[Federated provision, FBS only]

18.7.2.1 Contest Status. A contest shall serve the purpose of providing a national contest between deserving teams. A "deserving team" shall be defined as one that has won a number of games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents that is equal to or greater than the number of its overall losses. Tie games do not count in determining a team's won-lost record. Further, when forfeiture of a regular-season football victory is required by the Committee on Infractions or a conference, or is self-imposed by an institution as a result of a violation of NCAA rules, neither of the competing institutions may count that contest in satisfying the definition of a "deserving team."

18.7.2.1.1 Exception -- Football Championship Subdivision Opponent. Each year, a Football Bowl Subdivision institution may count one victory against a Football Championship Subdivision opponent toward meeting the definition of a "deserving team," provided the opponent has averaged 90 percent of the permissible maximum number of grants-in-aid per year in football during a rolling two-year period.

[18.7.2.1.1.1 unchanged.]

18.7.2.1.2 Waiver for Exception -- Conference Champion. The Leadership Council, by a two-thirds majority of its members present and voting, or a committee designated by the Leadership Council, may approve a waiver of the definition of a "deserving team," to enable a conference champion to participate in a bowl game when the If a conference champion is scheduled contractually to participate in the a bowl game, the institution that is the conference champion shall be eligible to participate regardless of its won-lost record.

18.7.2.1.3 Exception -- Deserving Team That Loses Conference Championship Game.  An institution that finishes its regular season having met the definition of a "deserving team" but loses its conference championship game shall continue to be considered a deserving team.

18.7.2.1.34 Exception -- Insufficient Number of Eligible Institutions. For a period of four years beginning August 2, 2012, if an insufficient number of institutions meet the definition of a "deserving team" pursuant to Bylaw 18.7.2.1 to participate in postseason bowl games in a particular year, an institution that meets a condition set forth below shall be eligible to be selected to participate in such a bowl game. A particular bowl game may benefit from this provision only one time within the four-year period. All institutions that meet the first condition must be selected before an institution that meets the second condition may be selected and so forth in descending order:

[18.7.2.1.3-(a) through 18.7.2.1.3-(b) renumbered as 18.7.2.1.4-(a) through 18.7.2.1.4-(b), unchanged.]

(c) An institution that finished its regular season having met the definition of a "deserving team" or having met the exception in Bylaw 18.7.2.1.1 but lost its conference championship game and, consequently, no longer meets the definition.

[18.7.2.1.3-(d) through 18.7.2.1.3-(f) renumbered and relettered as 18.7.2.1.4-(c) through 18.7.2.1.4-(e), unchanged.]