NCAA makes it harder for teams to join top level of CFB

A logo sign outside of the headquarters of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in Indianapolis, Indiana Kris Tripplaar

NCAA makes it harder for new teams to join top level of college football

By Cameron Kiszla | Last updated 10/5/23

The NCAA Division I Council recently announced changes to college sports. As Ralph Russo of the Associated Press noted, an under-the-radar change substantially increases the cost for a Football Championship Subdivision school to join the highest level, the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A).

The price is rising from $5,000 to $5 million — a 1,000-fold increase.

Another notable item from a busy couple of days for the NCAA D-I Council: The elimination or changing of requirements for FBS membership.
This caught my attention.
Increase the application fee for transitioning from FCS to FBS from $5K to $5 million (effective immediately).
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) October 4, 2023

The change could affect schools looking to become a Cinderella story like James Madison, which is undefeated in only its second year since moving from FCS to FBS.

The Dukes (5-0, 2-0 in Sun Belt) played their first FBS season last year after a successful string of seasons in FCS, including a national championship in 2016 and Colonial Athletic Association titles in 2015-17 and 2019-21.

This season, James Madison beat Power Five school Virginia, which competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference with national title hopeful Florida State.

Now, a similar school performing at a high level in FCS may be discouraged from elevating its level of competition simply due to cost.

Even if an FCS school has the money and is added to the FBS, it faces another hurdle if it has a good season: bowl eligibility. Schools new to FBS can't play in a bowl for their first two years in the FCS.

Virginia attorney general Jason S. Miyares, a James Madison alum, weighed in with the NCAA on that "weighty" matter.

"It is obvious that JMU’s football program has demonstrated it is more than capable of operating and competing at the FBS level, and it has satisfied all other NCAA requirements of FBS eligibility," Miyares wrote, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Miyares believes his Dukes should have the same opportunities as the 132 other FBS schools.

More must-reads: