2023 NCAA Division I FBS season
Number of teams133
DurationAugust 26, 2023 – December 9, 2023
Preseason AP No. 1Georgia
Post-season
DurationDecember 15, 2023 – January 8, 2024
Bowl games42[lower-alpha 1]
College Football Playoff
2024 College Football Playoff National Championship
SiteNRG 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]

Team Conference in 2022 Conference in 2023
BYUIndependent (FBS)Big 12
CharlotteC-USAAmerican
CincinnatiAmericanBig 12
Florida AtlanticC-USAAmerican
HoustonAmericanBig 12
Jacksonville StateASUN (FCS)C-USA
LibertyIndependent (FBS)C-USA
New Mexico StateIndependent (FBS)C-USA
North TexasC-USAAmerican
RiceC-USAAmerican
Sam HoustonWAC (FCS)C-USA
UABC-USAAmerican
UCFAmericanBig 12
UTSAC-USAAmerican

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.

School Current conference Future conference
ArizonaPac-12Big 12
Arizona StatePac-12Big 12
Army Independent (FBS) American
CaliforniaPac-12ACC
ColoradoPac-12Big 12
Kennesaw StateIndependent (FCS)C-USA
OklahomaBig 12SEC
OregonPac-12Big Ten
SMUAmericanACC
StanfordPac-12ACC
TexasBig 12SEC
UCLAPac-12Big Ten
USCPac-12Big Ten
UtahPac-12Big 12
WashingtonPac-12Big Ten

In addition to Sam Houston and Jacksonville State, 1 other FCS school will start a transition to FBS in the 2023 season.[11]

Stadiums

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.

Week 1

Week 2

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

Conference championship games

FCS team wins over FBS teams

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendance
September 9 3:30 p.m. No. 24 (FCS) Southern Illinois Northern Illinois Huskie StadiumDeKalb, Illinois ESPN+  14–11   13,114
September 9 6:00 p.m. (FCS) Fordham Buffalo UB StadiumAmherst, New York ESPN+  40–37   15,854
September 9 7:00 p.m. No. 7 (FCS) Idaho Nevada Mackay StadiumReno, Nevada MWN  33–6[lower-alpha 2]   19,852
September 16 5:00 p.m. No. 8 (FCS) Sacramento State Stanford Stanford StadiumStanford, California P12N  30–23   23,848
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game.
  1. 41 FBS bowl games plus the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
  2. Idaho was a 5.5-point favorite at kickoff.[14]

Upsets

This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked teams during the season.

Regular season

Conference standings

2023 American Athletic Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 22 Tulane y  8 0   11 1  
SMU y  8 0   10 2  
UTSA  7 1   8 4  
Memphis  6 2   9 3  
South Florida  4 4   6 6  
Rice  4 4   6 6  
Navy  4 4   5 6  
North Texas  3 5   5 7  
UAB  3 5   4 8  
Florida Atlantic  3 5   4 8  
Charlotte  2 6   3 9  
Tulsa  2 6   4 8  
Temple  1 7   3 9  
East Carolina  1 7   2 10  
Championship: SMU at Tulane
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 4 Florida State y  8 0   12 0  
No. 14 Louisville y  7 1   10 2  
No. 19 NC State  6 2   9 3  
Georgia Tech  5 3   6 6  
Virginia Tech  5 3   6 6  
North Carolina  4 4   8 4  
No. 23 Clemson  4 4   8 4  
Duke  4 4   7 5  
Miami (FL)  3 5   7 5  
Boston College  3 5   6 6  
Syracuse  2 6   6 6  
Virginia  2 6   3 9  
Pittsburgh  2 6   3 9  
Wake Forest  1 7   4 8  
Championship: Louisville vs. Florida State
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 2 Michigan xy  9 0   12 0  
No. 6 Ohio State  8 1   11 1  
No. 10 Penn State  7 2   10 2  
Maryland  4 5   7 5  
Rutgers  3 6   6 6  
Michigan State  2 7   4 8  
Indiana  1 8   3 9  
West Division
No. 16 Iowa xy  7 2   10 2  
Northwestern  5 4   7 5  
Wisconsin  5 4   7 5  
Illinois  3 6   5 7  
Minnesota  3 6   5 7  
Nebraska  3 6   5 7  
Purdue  3 6   4 8  
Championship: Michigan vs. Iowa
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Big 12 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 7 Texas y  8 1   11 1  
No. 18 Oklahoma State y  7 2   9 3  
No. 12 Oklahoma  7 2   10 2  
Iowa State  6 3   7 5  
No. 25 Kansas State  6 3   8 4  
West Virginia  6 3   8 4  
Texas Tech  5 4   6 6  
Kansas  5 4   8 4  
UCF  3 6   6 6  
TCU  3 6   5 7  
Houston  2 7   4 8  
BYU  2 7   5 7  
Baylor  2 7   3 9  
Cincinnati  1 8   3 9  
Championship: Texas vs. Oklahoma State
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Conference USA football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 24 Liberty y  8 0   12 0  
New Mexico State y  7 1   10 3  
Jacksonville State*  6 2   8 4  
Western Kentucky  5 3   7 5  
Middle Tennessee  3 5   4 8  
UTEP  2 6   3 9  
Sam Houston*  2 6   3 9  
Louisiana Tech  2 6   3 9  
FIU  1 7   4 8  
Championship: New Mexico State at Liberty
  • y Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
Miami (OH) xy  7 1   10 2  
Ohio  6 2   9 3  
Bowling Green  5 3   7 5  
Buffalo  3 5   3 9  
Akron  1 7   2 10  
Kent State  0 8   1 11  
West Division
Toledo xy  8 0   11 1  
Northern Illinois  5 3   6 6  
Eastern Michigan  4 4   6 6  
Central Michigan  3 5   5 7  
Ball State  3 5   4 8  
Western Michigan  3 5   4 8  
Championship: Toledo vs. Miami (OH)
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Mountain West Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
UNLV y  6 2   9 3  
Boise State y  6 2   7 5  
San Jose State  6 2   7 5  
Air Force  5 3   8 4  
Wyoming  5 3   8 4  
Fresno State  4 4   8 4  
Utah State  4 4   6 6  
Hawaii  3 5   5 8  
Colorado State  3 5   5 7  
Nevada  2 6   2 10  
New Mexico  2 6   4 8  
San Diego State  2 6   4 8  
Championship: Boise State at UNLV
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Pac-12 Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 3 Washington y  9 0   12 0  
No. 5 Oregon y  8 1   11 1  
No. 15 Arizona  7 2   9 3  
No. 20 Oregon State  5 4   8 4  
Utah  5 4   8 4  
USC  5 4   7 5  
California  4 5   6 6  
UCLA  4 5   7 5  
Washington State  2 7   5 7  
Stanford  2 7   3 9  
Arizona State*  2 7   3 9  
Colorado  1 8   4 8  
Championship: Washington vs Oregon
  • $ Conference champion
  • y Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to self-imposed ban for 2020 recruiting violations
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 1 Georgia xy  8 0   12 0  
No. 9 Missouri  6 2   10 2  
No. 21 Tennessee  4 4   8 4  
Kentucky  3 5   7 5  
Florida  3 5   5 7  
South Carolina  3 5   5 7  
Vanderbilt  0 8   2 10  
West Division
No. 8 Alabama xy  8 0   11 1  
No. 11 Ole Miss  6 2   10 2  
No. 13 LSU  6 2   9 3  
Texas A&M  4 4   7 5  
Auburn  3 5   6 6  
Mississippi State  1 7   5 7  
Arkansas  1 7   4 8  
Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Sun Belt Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
James Madison* x  7 1   11 1  
Appalachian State y  6 2   8 4  
Coastal Carolina  5 3   7 5  
Old Dominion  5 3   6 6  
Georgia State  3 5   6 6  
Marshall  3 5   6 6  
Georgia Southern  3 5   6 6  
West Division
Troy xy  7 1   10 2  
Texas State  4 4   7 5  
Arkansas State  4 4   6 6  
South Alabama  4 4   6 6  
Louisiana  3 5   6 6  
Southern Miss  2 6   3 9  
Louisiana–Monroe  0 8   2 10  
Championship: Appalachian State at Troy
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
  • * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 17 Notre Dame     9 3  
Army     5 6  
UConn     3 9  
UMass     3 9  
As of December 1, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings

Rankings

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.[15][16]

Pre-season polls

AP
Ranking Team
1 Georgia (60)
2 Michigan (2)
3 Ohio State (1)
4 Alabama
5 LSU
6 USC
7 Penn State
8 Florida State
9 Clemson
10 Washington
11 Texas
12 Tennessee
13 Notre Dame
14 Utah
15 Oregon
16 Kansas State
17 TCU
18 Oregon State
19 Wisconsin
20 Oklahoma
21 North Carolina
22 Ole Miss
23 Texas A&M
24 Tulane
25 Iowa
USA Today Coaches
Ranking Team
1 Georgia (61)
2 Michigan
3 Alabama (4)
4 Ohio State (1)
5 LSU
6 USC
7 Penn State
8 Florida State
9 Clemson
10 Tennessee
11 Washington
12 Texas
13 Notre Dame
14 Utah
15 Oregon
16 TCU
17 Kansas State
18 Oregon State
19 Oklahoma
20 North Carolina
21 Wisconsin
22 Ole Miss
23 Tulane
24 Texas Tech
25 Texas A&M

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.

    ConferenceChampionW–LRankBowl game
    AAC
    ACC
    Big Ten
    Big 12
    C-USA
    MAC
    MW
    Pac-12
    SEC
    Sun Belt

    CFP College Football Playoff participant

    Bowl-eligible teams

    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

    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

    AwardFinalistsPositionSchoolWinner
    AP Player of the YearTBD
    Lombardi AwardTBD
    Maxwell AwardTBD
    SN Player of the YearTBD
    Walter Camp Award [25]Jayden Daniels
    Bo Nix
    Michael Penix Jr.
    QBLSU
    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
    NorthwesternPat FitzgeraldJuly 10, 2023Fired after hazing allegations[35]David Braun (named full-time on November 15)
    Michigan StateMel TuckerSeptember 27, 2023Fired for sexual misconduct[36]Harlon Barnett (interim)
    Texas A&MJimbo FisherNovember 12, 2023Fired[37]Elijah Robinson (interim)
    Boise StateAndy AvalosNovember 12, 2023Fired[38]Spencer Danielson (interim)
    Mississippi StateZach ArnettNovember 13, 2023Fired[39]Greg Knox (interim)
    SyracuseDino BabersNovember 19, 2023Fired[40]Nunzio Campanile (interim)
    Oregon StateJonathan SmithNovember 25, 2023Hired by Michigan State[41]Kefense Hynson (interim)
    Duke Mike ElkoNovember 27, 2023Hired by Texas A&M[42]Trooper Taylor (interim)
    James MadisonCurt CignettiNovember 30, 2023Hired 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 StateBrady HokeNovember 13, 2023Retired (effective at end of season)[44]Sean LewisColorado offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
    Michigan StateHarlon Barnett (interim)November 25, 2023Permanent replacement[41]Jonathan SmithOregon State head coach
    New MexicoDanny GonzalesNovember 25, 2023Fired[45]
    IndianaTom AllenNovember 26, 2023Fired[46]Curt Cignetti[43]James Madison head coach
    HoustonDana HolgorsenNovember 26, 2023Fired[47]
    UTEPDana DimelNovember 26, 2023Fired[48]
    Louisiana–MonroeTerry BowdenNovember 26, 2023Fired[49]
    Mississippi StateGreg Knox (interim)November 26, 2023Permanent replacement[50]Jeff LebbyOklahoma offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach
    Texas A&MElijah Robinson (interim)November 27, 2023Permanent replacement[42]Mike ElkoDuke head coach
    Middle TennesseeRick StockstillNovember 27, 2023Fired[51]
    SyracuseNunzio Campanile (interim)November 28, 2023Permanent replacement[52]Fran BrownGeorgia defensive backs coach
    Oregon StateKefense Hynson (interim)November 28, 2023Permanent replacement[53]Trent BrayOregon 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).

    RankDateTimeMatchupNetworkViewers (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.

    RankDateTimeMatchupNetworkViewers (millions)TV ratingsConferenceLocation
    December 1 8:00 p.m. No. 5 Oregon No. 3 Washington ABC Pac-12 Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
    December 2 12:00 p.m. Miami (OH) Toledo ESPN MAC Ford Field, Detroit, MI
    December 2 12:00 p.m. No. 18 Oklahoma State No. 7 Texas ABC Big 12 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX
    December 2 3:00 p.m. Boise State UNLV Fox MW Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
    December 2 4:00 p.m. No. 8 Alabama No. 1 Georgia CBS SEC Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
    December 2 4:00 p.m. SMU No. 22 Tulane ABC AAC Yulman Stadium, New Orleans, LA
    December 2 4:00 p.m. Appalachian State Troy ESPN Sun Belt Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, AL
    December 2 8:00 p.m. No. 2 Michigan No. 16 Iowa Fox Big Ten Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
    December 2 8:00 p.m. No. 14 Louisville No. 4 Florida State ABC ACC Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
    December 1 7:00 p.m. New Mexico State No. 24 Liberty CBSSN n.a.[lower-alpha 6] n.a.[lower-alpha 6] C-USA Williams Stadium, Lynchburg, VA

    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

    1. Despite having a 5–7 record, Minnesota is bowl-eligible due to having the highest Academic Progress Rate among five-win teams.
    2. 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.
    3. 1 2 Army and Navy both have one game remaining on its schedule, but it is played after the bowl matchups are selected on December 3; Navy has not met the eligibility threshold before then. Since Army has 2 FCS teams on their schedule, they are bowl-ineligible because they have already reached 6 losses and can finish no better than 5–6 in countable games for qualifying as a deserving team.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 1 2 Viewership and ratings are not avaliable for CBSSN because it is not Nielsen rated

    References

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    3. "2023 NCAA Football Rules" (PDF). NCAA. May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
    4. 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.
    5. "Arizona State Announces Self-Imposed Postseason Ban Following NCAA Investigation".
    6. "DI Council approves changes to notification-of-transfer windows" (Press release). NCAA. October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
    7. "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025" (Press release). Conference USA. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
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