NCAA Football is one of the things that many sports fans around the USA, and even around the world, look forward to every year. College football season brings in droves of fans in support of their favorite teams, whether it be their own alma maters or the schools of their favorite players.
From the outside looking in, the craze over NCAA Football, particularly Division I Football, or the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), may seem difficult to understand. However, it wouldn't take long for someone to watch a few games of NCAA Football to see how enthralling the game is at this level.
Fans throughout history have witnessed the emergence of football's all-time greats at the NCAA and we are continuously being fed with top-tier talent year in and year out by the top schools in the United States.
Whether you're a fan who has been following college football for years, or you're someone who's interested in what makes NCAA Football so exciting, these are the things to know about what is arguably the most exciting sport at the college level.
History of NCAA Football
NCAA Football actually consists of four levels, which are the FBS, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Division II, and Division III. When we talk about college football, however, we're mainly talking about the highest level there is, which is Division I Football, or the FBS.
The first ever game of college football was held in 1869, between Rutgers University and Princeton University, which was at the time known as the College of New Jersey. The rules were drastically different back then as both teams had 25 players on the field, and the game resembled soccer or rugby, which was starkly distinct from what college football is known for now.
In 1876, the rules of what we now know as American football were formulated by representatives from Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, and Yale. It was at this time where Walter Camp established himself as the father of American football. This was when guidelines such as the system of downs, the line of scrimmage, and the center-to-quarterback snap were created.
It wasn't until 1921 when football fans didn't have to actually be at the game for them to know what was happening. On October 8, 1921, the bout between rivals West Virginia University and Pittsburgh University was the first game to be broadcast on radio. The game was heard on KDKA-AM in Pittsburgh, the country's first commercial radio station.
In 1939, college football made its way to television. Fordham hosted Waynseburg on September 30, 1939 for a season-opener, and the game was televised by NBC on W2XBS. The game was viewed by an estimate of between 500 to 5000 people.
1936 was the year where the first Associated Press rankings were released which helped determine the champion of college football. Minnesota was the first team to be ranked first on the AP rankings by the end of the 1936 season, thus becoming the champions for that year.
The NCAA changed how championships were won in 1998, which was when the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) was created. In the BCS, the top 10 teams were matched up at the end of the season and the top 1 and 2 teams competed for the BCS national championship game.
The BCS system was again overhauled in 2014, when the College Football Playoff (CFP) system that we have now was implemented. On the same year, the first CFP national championship game saw Ohio State triumph over Oregon.
The Structure of NCAA Football
There are currently 130 different schools in Division I Football. The FBS consists of 10 different conferences as well as an independent conference. These conferences are the Atlantic Coast, American Athletic Conference, Big 12, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12, Southeastern, Sunbelt, and the Independents.
Each team then faces off against the other teams in their respective conferences throughout the season. Once the season is concluded, a selection committee then decides who among the teams performed the best and who deserves to play in the College Football Playoff.
How Champions are Crowned
After the regular season comes the New Year's Six. These are six different games, consisting of the Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl, Peach Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Orange Bowl. The selection committee selects the four best teams to compete in the semi-finals, which are rotated by two among the six bowl games. The four other bowl games on the other hand will feature what the selection committee may deem to be the most compelling matchups for fans to witness.
For the semi-final matchups, the top-ranked team will face the fourth best team, while the second best team and the third best teams compete against each other. The winners of each semifinal bowl game then advance to the national championship game to play for college football supremacy.
The Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Trophy is one of the most prestigious awards not just in college sports, but perhaps in the world of sports itself. The trophy is awarded to whoever is deemed to be the most outstanding player in college football.
Recipients of the award include Hall of Famers such as Paul Hornung, Earl Campbell, and Barry Sanders; as well as current NFL stars like Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, and Kyler Murray. Needless to say, each year's nominees for the Heisman Trophy should be names to watch out for as the future stars of the sport.
NCAAF and the NFL
NCAA Football, apart from being a consistent source of electrifying entertainment for US college students and sports fans around the world, is also where the biggest names in professional football are born. Football legends and current superstars alike, such as Jerry Rice, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, all have roots in programs in Division I Football.
Virtually every NFL team build their rosters around players from NCAA Football. Around 85 percent of the players in the league come from programs in the FBS, which is a reflection of the caliber of talent that is showcased in college football.
NCAAF Powerhouses
NCAA Football has seen teams that consistently won throughout college football's extensive history. At the start of the 2020 season, the teams with the most wins throughout history are Michigan with 962 wins, Ohio State with 923 wins, and Yale with 917 wins. Yale holds the most number of national championships with 18, followed by Princeton and Alabama with 15 championships each.
In today's college football scene, Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State are the teams to watch out for. Since the inception of the College Football Playoff, Alabama and Clemson have been constants, both having already appeared six times in the playoff. These schools have also produced some of the rising stars in the NFL, such as Jalen Hurts, Deshaun Watson, and Nick Bosa.
