2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season
2024 NCAA Division I FBS season | |
---|---|
Number of teams | 134 |
Duration | August 24, 2024 – December 14, 2024 |
Preseason AP No. 1 | Georgia |
Postseason | |
Duration | December 14, 2024 – January 20, 2025 |
Bowl games | 41[a] |
College Football Playoff | |
2025 College Football Playoff National Championship | |
Site | Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, Georgia[b] |
NCAA Division I FBS football seasons | |
← 2023 |
The 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season is the ongoing 155th season of college football in the United States, the 119th season organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the 49th of the highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 24 and is scheduled to end on December 14. The postseason will begin on December 14, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, end on January 20, 2025, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This will be the first season of the new College Football Playoff (CFP) system, with the bracket being expanded to 12 teams.[1]
Conference realignment
[edit]One school will play its first FBS season in 2024; Kennesaw State (from FCS independents) began its transition from Division I FCS in 2023 and joined Conference USA (CUSA) in July 2024.[2] One formerly independent school, Army, joined the American Athletic Conference in 2024.[3] SMU joined the ACC in 2024.[4]
Overall, 10 schools from the Pac-12 left for another conference in 2024. The 10 teams and conferences are:
- Big 12: Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah[5]
- ACC: California and Stanford[4]
- Big Ten: Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington[6]
The remaining two schools in the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State, made an agreement with the Mountain West Conference (MW) such that each remaining Pac-12 team will play six MW teams in 2024.[7]
Team | Conference in 2023 | Conference in 2024 |
---|---|---|
Arizona | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
Arizona State | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
Army | Independent (FBS) | American |
California | Pac-12 | ACC |
Colorado | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
Kennesaw State | Independent (FCS) | CUSA |
Oklahoma | Big 12 | SEC |
Oregon | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
SMU | American | ACC |
Stanford | Pac-12 | ACC |
Texas | Big 12 | SEC |
UCLA | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
USC | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
Utah | Pac-12 | Big 12 |
Washington | Pac-12 | Big Ten |
The 2024 season will be the last for one team as an FBS independent.[8][9]
School | Current conference | Future conference |
---|---|---|
UMass | Independent (FBS) | MAC |
Two FCS schools, Delaware and Missouri State, started transitioning their programs to FBS in the 2024 season. The two schools are respectively playing that season in CAA Football and the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but will not be eligible for the FCS playoffs due to NCAA transition rules. Both will join CUSA in 2025.[10][11]
School | Current conference | Future conference |
---|---|---|
Delaware | CAA Football (FCS) | CUSA |
Missouri State | Missouri Valley (FCS) | CUSA |
Rule changes
[edit]The following rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for the 2024 season:[12]
- Implementing a time-out at the first dead ball on or after the two-minute mark of the second and fourth quarters (similar to the NFL's two-minute warning). The following timing rules were synchronized to start after the two-minute timeout:
- Stopping the game clock when the offense gains a first down inbounds, then restarting after the chains are set.
- Situations where a ten-second runoff is required will now begin after the two-minute timeout instead of in the final minute of each half.
- Allowing use of coach-to-player communications via the helmet for one player (indicated by a green dot on the helmet), which would be turned off either with 15 seconds on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever occurs first.
- The use of up to 18 tablets per team on the sidelines for in-game video only will be permitted.
- Team personnel (player/coach/assistant/etc.) who enter the field to engage officials with a tablet to review video of a play(s) will be assessed an automatic unsportsmanlike conduct (15 yards) penalty which counts toward their limit of two before ejection.
- Division III will be adopting the first down timing rules that were implemented for FBS, FCS, and Division II in the 2023 season.
- Allowing conferences to use a collaborative instant replay system as a regular (instead of an experimental) rule.
- Horse-collar tackles within the tackle box will now be penalized as a personal foul (15 yards). Previously this action was not penalized within the tackle box.
- Head coaches will be permitted to be interviewed by the media at the end of the first and third quarters, making permanent an experimental rule.
- Once the referee declares the first half ended, no replay reviews will be permitted.
- Commercial sponsor logos will be permitted on three areas of the playing field.
- Any "hide-out" play, with or without a substitution, will be considered a team unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (15 yards).
Points of emphasis for the 2024 season include:[13]
- Continued emphasis on targeting, taunting, concussions, feigning injuries, and low hits to the quarterback.
- Pre-snap actions (false start on offense, and disconcerting signals/causing the offense to false start) will continue to be a point of emphasis, including editorial changes that if a defensive player is lined up within one yard of the line of scrimmage, he may not rush the line with the intent of causing a false start, and that any movement by the offense that simulates action will be a false start.
- Offensive alignment, including attention to eligible receivers being covered up by another player and other "gadget plays", will be strictly enforced.
Headlines
[edit]- January 25, 2024 – The Mid-American Conference announced that it would eliminate its football divisions, effective immediately. The championship game will instead involve the top two teams in the conference standings.[14]
- April 22 – The NCAA Division I Board of Directors announced the following:[15]
- Effective immediately, all student-athletes who meet certain academic requirements will be immediately eligible when transferring to a new school, regardless of whether they had transferred before. Previously, all transfers after the first, except for graduate transfers, required that the student-athlete receive an NCAA waiver in order to be immediately eligible.
- Also effective immediately, schools will be allowed to directly assist their athletes in reaching name, image, and likeness deals.
- After the end of the Pac-12 Conference's operating year on August 1, the conference was officially removed from autonomy status, effectively turning the Power Five conferences into a Power Four.
- June 25 – The NCAA Division I Council announced the following:
- Effective immediately, all members of a team's staff can provide coaching services. While this effectively lifts most limits on the size of coaching staffs, it does not change limits on the number of coaches who can recruit off-campus, graduate assistants, or strength and conditioning coaches.[16]
- Also effective immediately, cannabinoids were removed from the list of banned drugs in football. Penalties being served by student-athletes who had tested positive for cannabinoids were ended.[17]
- The Council voted to introduce a proposal that would reduce the duration of the transfer portal in football and basketball from 45 days to 30. A final vote is expected in October.[17]
Stadiums
[edit]- Due to stadium renovations at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the Kansas Jayhawks are playing two home games at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, and four home games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.[18]
- Due to stadium renovations at Ryan Field, the Northwestern Wildcats are playing five home games at temporary constructed Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois, and two home games at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois.[19][20]
- August 6 – FIU announced that Miami-based rapper Pitbull had purchased the naming rights to the Panthers' stadium, now known as Pitbull Stadium.[21] The $6 million contract runs for 5 years, with Pitbull having an option to renew for an additional 5 years.[22]
Kickoff games
[edit]Times are in Eastern Daylight Time.
Week 0
[edit]The regular season began on Saturday, August 24 with four games in Week 0.
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic
- Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 21 (at Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland)
- Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
- SMU 29, Nevada 24
- Hawaii 35, Delaware State 14
Week 1
[edit]- Aflac Kickoff Game:
- No. 14 Clemson vs. No. 1 Georgia (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia), 12:00 p.m. ABC
- Vegas Kickoff Classic:
- No. 13 LSU vs. No. 23 USC (at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada), 7:30 p.m. ABC
Week 2
[edit]- Duke's Mayo Classic:
- NC State vs. Tennessee (at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina), 7:30 p.m. ABC
Top 10 matchups
[edit]Rankings through Week 9 reflect the AP Poll. Rankings for Week 10 and beyond will list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.
Regular season
[edit]FCS team wins over FBS teams
[edit]Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 24 | 4:00 p.m. | No. 4 (FCS) Montana State | New Mexico | University Stadium • Albuquerque, New Mexico | FS1 | 35–31[c] | 17,314 | [24] |
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. |
- ^ 41 FBS bowl games plus the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
- ^ The championship game was originally scheduled to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
- ^ Montana State was a 13.5-point favorite at kickoff.[23]
Upsets
[edit]This section lists of unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked during the season.
- August 24, 2024
- Georgia Tech 24, No. 10 Florida State 21
Conference standings
[edit]
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Rankings
[edit]The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls
Preseason polls
[edit]
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Postseason
[edit]There are 41 team-competitive FBS post-season bowl games, with two teams advancing to a 42nd – the CFP National Championship game. Normally a team required to have a .500 minimum winning percentage during the regular season to become bowl-eligible (six wins for an 11- or 12-game schedule, and seven wins for a 13-game schedule) if there are not enough winning teams to fulfill all open bowl slots, teams with losing records may be chosen to fill all 82 bowl slots. Additionally on the rare occasion in which a conference champion does not meet eligibility requirements, they are usually still chosen for bowl games via tie-ins for their conference.
College Football Playoff
[edit]This is the first year under the expanded College Football Playoff format. Under this format, the 5 highest ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the 7 highest teams who are not conference champions will receive at-large bids. The 4 highest ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye in the playoff.[25]
All-star games
[edit]Each of these games features college seniors, or players whose college football eligibility is ending, who are individually invited by game organizers. These games are scheduled to follow the team-competitive bowls, to allow players selected from bowl teams to participate. The all-star games may include some players from non-FBS programs.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, which debuted in 2012 and was played 12 times through January 2023, was discontinued. The East–West Shrine Bowl relocated from Nevada (where its prior two editions had been played) to Texas.
Date | Time (EST) | Game | Site | Television | Participants | Results | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
January 11, 2025 | Hula Bowl | FBC Mortgage Stadium Orlando, Florida |
CBS Sports Network | Team Kai Team Aina |
[26] | ||
Jan. 2025 | Tropical Bowl | Camping World Stadium Orlando, Florida |
Varsity Sports Network | American Team National Team |
[27] | ||
January 30, 2025 | East-West Shrine Bowl | Ford Center at The Star Frisco, Texas |
NFL Network | West Team East Team |
[28] | ||
February 1, 2025 | Senior Bowl | Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, Alabama |
National Team American Team |
[29] | |||
February 22, 2025 | HBCU Legacy Bowl | Yulman Stadium New Orleans, Louisiana |
Team Robinson Team Gaither |
[30] |
Coaching changes
[edit]Preseason and in-season
[edit]This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2024, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled game but before its bowl game. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2024, see 2023 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.
School | Outgoing Coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fresno State | Jeff Tedford | July 15, 2024 | Resigned[31] | Tim Skipper (interim) |
Utah State | Blake Anderson | July 18, 2024 | Fired for Title IX non-compliance[32] | Nate Dreiling (interim) |
Television viewers and ratings
[edit]Top 10 most watched regular season games
[edit]All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll (before 11/5) and CFP Rankings (thereafter).
Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Ratings | Significance | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 24 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 10 Florida State | 21 | Georgia Tech | 24 | ESPN | 4.99 | 2.5 | Aer Lingus College Football Classic, College GameDay |
2 | August 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Norfolk State | 23 | Florida A&M | 24 | ABC | 1.29 | 0.8 | MEAC/SWAC Challenge |
Television changes
[edit]This is the first year of a new 10-year television deal for the Southeastern Conference. SEC games will air exclusively on ESPN networks. ABC replaces CBS as the over-the-air television home of the SEC and exclusive television home of the SEC Championship Game.[33] CBS will start airing Big Ten games in the 3:30 ET slot full-time this season.
Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference, announced a one-year agreement with The CW and Fox (2 games) on May 14, 2024.[34]
After extending their contract with the College Football Playoff in March, ESPN will sublicense two first round games to TNT Sports. These games will be the first games to air on the TNT network since 2006. ESPN will also sublicense two quarterfinal bowl games to TNT beginning in 2026.
Beginning this season, TNT Sports will also air third tier Mountain West Conference games on TruTV.[35]
See also
[edit]- 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season
- 2024 NCAA Division II football season
- 2024 NCAA Division III football season
- 2024 NAIA football season
- 2024 U Sports football season
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Thamel, Pete (November 30, 2022). "Rose Bowl agrees to deal allowing early CFP expansion in '24". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Alexander, Nolan (October 14, 2022). "Kennesaw State to Join Conference USA in 2024-25". Kennesaw State Owls. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Helwick, Steve (October 26, 2023). "Army will join the AAC in 2024: What to know about the Black Knights' conference move". SBNation. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ a b Russo, Ralph D.; Beard, Aaron (September 1, 2023). "ACC adds two Pac-12 schools to become latest super conference". The Salt Lake Tribune. Associated Press. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ Parks, James (August 4, 2023). "Big 12 votes to add Arizona, Arizona State, Utah in realignment move; Pac-12 responds". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (August 4, 2023). "Big Ten adds Oregon, Washington as newest members in blow to Pac-12". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ Bonagura, Kyle (December 5, 2023). "What Oregon State and Washington State's agreement with Mountain West means moving forward". ESPN. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Withers, Tom (February 27, 2024). "UMass will join Mid-American Conference as a full sports member in 2025, MAC commissioner says". Associated Press. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ Hernandez, Victoria (February 26, 2024). "UMass to join MAC conference, including previously independent football, per reports". USA Today. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025". Conference USA (Press release). November 28, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ "CUSA Adds Missouri State" (Press release). Conference USA. May 10, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
- ^ "Football Rules Committee Proposes Technology Rules" (Press release). NCAA. March 1, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Official Football Rules". NCAA. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ "MAC Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024-26" (Press release). Mid-American Conference. January 25, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2024.
- ^ "Division I Board of Directors ratifies transfer, NIL rule changes" (Press release). NCAA. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "Division I removes some restrictions on countable coaches in football" (Press release). NCAA. June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "Division I Council introduces proposals to change transfer windows" (Press release). NCAA. June 25, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium".
- ^ "David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium".
- ^ "A Project of Northwestern University".
- ^ "FIU Athletics, Pitbull Announce Unprecedented Partnership And Naming Of Football Stadium" (Press release). FIU Panthers. August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (August 6, 2024). "'Pitbull Stadium' comes to Miami as recording sensation, FIU agree to wide-ranging five-year, $6 million deal". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
- ^ "Montana State 35-31 New Mexico (Aug 24, 2024) Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ^ Londergan, Joe (24 August 2024). "Montana State Upset New Mexico in Final Minute to Spoil Bronco Mendenhall's Debut". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
- ^ "How the 12-team College Football Playoff will work: Teams, schedule, bids | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Caribe Royale Orlando Resort to Serve as Title Sponsor of the 2024 Hula Bowl". hulabowl.com (Press release). Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "TV – Trillion Tropical Bowl". tropicalbowl.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Events". shrinebowl.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Game Central". seniorbowl.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Home". hbculegacybowl.com. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
- ^ "Tedford steps down due to health issues". ESPN. July 15, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024.
- ^ Rittenberg, Adam (July 18, 2024). "Utah State fires Aggies football coach Blake Anderson". ESPN. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "SEC ESPN Deal Now Offcial ABC Replacing CBS Will Go Into Effect In 2024". SportsMediaWatch.com. December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
- ^ "Pac-12 football to be featured nationally across The CW Network & FOX Sports in 2024". Pac-12. May 14, 2024. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Jon (2024-07-01). "TNT continues to add sports rights, picks up Mountain West". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved 2024-07-02.