for fetal bovine serum, a liquid used to grow cells in research labs. In a sports story, though, FBS is the football meaning every time.
How to say and write FBS
Say each letter: "F B S." Keep the letters in capitals, with no dots. The article is "an," since F is spoken "eff": "an FBS school." In formal writing, give the full name the first time, "the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)," then use the letters.
More short forms from campus and college sports, like GPA and NIL, are gathered in the school acronyms section, from admissions offices to game day.
Questions people ask
What does FBS stand for?
On a sports page, FBS means Football Bowl Subdivision, the top level of NCAA Division I college football. In medicine it usually means fasting blood sugar.
What is the difference between FBS and FCS?
Both are part of Division I. FBS is the larger, higher profile tier that ends its season with bowls and a playoff, while FCS crowns its champion through an NCAA bracket.
What was FBS called before?
It was called Division I-A. The FCS was Division I-AA.
How many FBS teams are there?
There are more than 130, and the number shifts as schools move up from the FCS.
Is FBS the same as Division 1?
FBS is part of Division I, but not all of it. Division I football also includes the FCS.