How Many Games Are Needed to Become Bowl Eligible?
Being a college football team comes with aspirations of bowl eligibility each year. While not all teams will meet the minimum requirements to become bowl eligible, there are measures that every team can take to increase their chances of participating in post-season games. Here are the qualifications needed to become bowl eligible and how many games it takes to reach that goal:
Number of Games
- Gaining bowl eligibility requires a team to win at least six games against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents.
- Division 1 College Football teams must play a minimum of 12 regular season games to qualify for a bowl game.
- Teams may schedule more than 12 regular season games, but all of them must be FBS opponents.
Winning Percentage
- Of the 12 regular season games, teams must have a winning percentage of at least .500 or higher to become bowl eligible.
- Teams may count all wins and losses against FBS opponents, as well as up to one win against FCS opponents to reach the required .500 winning percentage.
Exemptions
- In certain circumstances, some teams may be granted exemptions from the 12-game and .500 winning percentage requirements.
- For example, teams who have a five-win qualifying total against FBS opponents but have only played 11 regular season games will be eligible for bowl consideration.
- Teams may also become bowl eligible for winning at least five games against FBS opponents if one of those five wins was against an FCS opponent.
Knowing the minimum requirements to become bowl eligible is the first step in making College Football dreams come true. With 12 regular season games and at least six wins needed against FBS opponents to achieve bowl eligibility, teams need to make every game count. Once the six wins are in the books, teams can rest assured they have a chance of post-season play.
