| 2023 NCAA Division I FBS season | |
|---|---|
| Number of teams | 133 |
| Duration | August 26, 2023 – December 9, 2023 |
| Preseason AP No. 1 | Georgia |
| Post-season | |
| Duration | December 15, 2023 – January 8, 2024 |
| Bowl games | 42[lower-alpha 1] |
| College Football Playoff | |
| 2024 College Football Playoff National Championship | |
| Site | NRG Stadium Houston, Texas |
| NCAA Division I FBS football seasons | |
← 2022 | |
The 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season is the 154th season of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 26 and will end on December 9. The postseason will begin on December 15, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, end on January 8, 2024, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. This will be the tenth and final season of using the four team College Football Playoff (CFP) system, with the bracket being expanded to 12 teams for the 2024 season.[1]
Rule changes
The following rules changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee for the 2023 season:[2]
- Mirroring the NFL rule adopted in the 2005 NFL season, teams may not call consecutive timeouts during a single dead ball period.
- Accepted penalties committed on the last play of the first or third quarter will no longer result in an untimed down before the period ends. The penalty enforcement will be marked off and the second or fourth quarter will begin with the ball at the new spot. This modifies the rule adopted in the 1983 season.
- Modifying a rule adopted in the 1968 season, the game clock will no longer be stopped for first downs on offense except inside of the final two minutes of each half. This is similar to a rule used in the current incarnations of the USFL and XFL. The NFL does not stop the game clock for first downs at any time in the game. This rule was adopted for all NCAA Football divisions except Division III, they will still use the previous rule of clock stoppages on first down for the entire game.
- When there is not a replay official in the booth, the on-field officials will have optional replay available in the event of a coaches' challenge. This rule was trialed in the Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association in its 2022 conference season.
- Establishing guidelines for second-half warmup activities, including requiring teams to wait until the field is made available to return and having designated areas of the field to warm up.
- When teams are on the field, drones are not allowed over the playing surface or the team area.
- If a player receives a third targeting penalty in the same season (which requires a one-game suspension) and the penalty is overturned by the National Coordinator of Officials upon appeal, the suspension will be vacated.
- The area where "roughing/running into the kicker" protection ends was expanded to include when the kicker retreats more than five yards behind the spot the kicker was initially lined up to receive the snap. Previously the protection ended only when the kicker ran outside the tackle box before kicking the ball. The rule change was the result of a controversial play in the 2022 game between Missouri and Kentucky, where roughing was called after the Kentucky punter was hit while attempting a rushed kick following a botched snap which sailed more than 20 yards over his head.
Points of Emphasis for the 2023 season include:[3]
- Continued emphasis on targeting, sideline control, concussions, feigning injuries and acts of taunting.
- Pre-snap actions by the offense designed to cause the defense to jump into the neutral zone (abrupt, quick, or jerky motions by the quarterback) and disconcerting signals by the defense designed to cause a false start or snap issues on offense (simulating cadence and other sounds or motions similar to the offense's snap signals, including the use of the "clap" on defense designed to be similar to the offense).
- Rules regarding illegal hits to the quarterback/passer will be more strictly enforced.
Other headlines
- August 15 – Fresno State announced that the Bulldogs' home opener against Eastern Washington on September 9 would be the first-ever FBS game to be broadcast over linear television exclusively in Spanish. The city of Fresno is roughly 60% Hispanic, and the majority of Fresno State's enrollment is Hispanic. The game would be broadcast on UniMás in the Fresno and Bakersfield markets. English-language coverage was exclusively via streaming, with audio by Fresno State's radio broadcast team.[4]
- August 29 – Arizona State announced a self imposed bowl ban for the 2023 season. The ban stems from allegations that Arizona State hosted high school recruits during the COVID-19 dead period. The case is still on-going with the NCAA.[5]
- October 4 – The NCAA announced several major changes to Division I football recruiting and governance rules:[6]
- The window for athletes to enter the transfer portal was reduced. For FBS players, the portal now opens on the Monday after conference championship games are played and stays open for 30 days. For players participating in the postseason (i.e., bowl games, including the College Football Playoff), there is an additional 5-day window after the players' final game.
- The limit on "initial counters"—i.e., players who are receiving athletically-related financial aid for the first time—was permanently eliminated. The previous limit of 25 had been suspended due to COVID-19 impacts.
- Football attendance requirements for FBS membership were eliminated, effective immediately.
- The application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS increased from $5,000 to $5 million, effective immediately.
- Starting with the 2027–28 school year, FBS members must fund the equivalent of 210 full scholarships across all sports, and spend at least $6 million annually on such aid.
- Also starting in 2027–28, FBS members must provide at least 90% of the total number of allowed scholarships across 16 sports, including football. Schools that start FBS transitions in 2024–25 or later must meet both of the aforementioned limits by the end of their two-year transition.
- November 28 – Conference USA announced that Delaware, currently a member of the Coastal Athletic Association and its technically separate football arm of CAA Football, would start a transition from FCS to FBS in 2024 and join CUSA in 2025.[7]
Conference realignment
2 schools are playing their first FBS seasons in 2023. Sam Houston (from the Western Athletic Conference) and Jacksonville State (from the ASUN Conference) began transitions from Division I FCS in 2022 and joined Conference USA in July 2023.[8]
2 other Independent schools, Liberty and New Mexico State, joined Conference USA in 2023; those schools had respectively been full members of the ASUN and WAC.[8]
6 schools from Conference USA joined the American Athletic Conference for the 2023 season—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.[9] This followed 3 schools from The American, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF, leaving the conference for the Big 12 Conference in 2023. In addition, BYU, previously an FBS independent and otherwise a member of the non-football West Coast Conference, joined the Big 12.[10]
The 2023 season is the last for 13 FBS teams in their current conferences, and is also the last for Army as an FBS independent and the last before Kennesaw State moves from FCS to FBS.
In addition to Sam Houston and Jacksonville State, 1 other FCS school will start a transition to FBS in the 2023 season.[11]
- Kennesaw State will leave the ASUN Conference for C-USA. It will play the 2023 season as an FCS independent, while remaining in the ASUN for other sports, before joining C-USA in 2024.
Stadiums
- Arizona State announced a 15 year naming rights agreement to change the name of their stadium to Mountain America Stadium.[12]
- North Texas announced a naming rights agreement with the Denton Area Teachers Credit Union to change the name of their stadium to DATCU Stadium.[13]
Kickoff games
Rankings reflect the AP Poll entering each week.
"Week 0"
The regular season began on Saturday, August 26 with seven games in Week 0.
- Aer Lingus College Football Classic (Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland): No. 13 Notre Dame 42, Navy 3
- Jacksonville State 17, UTEP 14
- Louisiana Tech 22, FIU 17
- San Diego State 20, Ohio 13
- No. 6 USC 56, San Jose State 28
- UMass 41, New Mexico State 30
- Vanderbilt 35, Hawaii 28
Week 1
- Aflac Kickoff Game:
- Louisville 39, Georgia Tech 34 (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)
- Duke's Mayo Classic:
- No. 21 North Carolina 31, South Carolina 17 (at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina)
- Camping World Kickoff:
- No. 8 Florida State 45, No. 5 LSU 24 (at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)
Week 2
- Allstate Crossbar Classic:
- No. 11 Texas 34, No. 3 Alabama 24 (at Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Top 10 matchups
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
- Week 1
- No. 8 Florida State defeated No. 5 LSU 45–24 (Camping World Kickoff, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida)
- Week 4
- No. 6 Ohio State defeated No. 9 Notre Dame 17–14 (Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame, Indiana)
- Week 7
- No. 7 Washington defeated No. 8 Oregon 36–33 (Husky Stadium, Seattle, Washington)
- Week 8
- No. 3 Ohio State defeated No. 7 Penn State 20–12 (Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio)
- Week 11
- No. 3/2 Michigan defeated No. 10/9 Penn State 24–15 (Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania)
- No. 2/1 Georgia defeated No. 9/10 Ole Miss 52–17 (Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia)
- Week 12
- No. 5/5 Washington defeated No. 11/10 Oregon State 22–20 (Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Oregon)
- Week 13
- No. 3/3 Michigan defeated No. 2/2 Ohio State 30–24 (Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan)
Conference championship games
- No. 3/3 Washington vs. No. 5/5 Oregon (December 1, 8:00 PM EST) (Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada)
- No. 1/1 Georgia vs. No. 8/8 Alabama (December 2, 4:00 PM EST) (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia)
FCS team wins over FBS teams
| Date | Time | Visiting team | Home team | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 24 (FCS) Southern Illinois | Northern Illinois | Huskie Stadium • DeKalb, Illinois | ESPN+ | 14–11 | 13,114 | |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | (FCS) Fordham | Buffalo | UB Stadium • Amherst, New York | ESPN+ | 40–37 | 15,854 | |
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 7 (FCS) Idaho | Nevada | Mackay Stadium • Reno, Nevada | MWN | 33–6[lower-alpha 2] | 19,852 | |
| September 16 | 5:00 p.m. | No. 8 (FCS) Sacramento State | Stanford | Stanford Stadium • Stanford, California | P12N | 30–23 | 23,848 | |
| #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. | ||||||||
Upsets
This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked teams during the season.
Regular season
- September 2, 2023
- September 4, 2023
- September 9, 2023
- Washington State 31, No. 19 Wisconsin 22
- Miami (FL) 48, No. 23 Texas A&M 33
- September 16, 2023
- Florida 29, No. 11 Tennessee 16
- Missouri 30, No. 15 Kansas State 27
- September 30, 2023
- Kentucky 33, No. 22 Florida 14
- October 7, 2023
- UCLA 25, No. 13 Washington State 17
- Georgia Tech 23, No. 17 Miami (FL) 20
- Wyoming 24, No. 24 Fresno State 19
- October 14, 2023
- Pittsburgh 38, No. 14 Louisville 21
- Arizona 44, No. 19 Washington State 6
- Oklahoma State 39, No. 23 Kansas 32
- Missouri 38, No. 24 Kentucky 21
- October 21, 2023
- Virginia 31, No. 10 North Carolina 27
- Minnesota 12, No. 24 Iowa 10
- October 28, 2023
- Kansas 38, No. 6 Oklahoma 33
- Arizona 27, No. 11 Oregon State 24
- Georgia Tech 46, No. 17 North Carolina 42
- November 4, 2023
- Oklahoma State 27, No. 10 Oklahoma 24
- Clemson 31, No. 12 Notre Dame 23
- Army 23, No. 17 Air Force 3
- Arizona 27, No. 20 UCLA 10
- November 11, 2023
- UCF 45, No. 15 Oklahoma State 3
- Texas Tech 16, No. 19 Kansas 13
- November 18, 2023
- Appalachian State 26, No. 18 James Madison 23OT
- Clemson 31, No. 22 North Carolina 20
- November 25, 2023
- Kentucky 38, No. 9 Louisville 31
- Iowa State 42, No. 19 Kansas State 35
Conference standings
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Rankings
The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.[15][16]
Pre-season polls
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CFB Playoff final rankings
In December 2023, the College Football Playoff selection committee will announce its final team rankings for the year.
Postseason
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 is 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.
Conference summaries
Rankings in this section are based on CFP rankings released prior to the games.
| Conference | Championship game | Overall Player of the Year/MVP | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Special Teams Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Venue (Location) | Matchup | Result | ||||||
| ACC | Dec. 2, 2023 | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, North Carolina) | No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 14 Louisville | Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State[17] | Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State[17] | Payton Wilson, LB, NC State[17] | — | Mike Norvell, Florida State[17] | |
| American | Dec. 2, 2023 | Yulman Stadium (New Orleans, Louisiana) | SMU at No. 22 Tulane | — | Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane[18] | Trey Moore, LB, UTSA[18] | LaJohntay Wester, WR/RS, Florida Atlantic[18] | Willie Fritz, Tulane[18] | |
| Big Ten | Dec. 2, 2023 | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana) | No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 16 Iowa | — | Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State[19] | Jer'Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois[19] | Dragan Kesich, PK, Minnesota;
Tory Taylor, P, Iowa; & Cooper DeJean, RS, Iowa[19] |
David Braun, Northwestern (coaches & media)[19] | |
| Big 12 | Dec. 2, 2023 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) | No. 7 Texas vs. No. 18 Oklahoma State | — | Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State[20] | T’Vondre Sweat, DL, Texas[20] | Austin McNamara, P, Texas Tech[20] | Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State[20] | |
| C–USA | Dec. 1, 2023 | Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Virginia) | New Mexico State at No. 24 Liberty | ||||||
| MAC | Dec. 2, 2023 | Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) | Miami (OH) vs. Toledo | — | Peny Boone, RB, Toledo[21] | Matt Salopek, LB, Miami (OH)[21] | Graham Nicholson, PK, Miami (OH)[21] | Jason Candle, Toledo[21] | |
| MW | Dec. 2, 2023 | Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, Nevada) | Boise State at UNLV | — | Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State[22] | Mohamed Kamara, DE, Colorado State[22] | Jose Pizano, PK, UNLV[22] | Barry Odom, UNLV[22] | |
| Pac-12 | Dec. 1, 2023 | No. 3 Washington vs. No. 5 Oregon | — | — | |||||
| SEC | Dec. 2, 2023 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) | No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 8 Alabama | — | |||||
| Sun Belt | Dec. 2, 2023 | Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy, Alabama) | Appalachian State at Troy | Jordan McCloud, QB, James Madison[23] | Kimani Vidal, RB, Troy[23] | Jalen Green, DE, James Madison[23] | — | Curt Cignetti, James Madison[23] | |
Conference champions' bowl games
Ranks are per the final CFP rankings, released on December 2023, with win–loss records at that time.
| Conference | Champion | W–L | Rank | Bowl game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAC | ||||
| ACC | ||||
| Big Ten | ||||
| Big 12 | ||||
| C-USA | ||||
| MAC | ||||
| MW | ||||
| Pac-12 | ||||
| SEC | ||||
| Sun Belt |
CFP College Football Playoff participant
Bowl-eligible teams
- ACC (11): Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami (FL), North Carolina, NC State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech
- American (6): Memphis, Rice, SMU, South Florida, Tulane, UTSA
- Big 10 (9): Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota[lower-alpha 1], Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin
- Big 12 (9): Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech, UCF, West Virginia
- C-USA (4): Jacksonville State[lower-alpha 2], Liberty, New Mexico State, Western Kentucky
- MAC (6): Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Miami (OH), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo
- MW (7): Air Force, Boise State, Fresno State, San Jose State, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming
- Pac-12 (8): Arizona, California, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington
- SEC (9): Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M
- Sun Belt (12): Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, James Madison[lower-alpha 2], Georgia State, Louisiana, Marshall, Old Dominion, South Alabama, Texas State, Troy
- Independent (1): Notre Dame
Number of bowl berths available: 82
Number of bowl-eligible teams: 79
Number of conditional bowl-eligible teams: 2 (Jacksonville State and James Madison)
Number of teams qualified by APR: 1 (Minnesota)
Bowl-ineligible teams
- ACC (3): Pittsburgh, Virginia, Wake Forest
- American (8): Charlotte, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Navy[lower-alpha 3], North Texas, Temple, Tulsa, UAB
- Big 10 (5): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue
- Big 12 (5): Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, TCU
- C-USA (5): FIU, Louisiana Tech, Middle Tennessee, Sam Houston[lower-alpha 4], UTEP
- MAC (6): Akron, Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Kent State, Western Michigan
- MW (5): Colorado State, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Diego State
- Pac-12 (4): Arizona State[lower-alpha 5], Colorado, Stanford, Washington State
- SEC (5): Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt
- Sun Belt (2): Louisiana–Monroe, Southern Miss
- Independent (3): Army[lower-alpha 3], UConn, UMass
Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 51
Awards and honors
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player.
Other overall
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Player of the Year | TBD | |||
| Lombardi Award | TBD | |||
| Maxwell Award | TBD | |||
| SN Player of the Year | TBD | |||
| Walter Camp Award [25] | Jayden Daniels Bo Nix Michael Penix Jr. | QB | LSU Oregon Washington | TBD |
Special overall
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlsworth Trophy (top player who began as walk-on) | TBD | |||
| Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) | TBD | |||
| Jon Cornish Trophy (top Canadian player) | TBD | |||
| Campbell Trophy ("academic Heisman") | TBD | |||
| Academic All-American of the Year | TBD | |||
| Wuerffel Trophy (humanitarian-athlete) | TBD | |||
| Senior CLASS Award | TBD |
Offense
Quarterback
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davey O'Brien Award | Jayden Daniels Bo Nix Michael Penix Jr. |
QB | LSU Oregon Washington |
TBD |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (senior/4th year qb) | ― | QB | LSU | Jayden Daniels |
| Manning Award | Carson Beck Jayden Daniels Dillon Gabriel Drake Maye J.J. McCarthy Jalen Milroe Bo Nix Michael Penix Jr. Jordan Travis Caleb Williams |
QB | Georgia LSU Oklahoma North Carolina Michigan Alabama Oregon Washington Florida State USC |
TBD |
Running back
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doak Walker Award[26] | Ollie Gordon II Omarion Hampton Cody Schrader |
RB | Oklahoma State North Carolina Missouri |
TBD |
Wide receiver
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fred Biletnikoff Award[27] | Marvin Harrison Jr. Malik Nabers Rome Odunze |
WR | Ohio State LSU Washington |
TBD |
Tight end
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Mackey Award[28] | Brock Bowers Dallin Holker Cade Stover |
TE | Georgia Colorado State Ohio State |
TBD |
Lineman:
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rimington Trophy (center) | TBD | |||
| Outland Trophy (interior lineman off. or def.)[29] | Joe Alt Cooper Beebe T’Vondre Sweat |
OT G DT |
Notre Dame Kansas State Texas |
TBD |
| Joe Moore Award (offensive line) |
Defense
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronko Nagurski Trophy (defensive player) | TBD | |||
| Chuck Bednarik Award (defensive player)[30] | Laiatu Latu Dallas Turner Payton Wilson |
DE OLB LB |
UCLA Alabama NC State |
TBD |
| Lott Trophy (defensive impact) | TBD |
Defensive front
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dick Butkus Award (linebacker) | TBD | |||
| Ted Hendricks Award (defensive end) | TBD |
Defensive back
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Thorpe Award[31] | Cooper DeJean Malaki Starks Trey Taylor |
CB S S |
Iowa Georgia Air Force |
TBD |
Special teams
| Award | Finalists | Position | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lou Groza Award (placekicker)[32] | Graham Nicholson Will Reichard Jose Pizano |
K | Miami (Ohio) Alabama UNLV |
TBD |
| Ray Guy Award (punter)[33] | Matt Hayball Alex Mastromanno Tory Taylor |
P | Vanderbilt Florida State Iowa |
TBD |
| Jet Award (return specialist) | TBD | |||
| Patrick Mannelly Award (long snapper) | TBD | |||
| Peter Mortell Holder of the Year Award | TBD |
Coaches
| Award | Finalists | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFCA Coach of the Year | TBD | ||
| AP Coach of the Year | TBD | ||
| Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year: | TBD | ||
| Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year | TBD | ||
| George Munger Award | TBD | ||
| Home Depot Coach of the Year | TBD | ||
| Paul "Bear" Bryant Award | TBD | ||
| Walter Camp Coach of the Year | TBD |
Assistants
| Award | Finalists | Coordinator | School | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year | TBD | |||
| Broyles Award[34] | Mike Bobo Mike Denbrock Sherrone Moore Phil Parker Will Stein |
Offensive Coordinator Offensive Coordinator Offensive Coordinator Defensive Coordinator Offensive Coordinator |
Georgia LSU Michigan Iowa Oregon |
TBD |
All-Americans
Coaching changes
Preseason and in-season
This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2023, 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 2023, see 2022 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | Pat Fitzgerald | July 10, 2023 | Fired after hazing allegations[35] | David Braun (named full-time on November 15) |
| Michigan State | Mel Tucker | September 27, 2023 | Fired for sexual misconduct[36] | Harlon Barnett (interim) |
| Texas A&M | Jimbo Fisher | November 12, 2023 | Fired[37] | Elijah Robinson (interim) |
| Boise State | Andy Avalos | November 12, 2023 | Fired[38] | Spencer Danielson (interim) |
| Mississippi State | Zach Arnett | November 13, 2023 | Fired[39] | Greg Knox (interim) |
| Syracuse | Dino Babers | November 19, 2023 | Fired[40] | Nunzio Campanile (interim) |
| Oregon State | Jonathan Smith | November 25, 2023 | Hired by Michigan State[41] | Kefense Hynson (interim) |
| Duke | Mike Elko | November 27, 2023 | Hired by Texas A&M[42] | Trooper Taylor (interim) |
| James Madison | Curt Cignetti | November 30, 2023 | Hired by Indiana[43] |
End of season
The list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of season.
| School | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement | Previous position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State | Brady Hoke | November 13, 2023 | Retired (effective at end of season)[44] | Sean Lewis | Colorado offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
| Michigan State | Harlon Barnett (interim) | November 25, 2023 | Permanent replacement[41] | Jonathan Smith | Oregon State head coach |
| New Mexico | Danny Gonzales | November 25, 2023 | Fired[45] | ||
| Indiana | Tom Allen | November 26, 2023 | Fired[46] | Curt Cignetti[43] | James Madison head coach |
| Houston | Dana Holgorsen | November 26, 2023 | Fired[47] | ||
| UTEP | Dana Dimel | November 26, 2023 | Fired[48] | ||
| Louisiana–Monroe | Terry Bowden | November 26, 2023 | Fired[49] | ||
| Mississippi State | Greg Knox (interim) | November 26, 2023 | Permanent replacement[50] | Jeff Lebby | Oklahoma offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach |
| Texas A&M | Elijah Robinson (interim) | November 27, 2023 | Permanent replacement[42] | Mike Elko | Duke head coach |
| Middle Tennessee | Rick Stockstill | November 27, 2023 | Fired[51] | ||
| Syracuse | Nunzio Campanile (interim) | November 28, 2023 | Permanent replacement[52] | Fran Brown | Georgia defensive backs coach |
| Oregon State | Kefense Hynson (interim) | November 28, 2023 | Permanent replacement[53] | Trent Bray | Oregon State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach |
| Nevada | Ken Wilson | December 1, 2023 | Fired[54] |
Television viewers and ratings
Top 10 most watched regular season games
All times Eastern. Rankings are from the AP Poll (before 10/31) and CFP Rankings (thereafter).
| Rank | Date | Time | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV ratings[55] | Significance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Ohio State | 24 | No. 3 Michigan | 30 | Fox | 19.07 | 9.0 | The Game, College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff |
| 2 | September 23 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 19 Colorado | 6 | No. 10 Oregon | 42 | ABC | 10.03 | 5.2 | |
| 3 | September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 6 Ohio State | 17 | No. 9 Notre Dame | 14 | NBC | 9.98 | 5.1 | College GameDay |
| 4 | October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 7 Penn State | 12 | No. 3 Ohio State | 20 | Fox | 9.96 | 5.3 | College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry |
| 5 | September 16 | 10:00 p.m. | Colorado State | 35 | No. 18 Colorado | 43 | ESPN | 9.30 | 4.9 | College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff, Rocky Mountain Showdown |
| 6 | September 3 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 5 LSU | 24 | No. 8 Florida State | 45 | ABC | 9.17 | 4.7 | Camping World Kickoff |
| 7 | November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 Michigan | 24 | No. 10 Penn State | 15 | Fox | 9.16 | 5.0 | Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry |
| 8 | November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 8 Alabama | 27 | Auburn | 24 | CBS | 9.09 | 4.3 | Iron Bowl, SEC Nation |
| 9 | November 4 | 7:45 p.m. | No. 14 LSU | 28 | No. 8 Alabama | 42 | CBS | 8.82 | 4.6 | College GameDay, rivalry |
| 10 | September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 11 Texas | 34 | No. 3 Alabama | 24 | ESPN/ESPN2 | 8.76 | 4.5 | Allstate Crossbar Classic, College GameDay |
Conference championship games
All times Eastern. Rankings are from the CFP Rankings.
Television changes
This is the first year of television deals for the Big Ten Conference and Conference USA. The Big Ten's deal includes CBS, NBC/Peacock, Fox/FS1 and the Big Ten Network.[56][57] Conference USA's deal includes ESPN and CBS Sports Network.[58] Due to the bankruptcy of Diamond Sports Group, starting this season, a package of ACC games produced by Raycom Sports that were previously aired on Bally Sports will now air on The CW.[59] This is also the final year of television deals for the Pac-12 Conference and the SEC. The SEC has signed a new deal with ESPN and the SEC Network. No new television deal has yet been signed for the Pac-12.[60][61] Locally, Fresno State reached an agreement with TelevisaUnivision stations KTFF-DT and KBTF-CD to air the first ever exclusively Spanish-language television broadcast in FBS history on September 9.[4]
Noah Eagle, formerly at Fox Sports, and Todd Blackledge, formerly at ESPN, joined NBC Sports in 2023 as the lead commentary team on Big Ten Saturday Night.[62] Greg McElroy replaced Blackledge as ESPN's #2 college football color commentator. Derek Mason and Orlando Franklin also joined ESPN as color commentators.[63] Jeff Levering replaced Eagle at Fox Sports, while Mark Ingram II replaced Reggie Bush on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff show.[64]
In the UK, coverage was almost non-existant until mid-November due to BT Sport, which had broadcast full coverage of the NCAA, being relaunched as TNT Sports following the sale of BT Sport to Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA[65] and TNT Sports decided to drop all coverage of College Sport.[66] The College Football action aired in the UK was Notre Dame's seven home games which were shown on Sky Sports until mid-November when an agreement between Sky Sports and ESPN saw Sky start to show three games a week plus the Bowl season along with College Gameday. The deal also includes the 2024 College football season.[67]
See also
Notes
- ↑ Despite having a 5–7 record, Minnesota is bowl-eligible due to having the highest Academic Progress Rate among five-win teams.
- 1 2 As there were not be enough deserving bowl-eligible teams to fill the available spots, Jacksonville State and James Madison are conditionally bowl-eligible due to their records despite their transitions from FCS.
- ↑ Sam Houston is bowl-ineligible due to its transition from FCS. Sam Houston has assured itself of a losing season and would be bowl-ineligible regardless.
- ↑ Arizona State has announced a self-imposed 2023 bowl game ban due to recruiting violations from the 2020 season.[24] Arizona State has assured itself of a losing season and would be bowl-ineligible regardless.
- 1 2 Viewership and ratings are not avaliable for CBSSN because it is not Nielsen rated
References
- ↑ "Rose Bowl OK's new deal for 12-team CFP in '24". ESPN.com. December 1, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Football Timing rules changes approved for Divisions I-II" (Press release). NCAA. April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
- ↑ "2023 NCAA Football Rules" (PDF). NCAA. May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
- 1 2 "Fresno State Athletics Partners With Univision for Historic College Football Broadcast" (Press release). Fresno State Bulldogs. August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Arizona State Announces Self-Imposed Postseason Ban Following NCAA Investigation".
- ↑ "DI Council approves changes to notification-of-transfer windows" (Press release). NCAA. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
- ↑ "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025" (Press release). Conference USA. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- 1 2 "Conference USA Adds Four Members" (Press release). Conference USA. November 5, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "American Athletic Conference Announces the Addition of 6 Universities" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "Big 12 Conference Adds 4 New Members" (Press release). Big 12 Conference. September 10, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "C-USA Adds Kennesaw State, Owls to Join in 2024" (Press release). Conference USA. October 14, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ↑ "ASU, Mountain America Credit Union reach one of the most integrated naming rights deals in college sports".
- ↑ "UNT ushers 'new era,' renames football stadium to DATCU stadium". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
- ↑ "Idaho vs. Nevada - Game Summary - September 9, 2023 - ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ↑ "USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll".
- ↑ "AP TOP 25 POLL".
- 1 2 3 4 "FSU's Travis & NC State's Wilson Earn ACC Top Honors".
- 1 2 3 4 "2023 Football Postseason Awards".
- 1 2 3 4 "2023 Big Ten Individual Award Winner" (PDF).
- 1 2 3 4 "2023 All-Big 12 Football Awards Announce" (PDF).
- 1 2 3 4 "MAC Announces 2023 Postseason Football Awards & All-Conference Teams".
- 1 2 3 4 "2023 Mountain West All-Conference individual award winners".
- 1 2 3 4 "Sun Belt Announces 2023 Football Postseason Awards & All-Conference Teams".
- ↑ Gardner, Michelle (August 27, 2023). "Arizona State Football Self-Imposes Bowl Ban This Season for Alleged Recruiting Violations". AZ Central. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Walter Camp Announces Finalists for 2023 Player of the Year Award".
- ↑ "THREE FINALISTS NAMED FOR 2023 DOAK WALKER AWARD" (PDF).
- ↑ "The Biletnikoff Award's 2023 Finalists Are Announced".
- ↑ "The John Mackey Final 3".
- ↑ "Three finalists named for 2023 Outland Trophy".
- ↑ "The Chuck Bednarik Award".
- ↑ "2023 PAYCOM JIM THORPE AWARD FINALISTS".
- ↑ "2023 Top Three Finalists".
- ↑ "The Ray Guy Award".
- ↑ "2023 FINALISTS".
- ↑ Thamel, Pete (July 10, 2023). "Northwestern fires football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing claims". ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ↑ Lage, Larry (September 27, 2023). "Michigan State fires coach Mel Tucker for bringing ridicule to school, breaching his contract". Associated Press. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
- ↑ Thamel, Pete (November 12, 2023). "Sources: Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher fired, to receive record buyout". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ↑ Fornelli, Tom (November 12, 2023). "Boise State to fire Andy Avalos: Broncos set to move on from coach amid 5-5 record in 2023 season, per report". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
- ↑ Low, Chris (November 13, 2023). "Mississippi State fires head football coach Zach Arnett". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Syracuse fires coach Dino Babers after eight seasons". ESPN. November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- 1 2 "Jonathan Smith Named Michigan State University Head Football Coach". msuspartans.com. Michigan State Athletics. November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- 1 2 "Mike Elko Named Head Football Coach". 12thman.com. Texas A&M University. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- 1 2 "Cignetti Named 30th Head Football Coach at Indiana University" (Press release). Indiana Hoosiers. November 30, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ↑ Bonagura, Kyle (November 13, 2023). "San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke to retire after season". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
- ↑ Thamel, Pete (November 25, 2023). "New Mexico fires Danny Gonzales after 4 years as head coach". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
- ↑ Osterman, Zach (November 26, 2023). "Indiana football fires coach Tom Allen despite $20 million buyout". indystar.com. The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ Duarte, Joseph (November 26, 2023). "UH fires football coach Dana Holgorsen after five seasons". Houstonchronicle.com. Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ Deaver, Colin (November 26, 2023). "UTEP parts ways with Dana Dimel after six seasons". KTSM-TV. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ "ULM to Seek New Leadership for Football Program". ulmwarhawks.com. University of Louisiana Monroe Athletics. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Offensive Mastermind Jeff Lebby Named Mississippi State Head Football Coach". hailstate.com. Mississippi State University Athletics. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Massaro announces change in leadership for Blue Raider football" (Press release). Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
- ↑ "Fran Brown, Nation's No. 1 Recruiter, Tapped to Lead Orange Football".
- ↑ Cobb, David (November 28, 2023). "Oregon State names Trent Bray coach: Beavers elevate defensive coordinator to replace Jonathan Smith". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
- ↑ "Nevada announces change in football leadership".
- ↑ "College Football TV Ratings". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
- ↑ Bucholtz, Andrew (August 18, 2022). "Big Ten announces deals with Fox, CBS, NBC, including championship game splits". Awful Announcing. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ↑ "Big Ten lands multibillion-dollar TV deal, the richest in college sports". Washington Post. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ↑ Sallee, Barrett (October 10, 2022). "Conference USA reaches TV deal with CBS Sports, ESPN to broadcast midweek college football game". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ↑ Petski, Denise (July 13, 2023). "The CW Lands Rights To Atlantic Coast Conference College Football & Basketball Games Through 2026-27". Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ↑ Jeyarajah, Shehan (July 18, 2023). "Pac-12 will not announce media rights deal this week as talks progress with new bidders reportedly involved". CBS Sports. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ↑ "SEC, ESPN strike 10-year deal for college football, basketball starting in 2024". ESPN. December 10, 2020. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ↑ "NBC to team Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge on Big Ten broadcasts". Yahoo! Sports. January 6, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ↑ "ESPN Sets College Football Booths, Promotes Greg McElroy". Front Office Sports. August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
- ↑ Lucia, Joe (August 21, 2023). "Fox Sports announces college football broadcaster lineup for 2023 season". Awful Announcing.
- ↑ Frater, Patrick (May 12, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery and BT to Launch Sports Venture in U.K. and Ireland". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ↑ Digital Spy forum - TNT Sport Channels Page 23
- ↑