#39: The Division of Division 1

College football can be kind of confusing to those who are not diehard fans. What do all the acronyms and divisions even mean? We’re here to demystify some of that. The NCAA Division 1 is the highest level of college football in the United States. It encompasses the largest and highest-performing colleges like Alabama and LSU. 

Within Division 1, there are two subdivisions that differentiate between top-tier and second-tier teams. The NCAA recently renamed Division 1-A to “Football Bowl Subdivision” and 1-AA to “Football Championship Subdivision.” The NCAA also has other divisions like Division 2 and Division 3 for smaller schools. It’s complicated. We hope you were taking notes!