<P> This is a list of the 129 schools in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States . By definition, all schools in this grouping have varsity football teams . </P> <P> Schools in Division I FBS are distinguished from those in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) by being allowed to provide scholarship aid to a total of 85 players, and may grant a full scholarship to all 85 . FCS schools are limited to financial assistance amounting to a maximum of 63 full scholarships, although some conferences voluntarily place further restrictions on athletic aid . The NCAA classifies FBS football as a "head - count" sport, meaning that each player receiving any athletically - related aid from the school counts fully against the 85 - player limit . By contrast, FCS football is classified as an "equivalency" sport, which means that scholarship aid is limited to the equivalent of a specified number of full scholarships . In turn, this means that FCS schools can freely grant partial scholarships, but are also limited to a total of 85 players receiving assistance . Another NCAA rule mandates that any multi-sport athlete who plays football and receives any athletic aid is counted against the football limit, with an exception for players in non-scholarship FCS programs who receive aid in another sport . The three service academies that play in Division I FBS--Air Force, Army, and Navy--are theoretically subject to this rule, but are exempt in practice because all students at these schools receive full scholarships from the federal government . </P>

How many teams are in the ncaa football