2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season

The 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, will begin in late summer 2012.

Rule changes
The NCAA Rules Committee approved the following rule changes for the 2012 season (mainly for safety reasons):
 * Kickoffs will be moved up to the 35 yard line from the 30, mirroring a similar change by the NFL in the 2011 season and rescinding a rule change made in the 2007 season.
 * The kicking team will only have a five yard running head start on kickoffs, again mirroring the NFL changes in 2011.
 * Touchbacks will move from the 20 yard line to the 25 yard line only on kickoffs and free kicks after a safety. Touchbacks on punts rolling into the end zone or fumbles into the end zone will remain at the 20-yard line.
 * Players will be forbidden to leap over other players when blocking punts.
 * Players who lose their helmets during a play (except when caused by fouls such as grabbing the facemask) will have to leave the field for one play.
 * Offensive players in the tackle box at the snap who are not in motion are allowed to block below the waist legally without restriction. All other players are restricted from blocking below the waist with some exceptions (i.e. blocking straight-on), modifying a rule change from the 2011 season.

Membership changes
Includes schools transitioning to FBS.

Renovated stadiums

 * California will return to California Memorial Stadium following major renovations, which included a full seismic retrofit (as the stadium is located directly on a major fault). The stadium's capacity was reduced from its previous 71,800 to 62,700. The Golden Bears played their 2011 home schedule at AT&T Park in San Francisco, and also played a technically neutral-site game against Fresno State at Candlestick Park, also in San Francisco.

Temporary stadiums

 * Due to major renovations at Husky Stadium, Washington is playing its entire 2012 home schedule at nearby CenturyLink Field, home to the Seattle Seahawks (NFL) and Seattle Sounders FC (MLS). Because the renovation began before the end of the 2011 season, the Huskies also hosted that year's edition of the Apple Cup against Washington State at CenturyLink Field.
 * Due to renovations at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, Massachusetts is playing its entire 2012 and 2013 home schedules at Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots (NFL) and New England Revolution (MLS). As Gillette is approximately a 90-minute drive from the UMass campus, they will not host any non-Saturday games.

Preseason and in-season
This is restricted to coaching changes that took place on or after May 1, 2012. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2012, see 2011 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes.