How many scholarships exist for college football players?

I'm planning to pursue football in college, and I'm interested in learning about the scholarship opportunities. How many scholarships are typically offered to college football players each year?

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which is the governing body for most intercollegiate sports, including football, has established guidelines for scholarship limits for each sport.

For Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, which are the most competitive, there's a limit of 85 total scholarships per team. These are full-ride scholarships, meaning they cover tuition, room and board, and textbooks.

Under Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the scholarship limit is slightly less at 63 scholarships per team. However, these can be divided among more players since FCS teams are allowed to offer partial scholarships.

Division II schools have a limit of 36 scholarships per team, and these can also be divided among players as partial scholarships.

In Division III, formal athletic scholarships are not awarded. However, student-athletes may receive academic scholarships, need-based aid, or other types of financial aid.

To give a broad estimate, with roughly 125 FBS schools, 125 FCS schools, and 150 DII schools offering football, that's roughly 19,000 scholarships available each year across these three divisions.

Do keep in mind that these are the maximum allowed scholarships, and not every school will offer the maximum number due to budgetary constraints. The competition for these scholarships is also intensely high, so ensure you're showcasing your skills and keeping your grades up to meet eligibility criteria. Also, remember that the availability of scholarships can change each year based on many factors, including how many current players are graduating or leaving the team.