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What Makes College Football Different from the NFL

From the rulebook to the calendar to the postseason, here is how the college game differs from the pros.

By LiveNFLTV Editorial · Published

College and pro football look alike on television, yet the rules, schedules and playoffs are quite different. Here are the differences that affect how you follow scores.

Rules that change the game

  • Catches: a college receiver needs only one foot in bounds; an NFL receiver needs two.
  • Clock: in college, the clock stops briefly after a first down; in the NFL it keeps running.
  • Overtime: college teams alternate possessions from the 25-yard line with no game clock; the NFL uses a timed period.
  • Hash marks: college hashes are wider, which changes play-calling near the sideline.

Schedule and size

College teams play about 12 games in the regular season, mostly on Saturdays, with some weeknight games. There are well over 100 teams at the top level, grouped into conferences. The NFL has 32 teams and plays on Sunday, Monday and Thursday.

How champions are decided

The NFL decides its champion through a single-elimination playoff and the Super Bowl. College football uses conference championship games, bowl games and an expanded College Football Playoff to determine the national champion.

Why the polls matter

Ranking committees and polls shape which teams make the playoff, so a single loss in October can alter a team's season. That makes midseason scores more consequential than in the NFL.

Following both on LiveNFLTV

Use the NFL and NCAAF pages for live scores, quarter-by-quarter results and upcoming schedules in each league.