DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — If there is a college football season this year, the path to a bowl game will be less daunting.
The NCAA Division I Council approved a blanket waiver Wednesday that allows Football Bowl Subdivision teams to count two wins against Football Championship Subdivision teams toward the six wins needed for bowl eligibility.
Under NCAA rules, FBS teams are only permitted to count one win against an FCS opponent for bowl eligibility, but the coronavirus pandemic is likely to impact scheduling if the season starts on time -- or at all.
Several big-time FBS teams like Alabama and Notre Dame are looking to fill out their schedules after the Big Ten and Pacific 12 conferences announced that member schools would play conference-only schedules in 2020. That could allow Alabama, which was supposed to open the season against Southern California at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and Notre Dame, which lost games against Wisconsin, Stanford and USC, to fill the void with a lesser-tier opponent.
It could also be helpful for Florida Atlantic, which had its season opener at Minnesota canceled. The Owls are already scheduled to play FCS opponent Stony Brook in their Sept. 12 home opener.
Three FCS teams defeated FBS teams last season, highlighted by the Citadel's 27-24 overtime win at Georgia Tech.
The waiver only applies to the 2020 season.