NCAA Division I is the highest level in college football. The special feature of the sport of football is that - unlike other sports - it is divided into several subdivisions. There is the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
The FBS comprises 128 teams, which are divided into 10 conferences. These teams have to fulfil higher requirements than the teams in the FCS, for example they have to fulfil minimum requirements with regard to the number of spectators at their games. In return, FBS teams are allowed to award more full scholarships to their athletes. The 85 scholarships to be awarded annually per team are all full scholarships. A special feature of the FBS is that it is the only sports league in the NCAA whose champion is not determined by a special NCAA event. Instead, the so-called "Consensus National Champion" is determined by the rating in polls following the "bowl games" which take place in the post-season. The team with the best rating in the polls can then call itself champion.
The FCS also comprises 128 teams. These are divided into 14 conferences. FCS teams may also award 85 scholarships annually, but only 63 of these may be full scholarships. The FCS champion is determined by a post-season-tournament between the top teams in the FCS, the final of which is the NCAA Division I Football Championship.