The National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA, is the governing body for a huge number of sports teams that compete in a range of sports and competitions at more than 1,200 institutions, including colleges and universities in the USA.
The NCAA was founded in 1910, though its forerunner, the IAAUS, was created in 1906. It is a not for profit organisation that generates a huge revenue, largely through its basketball competition.
In terms of American football, the NCAA oversees a huge competition with more than 500 schools (colleges and universities) taking part. The CAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (knowns as the FBS) is the highest level of this and features 130 schools and 10 conferences.
It was founded in 1978 and many of its stars will go on to have big careers in the NGL. Games in the FBS attract huge attendances, with averages of more than 70,000 not unheard of and over 50,000 far from uncommon.
With the NFL consisting of a relatively short season, NCAA (American) football provides another great option when it comes to betting on gridiron. So few leagues within the sport receive much TV coverage or bookmaker attention that the added games of the NCAA are a great way for fans of the sport to boost the number of games they can watch and bet on.
If you do want to bet on NCAA matches, make sure you use our odds comparison. This will save you time and, if you manage to pick winners, make you extra money too. It really is the quickest, easiest way to get the best odds on your NCAA bets so don’t miss out.
How does NCAA American football work?
College football dates all the way back to 1869 but there have been countless changes along the way. Obviously, in terms of rules the sport is identical to the NFL but the organisation and structure of college football is rather complex. With so many colleges and schools taking part, a simple league structure is impossible and so the format of college football is unusual.
It also changes frequently but in essence the top tier, NCAA Division 1, consists of two sub divisions, the Bowl and the Championship, as alluded to above. Within these you have conferences which are groupings of teams/schools that play each other and further Bowl games that determine the various champions.
The College Football Playoff National Championship is the ultimate prize and has been since 2014. The decisive game takes place in January with the season beginning in the preceding August or September and if you love the NFL you are guaranteed to enjoy watching the stars of tomorrow in action.