The
NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (
FBS), formerly known as
Division I-A, is the top level of
college football in the United States. The FBS is the more competitive subdivision of
NCAA Division I, which itself consists of the largest and most competitive schools in the
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of 2014, there are ten conferences and 128 schools in the FBS. Despite the popularity of the professional
National Football League, college football is very popular throughout much of the United States, and the top schools generate tens of millions of dollars in yearly revenue. Top FBS teams draw tens of thousands of fans to games, and the ten
largest American stadiums by capacity all host FBS teams. College athletes are not paid, and colleges are only allowed to provide players with non-monetary compensation such as
athletic scholarships that provide for tuition, housing, and books.