What does FCS stand for in college football? It stands for the Football Championship Subdivision, one of the two levels of Division I football run by the NCAA. The other, larger level is the FBS, the Football Bowl Subdivision.
The names point to how each level ends its season. FCS teams play for a national title in a single elimination playoff bracket, so the champion is decided on the field. FBS schools, the bigger programs with the largest stadiums, play in bowl games and their own smaller playoff.
Quick facts
Stands for
Football Championship SubdivisionLevel
NCAA Division I, the second of two subdivisionsFormer name
Division I-AASeason ends with
A playoff bracket and a national title gameType
Initialism, said F C SOther meaning
Family and Consumer Sciences, a school subjectNot to be confused with
FBS, Football Bowl Subdivision
What does FCS stand for in college football, letter by letter?
| Letter | Word | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| F | Football | The rule set covers football only |
| C | Championship | The season ends in a championship playoff |
| S | Subdivision | It is one part of Division I |
Other sports, like basketball, do not split Division I this way. A school can be FCS in football and still play top level Division I basketball, which is why many FCS schools appear in the March tournament.
FCS vs FBS: the main differences
- Postseason: FCS uses a multi round playoff bracket. FBS uses bowl games plus its own playoff for a small group of teams.
- Size: FBS programs usually have bigger budgets, larger stadiums and more television exposure.
- Scholarships: FBS teams have traditionally been allowed more football scholarships than FCS teams. Roster and scholarship rules have been changing, so check current NCAA rules for exact numbers.
- Attendance: FBS teams must meet attendance standards that FCS teams do not.
A schedule note: "Week 1: home vs. an FCS opponent." FBS teams often open the season against an FCS school. The smaller school usually receives a payment for the trip, and upsets happen more often than people expect.
Where the name came from
For decades, the two levels were called Division I-A and Division I-AA. The NCAA renamed them in the 2000s: I-A became the Football Bowl Subdivision and I-AA became the Football Championship Subdivision. Older fans and sportscasters still say "I-AA" now and then, so you may hear both.
The FCS includes a wide mix of schools, from state universities to small private colleges and many historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, along with Ivy League schools, which do not award athletic scholarships.
Reading FCS on scores and signing day
- Rankings: FCS has its own top 25 polls, separate from the FBS polls.
- Recruiting: "He signed with an FCS program" means the player chose a Division I school in the championship subdivision.
- Transfers: players sometimes move from FBS to FCS for more playing time, or the other way after a strong season.
- Moving up: some schools move from FCS to FBS, a process the NCAA spreads over several seasons.
For more letters from campus life, browse the school acronyms section.
What does FCS stand for in school?
Away from the field, FCS often means Family and Consumer Sciences, the middle and high school subject once called home economics. Classes cover cooking and nutrition, personal finance, child development, clothing and housing. Many FCS programs connect to career and technical education, or CTE.
If the letters appear on a class schedule, they mean the course. On a sports page, they mean the football subdivision. A few other fields use FCS too, such as fire control system in military writing, but those are rare in daily life.
Questions people ask
Is FCS Division 1?
Yes. FCS is part of NCAA Division I. It is the second of the two Division I football subdivisions, below the FBS in size and budget.
What did FCS used to be called?
It was called Division I-AA. The FBS was Division I-A.
Can an FCS team play an FBS team?
Yes, and it happens often, especially early in the season. These games count on both teams' records, with some limits on how they count toward bowl eligibility.
What does FCS stand for in high school?
Most often Family and Consumer Sciences, the class that grew out of home economics.
How do you pronounce FCS?
The three letters are spoken separately, F C S, which makes the term an initialism.