2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season

2019 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams	130
Duration	August 24, 2019 – December 14, 2019
Preseason AP No. 1	TBA
Post-season
Duration	December 21, 2019 – January 13, 2020
Bowl games	40
AP Poll No. 1	TBD
Coaches Poll No. 1	TBD
College Football Playoff
2020 College Football Playoff National Championship
Site	Mercedes-Benz Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons
← 2018 2020 →

The 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season will be the 151st season of college football competition in the United States at the highest level organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The regular season will begin on August 24, 2019 and is scheduled to end on December 14, 2019. The postseason will conclude on January 13, 2020 with the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. This is the sixth season of the College Football Playoff championship system.

Conference realignment

Membership changes

School	Former conference	New conference

Liberty completed a two-year transition from FCS to FBS in 2018 and will be fully bowl eligible beginning with the 2019 season. They will remain an NCAA Division I FBS Independent.

Rule Changes

The following playing rule changes have been recommended by the NCAA Football Rules Committee for 2019: .

• Requiring replay reviews on targeting calls be either confirmed or overturned by reviewing all aspects of the play. If the review shows not all elements of targeting exist or if there is no indisputable video evidence, the call will be overturned.
• Players who commit a second targeting penalty in the same season will not only have to sit out the remainder of that game, but will also have to sit out their team's entire next scheduled game.
• Eliminating the two-man wedge on kickoffs.
• Starting with the fifth overtime period, each team will line up to attempt a two point conversion instead of snapping the ball from the 25 yard line.
• Adding a two-minute break after the second and fourth overtime period.
• Blindside blocks delivered with forcible contact will draw a 15-yard penalty (personal foul). If elements of targeting exist, the player delivering the block will be subject to ejection as with any other targeting foul.

Other headlines

• February 8 - Ohio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith announced that he is stepping down from the CFP selection committee in order to focus on helping head coach Ryan Day. He will be replaced by Iowa athletic director Gary Barta.
• February 12 - Ole Miss Athletic Director Ross Bjork announced that Ole Miss will vacate 33 victories from their football program between the seasons of 2010 and 2016 due to fielding ineligible players. The Rebels will vacate four wins from 2010, two from 2011, seven from 2012, seven from 2013, eight from 2014 and five from 2016, to include a victory over Alabama in 2014. The vacated wins stem from an investigation into the Ole Miss football program involving academic, booster and recruiting misconduct, and a lack of institutional control. Mississippi had already served a two-year postseason ban in 2017 and 2018 and was given three years of probation, through 2020, as well as scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions in sanctions handed down more than a year ago.

Updated stadiums

• Iowa is currently rebuilding the north end zone of Kinnick Stadium. The $89.9 million upgrade will feature the addition of box seating, outdoor club seating, and a new scoreboard. The entire project is nearing completion and is expected to be finished in time for the Hawkeyes' 2019 home opener.
• Liberty is currently expanding the Arthur L. Williams Football Operations Center at Williams Stadium; additions to the east and west sides of the building will bring the center to about 75,000 square feet. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2020 season.
• Missouri is currently rebuilding the south end zone of Faurot Field. The $98 million upgrade will feature new suites, club seats and a 750-person membership only field-level club, with reconstruction expected to be completed in time for the 2019 season.
• Old Dominion is currently rebuilding the east and west grandstands of Foreman Field. The $24.8 million upgrade began with demolition of the old grandstands immediately after the Monarchs' last 2018 home game, with reconstruction expected to be completed in time for ODU's 2019 home opener.
• Syracuse will begin a $118 million, two-phase renovation of the Carrier Dome during summer 2019. The centerpiece of the first phase, planned to be completed in time for the 2020 football season, will see the Dome's inflatable roof replaced by a new fixed, semi-translucent roof. Other improvements in this phase include a new scoreboard that can be moved to optimal positions for football or basketball, Wi-Fi improvements, new sound and lighting systems, and accessibility upgrades. The second phase, to be completed in 2022, will see the installation of air conditioning, new concessions space, and further accessibility upgrades.

Kickoff games

"Week Zero"

The regular season will begin with two game on Saturday, August 24:

• Arizona at Hawaii
• Camping World Kickoff (Camping World Stadium Orlando) Miami (FL) vs. Florida

Week 1

The vast majority of FBS teams will open the season on Labor Day Weekend. Fours neutral-site "kickoff" games will be held.

• Belk Kickoff Game (Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte) South Carolina vs. North Carolina
• Texas Kickoff (NRG Stadium, Houston): Washington State vs. Houston
• Advocare Classic (AT&T Stadium, Arlington): Auburn vs. Oregon
• Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta): Alabama vs. Duke

Conference standings

2019 American Athletic Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division No. 21 Cincinnati xy   7 – 1     11 – 3   No. 24 UCF   6 – 2     10 – 3   Temple   5 – 3     8 – 5   South Florida   2 – 6     4 – 8   East Carolina   1 – 7     4 – 8   UConn   0 – 8     2 – 10   West Division No. 17 Memphis xy$   7 – 1     12 – 2   No. 20 Navy x   7 – 1     11 – 2   SMU   6 – 2     10 – 3   Tulane   3 – 5     7 – 6   Houston   2 – 6     4 – 8   Tulsa   2 – 6     4 – 8   Championship: Memphis 29, Cincinnati 24 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll	2019 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Atlantic Division No. 2 Clemson xy$^   8 – 0     14 – 1   Louisville   5 – 3     8 – 5   Wake Forest   4 – 4     8 – 5   Florida State   4 – 4     6 – 7   Boston College   4 – 4     6 – 7   Syracuse   2 – 6     5 – 7   NC State   1 – 7     4 – 8   Coastal Division Virginia x   6 – 2     9 – 5   Virginia Tech   5 – 3     8 – 5   Miami (FL)   4 – 4     6 – 7   Pittsburgh   4 – 4     8 – 5   North Carolina   4 – 4     7 – 6   Duke   3 – 5     5 – 7   Georgia Tech   2 – 6     3 – 9   Championship: Clemson 62, Virginia 17 ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll	2019 Big Ten Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division No. 3 Ohio State xy$^   9 – 0     13 – 1   No. 9 Penn State   7 – 2     11 – 2   No. 18 Michigan   6 – 3     9 – 4   Indiana   5 – 4     8 – 5   Michigan State   4 – 5     7 – 6   Maryland   1 – 8     3 – 9   Rutgers   0 – 9     2 – 10   West Division No. 11 Wisconsin xy   7 – 2     10 – 4   No. 10 Minnesota x   7 – 2     11 – 2   No. 15 Iowa   6 – 3     10 – 3   Illinois   4 – 5     6 – 7   Purdue   3 – 6     4 – 8   Nebraska   3 – 6     5 – 7   Northwestern   1 – 8     3 – 9   Championship: Ohio State 34, Wisconsin 21 ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll
2019 Big 12 Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 7 Oklahoma y$^   8 – 1     12 – 2   No. 13 Baylor y   8 – 1     11 – 3   No. 25 Texas   5 – 4     8 – 5   Oklahoma State   5 – 4     8 – 5   Kansas State   5 – 4     8 – 5   Iowa State   5 – 4     7 – 6   West Virginia   3 – 6     5 – 7   TCU   3 – 6     5 – 7   Texas Tech   2 – 7     4 – 8   Kansas   1 – 8     3 – 9   Championship: Oklahoma 30, Baylor 23 OT ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll	2019 Conference USA football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division Florida Atlantic xy$   7 – 1     11 – 3   Marshall   6 – 2     8 – 5   Western Kentucky   6 – 2     9 – 4   Charlotte   5 – 3     7 – 6   Middle Tennessee   3 – 5     4 – 8   FIU   3 – 5     6 – 7   Old Dominion   0 – 8     1 – 11   West Division UAB xy   6 – 2     9 – 5   Louisiana Tech x   6 – 2     10 – 3   Southern Miss   5 – 3     7 – 6   North Texas   3 – 5     4 – 8   UTSA   3 – 5     4 – 8   Rice   3 – 5     3 – 9   UTEP   0 – 8     1 – 11   Championship: Florida Atlantic 49, UAB 6 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant	2019 Mid-American Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division Miami (OH) x$   6 – 2     8 – 6   Ohio   5 – 3     7 – 6   Buffalo   5 – 3     8 – 5   Kent State   5 – 3     7 – 6   Bowling Green   2 – 6     3 – 9   Akron   0 – 8     0 – 12   West Division Central Michigan x   6 – 2     8 – 6   Western Michigan   5 – 3     7 – 6   Ball State   4 – 4     5 – 7   Northern Illinois   4 – 4     5 – 7   Toledo   3 – 5     6 – 6   Eastern Michigan   3 – 5     6 – 7   Championship: Miami 26, Central Michigan 21 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions
2019 Mountain West Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   Mountain Division No. 23 Boise State xy$   8 – 0     12 – 2   No. 22 Air Force   7 – 1     11 – 2   Utah State   6 – 2     7 – 6   Wyoming   4 – 4     8 – 5   Colorado State   3 – 5     4 – 8   New Mexico   0 – 8     2 – 10   West Division Hawaii xy   5 – 3     10 – 5   San Diego State x   5 – 3     10 – 3   Nevada   4 – 4     7 – 6   San Jose State   2 – 6     5 – 7   UNLV   2 – 6     4 – 8   Fresno State   2 – 6     4 – 8   Championship: Boise State 31, Hawaii 10 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll	2019 Pac-12 Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   North Division No. 5 Oregon x$   8 – 1     12 – 2   California   4 – 5     8 – 5   Washington   4 – 5     8 – 5   Oregon State   4 – 5     5 – 7   Washington State   3 – 6     6 – 7   Stanford   3 – 6     4 – 8   South Division No. 16 Utah x   8 – 1     11 – 3   USC   7 – 2     8 – 5   Arizona State   4 – 5     8 – 5   UCLA   4 – 5     4 – 8   Colorado   3 – 6     5 – 7   Arizona   2 – 7     4 – 8   Championship: Oregon 37, Utah 15 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll	2019 Southeastern Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division No. 4 Georgia x   7 – 1     12 – 2   No. 6 Florida   6 – 2     11 – 2   Tennessee   5 – 3     8 – 5   Kentucky   3 – 5     8 – 5   Missouri *   3 – 5     6 – 6   South Carolina   3 – 5     4 – 8   Vanderbilt   1 – 7     3 – 9   West Division No. 1 LSU x$#^   8 – 0     15 – 0   No. 8 Alabama   6 – 2     11 – 2   No. 14 Auburn   5 – 3     9 – 4   Texas A&M   4 – 4     8 – 5   Mississippi State   3 – 5     6 – 7   Ole Miss   2 – 6     4 – 8   Arkansas   0 – 8     2 – 10   Championship: LSU 37, Georgia 10 # – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions * – ineligible for postseason due to NCAA sanctions Rankings from AP Poll
2019 Sun Belt Conference football standings Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   East Division No. 19 Appalachian State x$   7 – 1     13 – 1   Georgia Southern   5 – 3     7 – 6   Georgia State   4 – 4     7 – 6   Troy   3 – 5     5 – 7   Coastal Carolina   2 – 6     5 – 7   West Division Louisiana x   7 – 1     11 – 3   Arkansas State   5 – 3     8 – 5   Louisiana–Monroe   4 – 4     5 – 7   Texas State   2 – 6     3 – 9   South Alabama   1 – 7     2 – 10   Championship: Appalachian State 45, Louisiana 38 $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from AP Poll	2019 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records Conf Overall Team   W   L     W   L   No. 12 Notre Dame   –     11 – 2   Liberty   –     8 – 5   BYU   –     7 – 6   Army   –     5 – 8   New Mexico State   –     2 – 10   UMass   –     1 – 11   Rankings from AP Poll

Coaching changes

Preseason and in-season

The is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2019. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2019, see 2018 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.

School	Outgoing Coach	Date	Reason	Replacement

Television viewers and ratings

Most watched regular season games

Rank	Date	Network	Viewers	TV Rating

See also

• 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season
• 2019 NCAA Division II football season
• 2019 NCAA Division III football season
• 2019 NAIA football season