2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season

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For the 2023 FCS season, see 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season.

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[a]
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[edit]

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[edit]

  • 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 will be 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—has been 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.

Conference realignment[edit]

Main article: 2021–2024 NCAA 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.[7]

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.[7]

6 schools from Conference USA joined the American Athletic Conference for the 2023 season—Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA.[8] 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.[9]

Team Conference in 2022 Conference in 2023
BYU Independent (FBS) Big 12
Charlotte C-USA American
Cincinnati American Big 12
Florida Atlantic C-USA American
Houston American Big 12
Jacksonville State ASUN (FCS) C-USA
Liberty Independent (FBS) C-USA
New Mexico State Independent (FBS) C-USA
North Texas C-USA American
Rice C-USA American
Sam Houston WAC (FCS) C-USA
UAB C-USA American
UCF American Big 12
UTSA C-USA American

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
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) C-USA
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

In addition to Sam Houston and Jacksonville State, 1 other FCS school will start a transition to FBS in the 2023 season.[10]

Stadiums[edit]

Kickoff games[edit]

Rankings reflect the AP Poll entering each week.

"Week 0"[edit]

The regular season began on Saturday, August 26 with seven games in Week 0.

Week 1[edit]

Week 2[edit]

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]

Conference championship games[edit]

FCS team wins over FBS teams[edit]

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[b]   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.
  1. ^ 41 FBS bowl games plus the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
  2. ^ Idaho was a 5.5-point favorite at kickoff.[13]

Upsets[edit]

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

See also: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings § AP Poll

Regular season[edit]

Conference standings[edit]

2023 American Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 23 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 5 Florida State y   8 – 0     12 – 0  
No. 10 Louisville y   7 – 1     10 – 2  
No. 22 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. 24 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 2 Michigan xy   9 – 0     12 – 0  
No. 6 Ohio State   8 – 1     11 – 1  
No. 11 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. 17 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Big 12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 7 Texas y   8 – 1     11 – 1  
No. 20 Oklahoma State y   7 – 2     9 – 3  
No. 13 Oklahoma   7 – 2     10 – 2  
No. 19 Kansas State   6 – 3     8 – 4  
Iowa State   6 – 3     7 – 5  
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  
Baylor   2 – 7     3 – 9  
BYU   2 – 7     5 – 7  
Houston   2 – 7     4 – 8  
Cincinnati   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Championship: Texas vs. Oklahoma State
  • $ – Conference champion
  • y – Championship game participant
As of November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Conference USA football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 25 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Mid-American Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Mountain West Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Pac-12 Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 4 Washington y   9 – 0     12 – 0  
No. 6 Oregon y   8 – 1     11 – 1  
No. 15 Arizona   7 – 2     9 – 3  
No. 16 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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. 12 Ole Miss   6 – 2     10 – 2  
No. 14 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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 Sun Belt Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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 November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings
2023 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 18 Notre Dame   –     9 – 3  
Army   –     5 – 6  
UConn   –     3 – 9  
UMass   –     3 – 9  
As of November 27, 2023
Rankings from CFP Rankings

Rankings[edit]

Main article: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.[14][15]

Pre-season polls[edit]

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[edit]

In December 2023, the College Football Playoff selection committee will announce its final team rankings for the year.

See also: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings § CFP Rankings


Postseason[edit]

Main article: 2023–24 NCAA football bowl games

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[edit]

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) Florida State (#1) vs Louisville (#2) —
American Dec. 2, 2023 Yulman Stadium (New Orleans, Louisiana) SMU (#2) at Tulane (#1) —
Big 12 Dec. 2, 2023 AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas) Texas (#1) vs Oklahoma State (#2) —
Big Ten Dec. 2, 2023 Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana) Michigan (East) vs Iowa (West) —
C–USA Dec. 1, 2023 Williams Stadium (Lynchburg, Virginia) New Mexico State (#2) at Liberty (#1)
MAC Dec. 2, 2023 Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan) Miami (OH) (East) vs Toledo (West)
MW Dec. 2, 2023 Allegiant Stadium (Paradise, Nevada) Boise State (#2) at UNLV (#1) —
Pac-12 Dec. 1, 2023 Washington (#1) vs Oregon (#2) — —
SEC Dec. 2, 2023 Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia) Georgia (East) vs Alabama (West) —
Sun Belt Dec. 2, 2023 Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy, Alabama) Appalachian State (East) at Troy (West) —

Conference champions' bowl games[edit]

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
ACC
American
Big 12
Big Ten
C-USA
MAC
MW
Pac-12
SEC
Sun Belt

CFP College Football Playoff participant

Bowl-eligible teams[edit]

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[edit]

Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 51

  1. ^ Despite having a 5–7 record, Minnesota is bowl-eligible due to having the highest Academic Progress Rate among five-win teams.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ Navy has one game remaining on its schedule, but it is played after the bowl matchups are selected on December 3; they have not met the eligibility threshold before then.
  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.[16] Arizona State has assured itself of a losing season and would be bowl-ineligible regardless.
  6. ^ Since it has 2 FCS teams on its schedule, Army is bowl-ineligible because it has already reached 6 losses and can finish no better than 5–6 in countable games for qualifying as a deserving team.


Coaching changes[edit]

Preseason and in-season[edit]

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[17] David Braun (named full-time on November 15)
Michigan State Mel Tucker September 27, 2023 Fired for sexual misconduct[18] Harlon Barnett (interim)
Texas A&M Jimbo Fisher November 12, 2023 Fired[19] Elijah Robinson (interim)
Boise State Andy Avalos November 12, 2023 Fired[20] Spencer Danielson (interim)
Mississippi State Zach Arnett November 13, 2023 Fired[21] Greg Knox (interim)
Syracuse Dino Babers November 19, 2023 Fired[22] Nunzio Campanile (interim)
Oregon State Jonathan Smith November 25, 2023 Hired by Michigan State[23] Kefense Hynson (interim)

End of season[edit]

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
San Diego State Brady Hoke November 13, 2023 Retired (effective at end of season)[24]
Michigan State Harlon Barnett (interim) November 25, 2023 Permanent replacement[23] Jonathan Smith
New Mexico Danny Gonzales November 25, 2023 Fired[25]
Indiana Tom Allen November 26, 2023 Fired[26]
Houston Dana Holgorsen November 26, 2023 Fired[27]
UTEP Dana Dimel November 26, 2023 Fired[28]
Louisiana–Monroe Terry Bowden November 26, 2023 Fired[29]
Mississippi State Greg Knox (interim) November 26, 2023 Permanent replacement[30] Jeff Lebby

Television viewers and ratings[edit]

Top 10 most watched regular season games[edit]

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[31] Significance
1 September 23 3:30 p.m. No. 19 Colorado 6 No. 10 Oregon 42 ABC 10.03 5.2
2 September 23 7:30 p.m. No. 6 Ohio State 17 No. 9 Notre Dame 14 NBC 9.98 5.1 College GameDay
3 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
4 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
5 September 3 7:30 p.m. No. 5 LSU 24 No. 8 Florida State 45 ABC 9.17 4.7 Camping World Kickoff
6 November 11 12:00 p.m. No. 3 Michigan 24 No. 10 Penn State 15 Fox 9.16 5.0 Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry
7 November 4 7:45 p.m. No. 14 LSU 28 No. 8 Alabama 42 CBS 8.82 4.6 College GameDay, rivalry
8 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
9 September 9 12:00 p.m. Nebraska 14 No. 22 Colorado 36 Fox 8.73 4.8 Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry
10 October 21 3:30 p.m. No. 17 Tennessee 20 No. 11 Alabama 34 CBS 8.01 4.2 SEC Nation, Third Saturday in October

Television changes[edit]

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.[32][33] Conference USA's deal includes ESPN and CBS Sports Network.[34] 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.[35] 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.[36][37] 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.[38]

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.[39] Greg McElroy replaced Blackledge as ESPN's #2 college football color commentator. Derek Mason and Orlando Franklin also joined ESPN as color commentators.[40] Jeff Levering replaced Eagle at Fox Sports, while Mark Ingram II replaced Reggie Bush on Fox's Big Noon Kickoff show.[41]

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[42] and TNT Sports decided to drop all coverage of College Sport.[43] 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.[44]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Rose Bowl OK's new deal for 12-team CFP in '24". ESPN.com. December 1, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Football Timing rules changes approved for Divisions I-II" (Press release). NCAA. April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  3. ^ "2023 NCAA Football Rules" (PDF). NCAA. May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  4. ^ "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. ^ a b "Conference USA Adds Four Members" (Press release). Conference USA. November 5, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  8. ^ "American Athletic Conference Announces the Addition of 6 Universities" (Press release). American Athletic Conference. October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  9. ^ "Big 12 Conference Adds 4 New Members" (Press release). Big 12 Conference. September 10, 2021. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  10. ^ "C-USA Adds Kennesaw State, Owls to Join in 2024" (Press release). Conference USA. October 14, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  11. ^ "ASU, Mountain America Credit Union reach one of the most integrated naming rights deals in college sports".
  12. ^ "UNT ushers 'new era,' renames football stadium to DATCU stadium". NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. August 1, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  13. ^ "Idaho vs. Nevada - Game Summary - September 9, 2023 - ESPN". espn.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  14. ^ "USA TODAY Sports AFCA Coaches Poll".
  15. ^ "AP TOP 25 POLL".
  16. ^ Gardner, Michelle (August 27, 2023). "Arizona State Football Self-Imposes Bowl Ban This Season for Alleged Recruiting Violations". AZ Central. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Thamel, Pete (July 10, 2023). "Northwestern fires football coach Pat Fitzgerald amid hazing claims". ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2023.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Thamel, Pete (November 12, 2023). "Sources: Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher fired, to receive record buyout". ESPN. Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ Low, Chris (November 13, 2023). "Mississippi State fires head football coach Zach Arnett". ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  22. ^ "Syracuse fires coach Dino Babers after eight seasons". ESPN. November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Jonathan Smith Named Michigan State University Head Football Coach". msuspartans.com. Michigan State Athletics. November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  24. ^ Bonagura, Kyle (November 13, 2023). "San Diego State football coach Brady Hoke to retire after season". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  25. ^ Thamel, Pete (November 25, 2023). "New Mexico fires Danny Gonzales after 4 years as head coach". espn.com. ESPN. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  26. ^ Osterman, Zach (November 26, 2023). "Indiana football fires coach Tom Allen despite $20 million buyout". indystar.com. The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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  28. ^ Deaver, Colin (November 26, 2023). "UTEP parts ways with Dana Dimel after six seasons". KTSM-TV. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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  30. ^ "Offensive Mastermind Jeff Lebby Named Mississippi State Head Football Coach". hailstate.com. Mississippi State University Athletics. November 26, 2023. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
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  32. ^ Bucholtz, Andrew (August 18, 2022). "Big Ten announces deals with Fox, CBS, NBC, including championship game splits". Awful Announcing. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
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  42. ^ Frater, Patrick (May 12, 2022). "Warner Bros. Discovery and BT to Launch Sports Venture in U.K. and Ireland". Variety. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  43. ^ Digital Spy forum - TNT Sport Channels Page 23
  44. ^ [1]
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