The DI Council proposed a significant change when it comes to membership requirements for Football Bowl Subdivision schools on Wednesday. This could become a barrier for Football Championship Subdivision programs looking to move into the FBS, but will not have any direct effect on current FBS schools.
The total amount of scholarships that a school offers each year would have to be at least 210 while equating to at least $6 million of aid, while also including “90% of the total number of allowable scholarships over a two-year rolling period across at least 16 sports, including football.”
The increase of the transition fee for each school from $5,000 to $5 million represents the most drastic change and likely precludes many smaller schools right off the bat — this was clearly done to allow only serious bidders to enter their names. Removing football attendance requirements were proposed as well.
The new requirements would not go into effect prior to August 1, 2027.
ESPN reported last December that 10 FCS schools — Stephen F. Austin, Abilene Christian, Utah Tech, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Austin Peay, Eastern Kentucky, Central Arkansas and North Alabama — were looking to create a new football-only conference and move up to the FBS level for the 2025 season. UT Rio Grande Valley is also expected to be a member of that conference when they launch its football program in 2025.
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