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| 2020 NCAA Division I FBS season | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Air Force's George Silvanic holds back Boise State's George Holani and Kekaniokoa Holomalia-Gonzalez on Oct. 31, 2020, in Falcon Stadium at the U.S. Air Force Academy. | |
| Number of teams | 128[a] |
| Duration | September 3, 2020[1] – December 19, 2020[b] |
| Preseason AP No. 1 | Clemson |
| Postseason | |
| Duration | December 21, 2020 – January 11, 2021 |
| Bowl games | 26[c] |
| AP Poll No. 1 | Alabama |
| Coaches Poll No. 1 | Alabama |
| Heisman Trophy | DeVonta Smith, WR,Alabama |
| College Football Playoff | |
| 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship | |
| Site | Hard Rock Stadium Miami Gardens, Florida |
| Champion(s) | Alabama |
| NCAA Division I FBS football seasons | |
← 2019 2021 → | |
The2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season was the 151st season ofcollege football in theUnited States, organized by theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at its highest level, theFootball Bowl Subdivision. The regular season ran from September 3 to December 19, 2020. Shortly after, the postseason began on December 21, 2020, culminating in the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship on January 11, 2021, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. TheAlabama Crimson Tide defeated theOhio State Buckeyes to claim the national championship with a final score of 52-24.
The season was heavily impacted by theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States; all of thePower Five conferences initially announced plans to play a fall football season beginning on August 29, but they greatly reduced non-conference games to limit the extent of interstate travel. TheAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC),Big 12,Southeastern Conference (SEC) as well as several otherGroup of Five conferences began their seasons in September while independentNotre Dame agreed to play a full conference schedule with the ACC.
In August, theBig Ten,Pac-12,Mid-American Conference (MAC),Mountain West, and several independents announced they would delay their football seasons until further notice due to concerns regarding theCOVID-19 pandemic, targeting the possibility of playing in the spring of 2021 instead. By late September, however, the four conferences reversed their decisions and announced plans to play shortened seasons.
Some postseason activities, including the finalCollege Football Playoff (CFP) rankings and theHeisman Trophy nominations, were delayed to provide flexibility for conferences to finish delayed seasons in mid-December. Severalbowl games were canceled due to recommendations by local health officials or because they could not secure teams after multiple programs had opted out of bowl games due to COVID-19 concerns. Other contests saw extraordinary relocations; theRose Bowl was played outside ofPasadena, California, for the first time since1942, and theNew Mexico Bowl was played inFrisco, Texas.
| School | Former conference | New conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | American Athletic Conference | Independent | UConn canceled their2020 season |
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | Independent | Atlantic Coast Conference | Conference member for2020 only[2] |
The following rule changes were approved by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for 2020:[3]
The following headlines were relevant to the 2020 NCAA Division 1 FBS football season:
Multiple universities and conferences had already canceled their spring football games as part of the wider, nationwide suspension of organized sports and athletics due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. On March 13, the NCAA announced a suspension of all the division on-campus and off-campus recruiting until April 15.[8] In regards to its impact on the regular season, NCAA presidentMark Emmert stated on May 8 that individual decisions on fall semester sports would likely begin to appear as early as June or around July 4. He suggested that the operation of athletics programs would depend on students being present on-campus to a degree (but not necessarily"up and running in the full normal model"), explaining that "you have to treat the health and well-being of the athletes at least as much as the regular students", but that "this is going to be a very unusual school year, and we just have to make the best of it".[9]
The NCAA Division I Council prohibited on-campus activities through May 31; on May 20, the Council voted to end the moratorium and allow voluntary on-campus activity in football and basketball to begin June 1, subject to new safety protocols.[10] On June 17, the Division I Council approved a timetable for a season assumed to begin September 5, including beginning non-voluntary training activities on July 13.[11]
On June 24,USA Today reported that at least 37 FBS schools had reported positive cases of COVID-19 among student-athletes or staff since practices resumed. Amidst a spike in cases in the Southern U.S. since late June, several state governors, includingAsa Hutchinson ofArkansas,Brian Kemp ofGeorgia, andHenry McMaster ofSouth Carolina, have warned that football season could be threatened if cases do not subside in time.[12][13]
On July 13, it was announced that thePatriot League would not be participating in a football season this year. However, theUnited States Military Academy as well as theNaval Academy were not included in the settlement as their school superintendent was in charge of making decisions regarding whether their athletic programs would have their seasons.[14]
On July 16, the NCAA released a series of recommendations regarding protocols for fall sports, including that all participants in "high contact risk sports" betested, with results within 72 hours of play. President Emmert noted, however, that the guidelines presumed that the infection rate would be "manageable", and that "If there is to be college sports in the fall, we need to get a much better handle on the pandemic."[15] TheAmerican Athletic Conference announced the same day that it will adhere to this protocol; commissionerMichael Aresco stated that "with the proper quarantine and the proper canvassing of close contacts, we think at this point it would be safe to play games."[16] On July 18, the SEC announced that it would still honor scholarships for players who opt out of the fall season due to safety concerns.[17]
On July 28, by request of the Football Oversight Committee, the NCAA announced that it had issued a blanket waiver to allow any team to play in "Week 0", to allow for greater scheduling flexibility amid changing conditions.[18]
On August 12, members of the NCAA Division I council met and discussed eligibility for student-athletes. They recommended to the Division I board that athletes should be granted an extension on their 5-year eligibility due to the pandemic.[14]
If conditions do not improve by the traditional timeframe of football season, the possibility of delaying the football season entirely to spring 2021 was suggested by several coaches. However, it was largely considered by them to be a last resort. Aresco commented that such a delay would likely require practices to be held over the winter indoors—environments that have been shown to exacerbate the spread of COVID-19.[19]
All of thePower Five conferences initially announced that they would go on with their season as scheduled but with cuts to non-conference games to overcome logistical concerns and reduce interstate travel. The Big Ten, Pac-12, and SEC were all limiting play to in-conference opponents only.[19][20][21] The ACC and Big 12 would allow one non-conference game each, with the ACC restricting them to in-state opponents.[22] The ACC also suspended the use of divisions, with the top two teams in conference play by winning percentage advancing to theACC Championship Game.[2]
The restrictions complicated matters forFBS independents; the first four games of theBYU Cougars were all against Big Ten and Pac-12 teams,[19] while Notre Dame lost three of its marquee games of the season—including one againstWisconsin that was to be played atLambeau Field, and traditional rivalry games againstStanford (not held for the first time since 1996) andUSC (postponed for the first time since 1945 due toWorld War II).[19] Notre Dame andNavy had also canceled a plannedinternational game inDublin, Ireland, and tentatively rescheduled it forNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.[23] Some FCS conferences (such as thePatriot League)[24] canceled or postponed the football season outright, affecting games against FBS opponents.[19]
On July 29, it was announced that Notre Dame had agreed to play an ACC conference schedule for the 2020 season; the Fighting Irish is a member of the ACC in all other sports besides football and men's ice hockey, the latter a sport not sponsored by the ACC). The team was incorporated into its scheduling model, playing 10 games against ACC opponents (expanding from six already scheduled as part of existing agreements with the conference) and being eligible to compete for the conference championship. Notre Dame pooled its media rights revenue fromNBC with that of the ACC's other media rights and was eligible to receive a share of the total revenue.[2]
Among the Group of Five conferences,Conference USA announced on August 7 that it had approved an eight-game schedule with up to four non-conference games.[25][26] The next day, however, theMid-American Conference (MAC) announced the postponement of all fall sports for the 2020 season, including football. The conference stated that it would pursue attempts to play in spring 2021. With this decision, the MAC became the first FBS conference to cancel or postpone the football season. CommissionerJon Steinbrecher stated that "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student-athletes into situations that are not clearly understood." The cancellation of non-conference games by the Power Five conferences—especially the Big Ten—was also expected to have a financial impact on its schools, with the Big Ten games alone expected to bring $11 million.[27][28]
In the wake of the decision, ESPN reported on August 9 that the commissioners of the Power Five conferences had held an emergency meeting to discuss possible options for fall sports, amid the worsening state of the pandemic in the United States.[29] On August 10, theMountain West Conference (MWC) followed the MAC as the second Group of Five conference to postpone fall sports indefinitely.[30] Despite the postponement,Air Force would still contest theCommander-in-Chief's Trophy games against Navy andArmy.[31]
On August 11, the Big Ten became the first Power Five conference to postpone fall sports, followed shortly thereafter by the Pac-12. TheNebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Ten disclosed an intent to attempt non-conference play in the fall, although the logistical aspects of such a move (including scheduling) and possible repercussions within the conference were unknown.[32][33] CommissionerKevin Warren confirmed that Nebraska could not do so as a member of the Big Ten.[34] A major factor in the Big Ten's decision was cardiovascular complications from the virus,[35] while the Pac-12 cited that rapid testing capabilities would be needed to resume play.[36]
Following the decisions, the ACC, Big 12, and SEC all issued statements affirming their intent to play as scheduled in the fall.[37][38] The Big Ten's decision became politicized, with PresidentDonald Trump having criticized closures of university campuses, and having pushed in particular for the Big Ten to play in the fall.[39][40] After the decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten formed a taskforce to investigate options for a return to play.[35]
On September 16, the Big Ten approved an eight-game conference season that would begin October 24, and conclude on December 19 with cross-division matchups between each seed (with the game between the top seeds played as theBig Ten Championship Game). The conference instituted a dailyantigen testing protocol beginning September 30;PCR tests were used to confirm positives found via antigen testing. Players who tested positive on both tests were removed from play for at least 21 days underwent cardiac tests during this period, and were required to be cleared by acardiologist before they could return to play. Teams with a positivity rate above 5%, or whose population has a positivity rate above 7%, were required to halt all activity for seven days.[35]
In response to the Big Ten's reversal, Pac-12 commissionerLarry Scott stated that the conference was awaiting authorization by health officials in California and Oregon to resume full-contact practices and that it was also monitoring the air quality impact ofongoing wildfires in the western United States. The conference secured a provider for rapid testing earlier in the month.[36] On September 24, the Pac-12 officially announced that it would allow football, basketball, and winter sports seasons to resume, with plans to play a seven-game conference season beginning on November 6, and concluding with thePac-12 Championship Game on December 18.[41]
The same day, the Mountain West announced that it too had approved an eight-game conference season beginning October 24.[42] The next day, the MAC unanimously approved a six-game season beginning in November.[43]
On November 19, the Pac-12 lifted a restriction on non-conference home games.[44]
On July 15, theRose Parade was canceled due to the pandemic.[45] The same day, the NCAA announced that FBS teams would be permitted to count two wins against FCS teams, instead of the usual one, towards bowl eligibility.[46] The NCAA later waivedbowl eligibility requirements for the 2020–21 bowl season.[47]
On August 5, the College Football Playoff (CFP) announced that it would delay the announcement of its final rankings and matchups for the Rose Bowl andSugar Bowl from December 6 to December 20, to accommodate conferences that had delayed their championship games to mid-December.[48] The CFP announced that it would still go on as scheduled, with only the teams playing in the fall being eligible for consideration in its rankings.[49]
The voting deadline for the Heisman Trophy was similarly pushed back to December 21, with the presentation likewise scheduled for January 5, 2021. On November 14, the in-person presentation was canceled (its previous site, thePlayStation Theater in New York City, had also closed at the beginning of the year).[50] The presentation was moved toESPN's studio inBristol, Connecticut, scheduled as a television-only event with finalists and past winners appearing via remote interviews.[51]
Several bowl games were canceled due to the pandemic, while others, including theFiesta Bowl and Rose Bowl, were restricted to being playedbehind closed doors without fans due to local health orders.[52] On December 19, thePasadena Tournament of Roses Association announced that the Rose Bowl would be re-located to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (typically the host of theCotton Bowl Classic), citing rising cases in the state of California, and state health officials denying a request to allow at least the family members of players to attend.[53] Special permission was required from the city of Pasadena to use the Rose Bowl name, with the Tournament of Roses Association paying $2 million to the city to compensate for lost revenue and other expenses.[54][55]
Several players from the Pac-12 announced a unity group titled #WeAreUnited to negotiate with the conference and league with specific demands in regards to the 2020 football season.[56][57] Some players were willing to boycott if their ultimatum was not satisfied.[58] Players from the Big Ten created a similar unity which called for increase in testing and safety protocols.[59]
Clemson quarterbackTrevor Lawrence sparked a trend onTwitter with the hashtag #WeWantToPlay, on August 9.[60][61] Other players such asJustin Fields (Ohio State),Najee Harris (Alabama), andChuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State) posted to help contribute to make the hashtag No. 1 on Twitter in the United States.[60] Donald Trump shared Lawrence's tweet, stating "The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled." as well using the #WeWantToPlay hashtag.[62][63] Later #WeAreUnited and #WeWantToPlay merged with players across the Power 5, with the goal of creating a union.[64][65]Nick Saban,Jim Harbaugh andRyan Day joined the movement, stating that players would be safer from the virus together as a team than at home.[66][67]
Eight Nebraska players sued the Big Ten in late August 2020, claiming that the conference's council did not vote on postponing the football season.[68]
Four teams opted out of their 2020 Fall football seasons as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Team | Conference | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | Independent | UConn canceled their 2020 season[69][70] |
| UMass Minutemen | Independent | Reversed the decision to opt out of fall football[71][d] |
| New Mexico State Aggies | Independent | Opted out of playing fall football to play in spring 2021[73] |
| Old Dominion Monarchs | Conference USA | Old Dominion canceled their 2020 season[74][75] |
Some teams announced that they tentatively planned to allow spectators at their games at a percentage of normal capacity, such as the Texas Longhorns (Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium was already to have slightly reduced capacity this season due to renovations)[76] and theNorth Carolina Tar Heels.[77] All events held in the state of New York,[78] as well as all Big Ten and Pac-12 games, were played behind closed doors. The Big Ten and Pac-12 bans applied even if spectators were otherwise allowed under local health orders.[79][80][81][82][83]
TheArmy Black Knights andNavy Midshipmens' home games were closed to the public, with attendance limited to their cadets and midshipmen respectively. On October 23, it was announced that theArmy–Navy Game would be re-located from Philadelphia'sLincoln Financial Field toMichie Stadium—the Black Knights' home stadium at theU.S. Military Academy inWest Point—citing Pennsylvania state restrictions on gatherings that would prevent the cadets and midshipmen from attending. As with their home games, attendance was limited to the academies' student bodies. It marked the first Army-Navy Game not played at a neutral site since 1943.[84][85]
| Week | Game[86] | Make-up | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Week | |||
| Week 1 | Louisiana–Monroe atTroy | December 17, 2020 | Week 14 | |
| Jacksonville State atFIU | October 23, 2020 | Week 8 | ||
| Rice atHouston | Canceled | |||
| Week 2 | Tulsa atOklahoma State | September 19, 2020 | Week 3 | |
| NC State atVirginia Tech | September 26, 2020 | Week 4 | ||
| SMU atTCU | Canceled | |||
| FIU at No. 21UCF | Canceled | |||
| Marshall atEast Carolina | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech atBaylor | Canceled | |||
| Week 3 | Charlotte atNorth Carolina | Canceled | ||
| No. 21BYU at No. 22Army | Canceled | |||
| Houston atMemphis | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Houston atBaylor | Canceled | |||
| Florida Atlantic atGeorgia Southern | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Central Arkansas atArkansas State | October 10, 2020 | Week 6 | ||
| Week 4 | No. 7Notre Dame atWake Forest | Canceled | ||
| Georgia State atCharlotte | Canceled | |||
| Tulsa atArkansas State | Canceled | |||
| South Florida atFlorida Atlantic | Canceled | |||
| North Texas atHouston | Canceled | |||
| Week 5 | Rice atMarshall | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | |
| Troy atSouth Alabama | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Week 6 | Florida Atlantic atSouthern Miss | December 10, 2020 | Week 15 | |
| UAB atRice | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Week 7 | No. 7Oklahoma State atBaylor | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | |
| No. 8Cincinnati atTulsa | Canceled | |||
| LSU at No. 10Florida | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Southern Miss atUTEP | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt atMissouri | November 28, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| FIU atCharlotte | Canceled | |||
| Week 8 | New Mexico atColorado State | Canceled | ||
| Week 9 | No. 19Marshall atFIU | Canceled | ||
| No. 9Wisconsin atNebraska | Canceled | |||
| North Texas atUTEP | December 11, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Week 10 | Purdue at No. 10Wisconsin | Canceled | ||
| Air Force atArmy | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| Tulsa atNavy | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| UTSA atRice | Canceled | |||
| Charlotte atMiddle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Arizona atUtah | Canceled | |||
| FIU atUTEP | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech atNorth Texas | December 3, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Louisville atVirginia | November 14, 2020 | Week 11 | ||
| Washington atCalifornia | Canceled | |||
| Week 11 | Air Force atWyoming | Canceled | ||
| No. 1Alabama atLSU | December 5, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| No. 5Texas A&M atTennessee | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| No. 12Georgia atMissouri | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 24Auburn atMississippi State | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| Memphis atNavy | November 28, 2020 | Week 13 | ||
| Louisiana–Monroe atArkansas State | December 5, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 3Ohio State atMaryland | Canceled | |||
| Rice atLouisiana Tech | Canceled | |||
| Pittsburgh atGeorgia Tech | December 10, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| No. 15Coastal Carolina atTroy | December 12, 2020 | Week 15 | ||
| California atArizona State | Canceled | As a make-up game, Cal and UCLA were rescheduled to play on November 15 at theRose Bowl, for the 91st meeting in the California–UCLA football rivalry, not originally scheduled for the shortened Pac-12 season.[87] | ||
| Utah atUCLA | Canceled | |||
| Gardner–Webb atCharlotte | Canceled | |||
| Week 12 | UAB atUTEP | Canceled | ||
| Ohio atMiami (OH) | Canceled | |||
| Arizona State atColorado | Canceled | |||
| Georgia Tech at No. 12Miami (FL) | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| Charlotte at No. 15Marshall | Canceled | |||
| Ole Miss at No. 5Texas A&M | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana–Monroe atLouisiana Tech | Canceled | |||
| Wake Forest atDuke | Canceled | |||
| Utah State atWyoming | Canceled | |||
| Central Arkansas at No. 24Louisiana | Canceled | |||
| Navy atSouth Florida | Canceled | |||
| Houston atSMU | Canceled | |||
| No. 22Texas atKansas | Canceled | |||
| UNLV atColorado State | Canceled | |||
| Michigan State atMaryland | Canceled | |||
| Washington State atStanford | Canceled | |||
| San Jose State atFresno State | Canceled | |||
| No. 4Clemson atFlorida State | Canceled | |||
| Week 13 | Utah atArizona State | Canceled | Utah and Washington were subsequently scheduled to play on November 28 atHusky Stadium, not originally scheduled for the shortened Pac-12 season.[88] | |
| Washington atWashington State | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana Tech atFIU | Canceled | |||
| No. 25Tulsa atHouston | Canceled | |||
| Minnesota at No. 16Wisconsin | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | Had the makeup game not occurred,this rivalry game would have been canceled for the first time since 1906. | |
| Southern Miss atUAB | Canceled | |||
| No. 11Oklahoma atWest Virginia | Canceled | |||
| No. 7Cincinnati atTemple | Canceled | |||
| Colorado State atAir Force | Canceled | |||
| San Diego State atFresno State | Canceled | San Diego State and Colorado were subsequently scheduled to play an inter-conference game on November 28 atFolsom Field, not originally scheduled for either team.[89] | ||
| Colorado at No. 18USC | Canceled | |||
| No. 4Ohio State atIllinois | Canceled | |||
| Florida Atlantic atMiddle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Virginia atFlorida State | Canceled | |||
| San Jose State atBoise State | Canceled | |||
| UTEP atRice | Canceled | |||
| Western Kentucky atCharlotte | December 6, 2020 | Week 14 | ||
| Week 14 | Southern Miss atUTEP | Canceled | ||
| No. 10Miami (FL) atWake Forest | Canceled | Miami (FL) and Duke were subsequently scheduled to play on December 5 atWallace Wade Stadium, it was not originally scheduled for either team. | ||
| Florida State atDuke | Canceled | |||
| No. 14Northwestern atMinnesota | Canceled | |||
| Kent State atMiami (OH) | Canceled | |||
| Maryland atMichigan | Canceled | |||
| Boise State atUNLV | Canceled | |||
| Liberty at No. 18Coastal Carolina | Canceled | BYU, ranked No. 13 in this week's CFP rankings,took Liberty's place as Coastal Carolina's opponent. | ||
| Houston atSMU | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt at No. 8Georgia | December 19, 2020 | Week 16 | ||
| FIU atCharlotte | Canceled | The Western Kentucky at Charlotte game originally scheduled for last week but canceled due to COVID-19 was rescheduled for Sunday of this week. | ||
| Buffalo atOhio | Canceled | |||
| UAB atMiddle Tennessee | Canceled | |||
| Week 15 | No. 8Cincinnati at No. 24Tulsa | Canceled | ||
| Ole Miss at No. 5Texas A&M | Canceled | |||
| Michigan at No. 4Ohio State | Canceled | TheMichigan–Ohio State rivalry game was not played for the first time since 1917. | ||
| Ohio atKent State | Canceled | |||
| Charlotte atMarshall | Canceled | |||
| Purdue at No. 12Indiana | Canceled | |||
| No. 11Oklahoma atWest Virginia | Canceled | |||
| Texas atKansas | Canceled | |||
| Miami (OH) atBowling Green | Canceled | |||
| Incarnate Word atArkansas State | Canceled | |||
| Washington atOregon | Canceled | |||
| Utah State atColorado State | Canceled | This is the only game on this list not scrapped due to COVID-19. Instead, this ensued when the USU team would not travel to Fort Collins in protest of racially insensitive conditions on campus and the football team.[90] | ||
| California atWashington State | Canceled | |||
| Week 16 | Georgia Tech at No. 18Miami (FL) | Canceled | ||
| Arizona atCalifornia | Canceled | |||
| Louisiana–Monroe atTroy | Canceled | |||
| Vanderbilt at No. 8Georgia | Canceled | |||
| Oregon atColorado | Canceled | Oregon took Washington's place as USC's opponent in the Pac-12 Championship game. | ||
| Purdue at No. 11Indiana | Canceled | TheOld Oaken Bucket game was not played for the first time since 1919. | ||
| Michigan at No. 16Iowa | Canceled | |||
| Michigan State atMaryland | Canceled | |||
| No. 19Louisiana at No. 12Coastal Carolina | Canceled | This game, theSun Belt Conference Football Championship Game, was the only conference championship game to be canceled. The Sun Belt announced that both schools would be co-champions. | ||
| Florida State atWake Forest | Canceled | |||
All kickoff games were canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
The regular season was scheduled to begin on August 29 with various "Week 0" games, but all were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were two especially notable Week Zero games:
Originally,Marshall was set to play atEast Carolina, to honor the 50th anniversary of theplane crash that killed 75 people, including 37 from the Marshall University football team. The crash occurred as the Thundering Herd were returning from a game at East Carolina.[95]
Additionally, theEmerald Isle Classic atAviva Stadium inDublin, Ireland was scheduled to occur during Week 0, featuringNavy versusNotre Dame. However, on June 2, 2020, the game was moved from Dublin toNavy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium inAnnapolis, Maryland.[96] Eventually, the game was canceled altogether. The game would have been the first in the history of theNavy–Notre Dame football rivalry to be played at Navy's home stadium. The series was also canceled in 2021 and returned in 2022.
The majority of FBS teams were scheduled to open the season on Labor Day weekend. However, most conferences delayed the start of their seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the ACC and Big 12 conferences were scheduled to begin play the weekend of September 12, while the SEC conference began conference-only play the weekend of September 26.[2][21]
Four neutral-site "kickoff" games were scheduled to be held but were also canceled.
Rankings reflect theAP Poll. Rankings for Week 13 and beyond are listedCollege Football Playoff Rankings first andAP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted.
This section lists instances of unranked teams defeating ranked teams during the season.
During the regular season, 33 unranked teams defeated a ranked team. The highest-ranked teams that lost to an unranked opponent were No. 3 Oklahoma in week 4 and No. 5 North Carolina in week 7. Rankings are based on theAP Poll at the time the game was played.
During the bowl season, five unranked teams defeated a ranked team. Rankings in this section are based on the final CFP rankings released on December 20.
| Bowl | Winning Team | Losing Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cure Bowl | Liberty | 37 | No. 12Coastal Carolina | 34 |
| Armed Forces Bowl | Mississippi State | 28 | No. 24Tulsa | 26 |
| Arizona Bowl | Ball State | 34 | No. 22San Jose State | 16 |
| Gator Bowl | Kentucky | 23 | No. 23NC State | 21 |
| Outback Bowl | Ole Miss | 26 | No. 11Indiana | 20 |
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| Conference | Championship game | Overall Player of the Year/MVP | Offensive Player of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | Coach of the Year | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | Score | Runner-up | |||||
| ACC | No. 3Clemson (9–1)CFP | 34–10 | No. 2Notre Dame (10–0)CFP | Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson | Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson | Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame | Brian Kelly, HC, Notre Dame |
| American | No. 9Cincinnati (8–0) | 27–24 | No. 23Tulsa (6–1) | —[i] | Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati | Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa | Luke Fickell, HC, Cincinnati |
| Big Ten | No. 4Ohio State (5–0)CFP | 22–10 | No. 14Northwestern (6–1) | —[i] | Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State | Daviyon Nixon, DT,Iowa | Tom Allen, HC,Indiana |
| Big 12 | No. 10Oklahoma (11–2) | 27–21 | No. 6Iowa State (8–2) | —[i] | Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State | Mike Rose, LB, Iowa State | Matt Campbell, HC, Iowa State |
| C–USA | UAB (5–3) | 22–13 | Marshall (7–1) | Jaelon Darden, WR,North Texas | Sincere McCormick, RB,UTSA | Tavante Beckett, LB, Marshall | Doc Holliday, HC, Marshall |
| MAC | Ball State (5–1) | 38–28 | Buffalo (5–0) | Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo | Jaret Patterson, RB, Buffalo | Troy Hairston, DL,Central Michigan Brandon Martin, LB, Ball State | Lance Leipold, HC, Buffalo |
| MWC | No. 24San Jose State (6–0) | 34–20 | Boise State (5–1) | —[i] | Carson Strong, QB,Nevada | Cade Hall, DL, San Jose State | Brent Brennan, HC, San Jose State |
| Pac-12 | Oregon (3–2) | 31–24 | No. 13USC (5–0) | —[i] | Jarek Broussard, RB,Colorado | Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC | Karl Dorrell, HC, Colorado |
| SEC | No. 1Alabama (10–0)CFP | 52–46 | No. 7Florida (8–2) | —[i] | DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama | Patrick Surtain II, DB, Alabama | Nick Saban, HC, Alabama |
| Sun Belt | No. 12Coastal Carolina (11–0) No. 19Louisiana (9–1) | Canc.[ii] | — | Grayson McCall, QB, Coastal Carolina | Jonathan Adams, WR,Arkansas State | Tarron Jackson, DL, Coastal Carolina | Jamey Chadwell, HC, Coastal Carolina |
CFP College Football Playoff participant
The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.
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In December 2020, the College Football Playoff selection committee will announce its final team rankings for the year.
| Rank | Associated Press | Coaches' Poll |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama (13–0) | Alabama (13–0) |
| 2 | Ohio State (7–1) | Ohio State (7–1) |
| 3 | Clemson (10–2) | Clemson (10–2) |
| 4 | Texas A&M (9–1) | Texas A&M (9–1) |
| 5 | Notre Dame (10–2) | Notre Dame (10–2) |
| 6 | Oklahoma (9–2) | Oklahoma (9–2) |
| 7 | Georgia (8–2) | Georgia (8–2) |
| 8 | Cincinnati (9–1) | Cincinnati (9–1) |
| 9 | Iowa State (9–3) | Iowa State (9–3) |
| 10 | Northwestern (7–2) | Northwestern (7–2) |
| 11 | BYU (11–1) | BYU (11–1) |
| 12 | Indiana (6–2) | Florida (8–4) |
| 13 | Florida (8–4) | Indiana (6–2) |
| 14 | Coastal Carolina (11–1) | Coastal Carolina (11–1) |
| 15 | Louisiana (10–1) | Iowa (6–2) |
| 16 | Iowa (6–2) | Louisiana (10–1) |
| 17 | Liberty (10–1) | North Carolina (8–4) |
| 18 | North Carolina (8–4) | Liberty (10–1) |
| 19 | Texas (7–3) | Oklahoma State (8–3) |
| 20 | Oklahoma State (8–3) | Texas (7–3) |
| 21 | USC (5–1) | USC (5–1) |
| 22 | Miami (FL) (8–3) | Miami (FL) (8–3) |
| 23 | Ball State (7–1) | Ball State (7–1) |
| 24 | San Jose State (7–1) | San Jose State (7–1) |
| 25 | Buffalo (6–1) | Buffalo (6–1) |
The NCAA waivedbowl eligibility requirements for the 2020–21 bowl season, intended "to allow as many student-athletes as possible the opportunity to participate in bowl games this year."[101] On October 30, the postseason lineup of bowl games was announced; 37 bowls were scheduled, including the National Championship game.[102][103] Subsequent cancellations resulted in a schedule of 33 games, as compared to 40 games contested during the prior bowl season. On December 20, after the final CFP standings were released, an additional four games were left without teams available to play, leaving the count at 29. On December 22, theGasparilla Bowl was canceled after theSouth Carolina team had an increase in COVID-19 cases.[104] On December 27, theMusic City Bowl was canceled due toMissouri's high positive COVID-19 numbers.[105] On December 29, theTexas Bowl was canceled due toTCU's COVID-19 issues.[106]
| 2019–20 FBS bowl count | 40 | Including the National Championship game |
| Canceled, prior to team selections | −9 | Bahamas,Frisco,Hawaii,Holiday,Quick Lane,Redbox,Pinstripe,Sun,Las Vegas |
| Canceled, due to lack of teams | −4 | Birmingham,Independence,Guaranteed Rate,Military |
| Canceled, after team selections | −3 | Gasparilla Bowl,Music City,Texas |
| New bowls debuting in 2020 | +1 | Myrtle Beach Bowl |
| Debuts postponed to 2021 | — | Fenway Bowl,LA Bowl |
| Substitute bowl for this season | +1 | Montgomery Bowl |
| 2020–21 FBS bowl count | 26 |
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The Heisman Trophy is given to the year's most outstanding player
| Player | School | Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVonta Smith | Alabama | WR | 447 | 221 | 73 | 1,856 |
| Trevor Lawrence | Clemson | QB | 222 | 176 | 169 | 1,187 |
| Mac Jones | Alabama | QB | 138 | 248 | 220 | 1,130 |
| Kyle Trask | Florida | QB | 61 | 164 | 226 | 737 |
| Najee Harris | Alabama | RB | 16 | 47 | 74 | 216 |
| Breece Hall | Iowa State | RB | 6 | 10 | 26 | 64 |
| Justin Fields | Ohio State | QB | 5 | 6 | 21 | 48 |
| Zach Wilson | BYU | QB | 3 | 6 | 21 | 42 |
| Ian Book | Notre Dame | QB | 5 | 5 | 13 | 38 |
| Kyle Pitts | Florida | TE | 0 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
Quarterback
Running back
Wide receiver
Tight end
Lineman:
Defensive front
Defensive back
This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2020, and will also include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled game but before its bowl game. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2020, see2019 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss | Jay Hopson | September 7, 2020 | Resigned | Scotty Walden (Interim) |
| Scotty Walden (Interim) | October 27, 2020 | Hired byAustin Peay | Tim Billings (Interim) | |
| Utah State | Gary Andersen | November 7, 2020 | Resigned | Frank Maile (Interim) |
| South Carolina | Will Muschamp | November 15, 2020 | Fired | Mike Bobo (Interim) |
| Vanderbilt | Derek Mason | November 29, 2020 | Fired | Todd Fitch (Interim) |
| Illinois | Lovie Smith | December 13, 2020[108] | Fired | Rod Smith (Interim) |
| Auburn | Gus Malzahn | December 13, 2020 | Fired | Kevin Steele (Interim) |
This list includes coaching changes announced during the season that did not take effect until the end of the season.
| Team | Outgoing coach | Date | Reason | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Miss | Tim Billings (Interim) | December 2, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Will Hall |
| South Carolina | Mike Bobo (Interim) | December 6, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Shane Beamer |
| South Alabama | Steve Campbell | December 6, 2020 | Fired | Kane Wommack |
| Louisiana–Monroe | Matt Viator | December 7, 2020 | Fired | Terry Bowden |
| Utah State | Frank Maile (Interim) | December 10, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Blake Anderson |
| Arkansas State | Blake Anderson | December 10, 2020 | Hired byUtah State | Butch Jones |
| Arizona | Kevin Sumlin | December 12, 2020 | Fired | Jedd Fisch |
| Vanderbilt | Todd Fitch (Interim) | December 14, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Clark Lea |
| Illinois | Rod Smith (Interim) | December 19, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Bret Bielema |
| Auburn | Kevin Steele (Interim) | December 22, 2020 | Permanent replacement | Bryan Harsin |
| Boise State | Bryan Harsin | December 22, 2020 | Hired byAuburn | Andy Avalos |
| Texas | Tom Herman | January 2, 2021 | Fired | Steve Sarkisian |
| Marshall | Doc Holliday | January 4, 2021 | Contract not renewed | Charles Huff |
| Tennessee | Jeremy Pruitt | January 18, 2021 | Fired | Josh Heupel |
| UCF | Josh Heupel | January 27, 2021 | Hired byTennessee | Gus Malzahn |
| Kansas | Les Miles | March 8, 2021 | Mutually agreed to part ways | Lance Leipold |
| Buffalo | Lance Leipold | April 30, 2021 | Hired byKansas | Maurice Linguist |
All timesEastern.Rankings are from theAP Poll (before 11/24) andCFP Rankings (thereafter).
| Rank | Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating[109] | Significance | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 7, 7:30pm | No. 1Clemson | 40 | No. 4Notre Dame | 47 | NBC,USA | 10.07 | 5.4 | Primetime game/College GameDay |
| 2 | October 17, 8:00pm | No. 3Georgia | 24 | No. 2Alabama | 41 | CBS | 9.61 | 5.3 | College GameDay/Rivalry |
| 3 | November 28, 3:30pm | No. 22Auburn | 13 | No. 1 Alabama | 42 | 6.66 | 3.6 | College GameDay/Rivalry | |
| 4 | October 31, 7:30pm | No. 3Ohio State | 38 | No. 18Penn State | 25 | ABC | 6.53 | 3.5 | College GameDay/Rivalry |
| 5 | November 21, 12:00pm | No. 9Indiana | 35 | No. 3 Ohio State | 42 | FOX | 6.36 | 3.7 | Big Noon Kickoff |
| 6 | November 7, 3:30pm | No. 8Florida | 44 | No. 5 Georgia | 28 | CBS | 6.34 | 3.5 | Rivalry |
| 7 | October 24, 12:00pm | Nebraska | 17 | No. 5 Ohio State | 52 | FOX | 6.18 | 3.4 | Big Noon Kickoff |
| 8 | November 27, 3:30pm | No. 2 Notre Dame | 31 | No. 19North Carolina | 17 | ABC | 6.07 | 3.5 | |
| 9 | October 10, 3:30pm | No. 14Tennessee | 21 | No. 3 Georgia | 44 | CBS | 5.77 | 3.1 | Rivalry |
| 10 | November 14, 3:30pm | No. 2 Notre Dame | 45 | Boston College | 31 | ABC | 5.14 | 3.0 | Rivalry |
All timesEastern.Rankings are from theCFP Rankings.
| Rank | Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating[110] | Conference | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December4:00 pm:00pm | No. 3 Clemson | 34 | No. 2 Notre Dame | 10 | ABC | 9.92 | 5.5 | ACC | Bank of America Stadium,Charlotte, NC |
| 2 | Decembe8:00 pm8:00pm | No. 1 Alabama | 52 | No. 7 Florida | 46 | CBS | 8.92 | 4.9 | SEC | Mercedes-Benz Stadium,Atlanta, GA |
| 3 | Decemb12:00 pm12:00pm | No. 14 Northwestern | 10 | No. 4 Ohio State | 22 | FOX | 8.03 | 4.6 | Big Ten | Lucas Oil Stadium,Indianapolis, IN |
| 4 | Decem8:00 pm, 8:00 pm | Oregon | 31 | No. 13 USC | 24 | 3.85 | 2.2 | Pac-12 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum,Los Angeles, CA | |
| 5 | Dece12:00 pm, 12:00pm | No. 10 Oklahoma | 27 | No. 6 Iowa State | 21 | ABC | 2.99 | 1.8 | Big 12 | AT&T Stadium,Arlington, TX |
| 6 | Dec8:00 pm19, 8:00pm | No. 23 Tulsa | 24 | No. 9 Cincinnati | 27 | 1.88 | 1.1 | American | Nippert Stadium,Cincinnati, OH | |
| 7 | De4:15 pm 19, 4:15pm | Boise State | 20 | No. 24 San Jose State | 34 | FOX | 1.42 | 0.9 | MW | Sam Boyd Stadium,Whitney, NV |
| 8 | D7:30 pmr 18, 7:30pm | Ball State | 38 | No. 23 Buffalo | 28 | ESPN | 0.875 | 0.4 | MAC | Ford Field,Detroit, MI |
| 9 | 7:00 pmer 18, 7:00pm | UAB | 22 | Marshall | 13 | CBSSN | n.a. | n.a. | C-USA | Joan C. Edwards Stadium,Huntington, WV |
All timesEastern.Rankings are from theCFP Rankings.
| Rank | Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating[111] | Game | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 1 | No. 9 Georgia | 24 | No. 8 Cincinnati | 21 | ESPN | 8.7 | 4.9 | Peach Bowl | Mercedes-Benz Stadium,Atlanta, GA |
| 2 | January 2 | No. 13 North Carolina | 27 | No. 5 Texas A&M | 41 | 7.6 | 4.3 | Orange Bowl | Hard Rock Stadium,Miami Gardens, FL | |
| 3 | January 2 | No. 25 Oregon | 17 | No. 10 Iowa State | 34 | 6.7 | 3.8 | Fiesta Bowl | State Farm Stadium,Glendale, AZ | |
| 4 | December 30 | No. 7 Florida | 20 | No. 6 Oklahoma | 55 | 5.8 | 3.2 | Cotton Bowl Classic | AT&T Stadium,Arlington, TX | |
| 5 | January 1 | Auburn | 19 | No. 14 Northwestern | 35 | ABC | 4.8 | 2.8 | Citrus Bowl | Camping World Stadium,Orlando, FL |
| 6 | January 2 | Ole Miss | 26 | No. 11 Indiana | 20 | 4.1 | 2.5 | Outback Bowl | Raymond James Stadium,Tampa, FL | |
| 7 | December 31 | West Virginia | 24 | Army | 21 | ESPN | 3.7 | 2.2 | Liberty Bowl | Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium,Memphis, TN |
| 8 | December 29 | No. 21 Oklahoma State | 37 | No. 18 Miami (FL) | 34 | 3.2 | 1.8 | Cheez-It Bowl | Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL | |
| 9 | December 29 | No. 20 Texas | 55 | Colorado | 23 | 3.0 | 1.7 | Alamo Bowl | Alamodome,San Antonio, TX | |
| 10 | January 2 | No. 23 NC State | 21 | Kentucky | 23 | 2.7 | 1.7 | Gator Bowl | TIAA Bank Field,Jacksonville, FL | |
All timesEastern.Rankings are from theCFP Rankings.
| Game | Date | Matchup | Network | Viewers (millions) | TV Rating[111] | Location | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose Bowl (semifinal) | January 1 | No. 4 Notre Dame | 14 | No. 1 Alabama | 31 | ESPN | 18.9 | 9.6 | AT&T Stadium,Arlington, TX |
| Sugar Bowl (semifinal) | January 1 | No. 3 Ohio State | 49 | No. 2 Clemson | 28 | 19.1 | 9.8 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome,New Orleans, LA | |
| National Championship | January 11 | No. 3 Ohio State | 24 | No. 1 Alabama | 52 | 18.65 | 5.05 | Hard Rock Stadium,Miami Gardens, FL | |
With South Carolina unable to play in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl on Saturday against UAB because of COVID-19 issues, the bowl game has been canceled.
