Short YouTube video (Feb 3, 2024) by Trenton Luera ranking college football divisions from his personal experience. Order given: D1 (top; includes FBS and FCS), D2, NAIA (compares to D2), JUCO (noted for talented freshmen/sophomores), and D3 (bottom; limited by no athletic scholarships). Mentions specific programs (South Dakota State, Colorado School) and recruitment context (offers free spreadsheet of coaches' emails).
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College football divisions ranked. This might surprise so I've played or been around all levels of college football. A lot of people don't realize that the number system isn't actually as true as they think. So let me share with you the order from my experience. D1 is first. It's pretty obvious. FBS and FCS. It's pretty clear cut there though. Some FCS teams could be Power 5 schools like South Dakota State probably could be in the top 25. D2 is next. There's a lot of solid D2 programs. Colorado School is one that stands out in mind. Definitely could compete with a lot of FCS programs out there. Next is NAIA. This is its own thing from the NCAA. Some NAIA teams have beaten D D1 FCS programs, so to me they're pretty even with D2. Next is JUCO. Now this might surprise a lot of people. There's definitely some top tier D3 programs that are absolute studs. But the fact that JUCO is just comprised of freshmen and sophomores, some of them would whoop D3 programs and A programs. Lastly, at the bottom is D3 and I have nothing against D3. Their national championships has happened. They have some good teams out there, but without giving athletic scholarships, it's hard to recruit talent. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.