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360+ MEMBER SCHOOLS
6,000+ TEAMS
37% OF ALL NCAA STUDENT-ATHLETES
8,700+ MEDIAN UNDERGRAD ENROLLMENT

What is Division I?

Here at the highest level of NCAA competition, 190,000+ student-athletes benefit from tremendous support—including athletic scholarships up to and including full rides. This is where you find the most comprehensive student-athlete benefit programs, as well as multiple football championship subdivisions and encompasses legendary conferences including the Big Ten and the SEC.

Division I Subdivisions

Division I has three subdivisions that are unique in their distinction. FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) is the highest level of DI football and made up of major conferences like the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 and compete to play in the College Football Playoff (CFP) and other bowl games. FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) is made up of conferences like Ivy League, Big Sky, CAA and more, which are limited in scholarship offerings and play in a separate single-elimination playoff tournament.

How Division I is Governed

Division I operates under a shared NCAA governance model led by member schools, conferences, committees, and councils working together to shape policy, championships, and the student-athlete experience.

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 25: Kumar Rocker #80 of the Vanderbilt Commodores signs autographs following the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha on June 25, 2019 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)