As we know college football conference realignment is a wacky and confusing thing. We have teams like Cal who are in the Atlantic Coast Conference, UCF is in the Big 12, and teams like Washington and UCLA in the Big Ten. But the most fascinating thing is the difference between the FBS and the lower division one league the FCS. 

If you aren’t aware, in college football there are two divisions of D1 play. The FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and the FCS (Football Championship Subdivision); the FBS has the teams we all know, and the conferences I just talked about. Not many people know about the FCS. The FCS has the smaller schools that still are D1 ( Division one) but don’t compete regularly against FBS opponents. A handful of these teams include: Montana, North Dakota State, Georgetown, Maine, Harvard, and South Dakota State. But FCS teams have the ability to join the FBS as long as they can provide the cash. Take James Madison University for example. They joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022 and they only had to pay 5,000 dollars to transition into an FBS team. Now let’s look at Kennesaw State who will have their first FBS season this year. They had to pay FIVE MILLION DOLLARS. Just think about this, five million to be most likely the worst team in the worst conference but be recognized as a member of the FBS. Is it worth it in the long run? 

This is the perfect time for this topic because it just so happens that two FCS teams announced recently that they are joining the big leagues: The Missouri State Bears and the Delaware Blue Hens. They both will become members of Conference USA  in 2025. 

The Bears are sitting at 3-2 on the season at the moment with a couple of heavy hitting teams still ahead on the schedule in North Dakota State and South Dakota State. They are 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference with a win over Youngstown State. The Bears have offensive weapons in Brock Bagozzi, Jacardia Wright, and 

DVontae Key are each making this Missouri State offense chug along. The defense has been sub-par to say the least: allowing 140 combined points in five games but on the bright side they have some impact players in Caden Wiest, Lamondre Joe, and Dallas Winner-Johnson. 

The Blue Hens are having a phenomenal season so far sitting at the top of the Colonial Athletic Association with a record of 5-0. They are also 2-0 in conference play with wins over Monmouth and North Carolina A & T. The offense has been nothing less than explosive with Zach Marker, Marcus Yarns, and Caleb Fauria shining for Delaware so far. The defense is a force to be reckoned with with Dillon Trainer, KT Seay, and Gavin Moul shining bright on the Blue Hens. 

Both of these teams have had great success and achievements in the FCS, but are they good enough to compete in the FBS? Let’s take a look at the stats. FCS teams rosters are capped at 63, while teams in the FBS can have 85 players. They have to pay a five million dollar transition and application fee, and they must offer over 200 scholarships totaling over four million dollars every semester. Meanwhile FCS teams get paid to play the bigger teams, but now they have to pay the smaller schools if they want some Ws on their record. You also can’t forget about the NIL deals to keep your players. On the upside you generate on average 20 million dollars a year which gives you loads of cash to spend on improving the program, and you get more national recognition and opportunities. 

Overall, joining the FBS as an FCS team can introduce financial and on the field struggles at the beginning, but they smooth out and all in all it is worth it in the long run.