2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season

Rule changes

• Players who intentionally deliver a blow above the shoulders of a defenseless player will now be automatically ejected from the game in addition to the 15-yard penalty assessed. If the ejection occurs in the first half, it is for the remainder of the game. If the ejection occurs in the second half or in overtime, it is for the remainder of the game plus the first half of the next scheduled game. The ejection penalty is automatically reviewed to determine if the hit was intentional; however, the yardage penalty is not reviewable.
• Blocking below the waist is now legal if done from the front side of the defender anywhere on the field, while blocks below the waist delivered from the side or back are fouls, simplifying rule changes from the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
• In the final minute of each half, if the clock is stopped solely for an injured player, there will be an option for a 10-second runoff before the ball is put in play to cut down on teams faking injuries to stop the clock. If the clock is stopped for another reason or if players from both teams are injured on the same play no runoff will occur.
• Establishing three seconds as the minimum time required to be on the game clock to spike the ball to stop the clock and get an additional play. If one or two seconds remain on the game clock when the ball is spiked, the half or game will end.
• Permitting the use of electronic equipment such as wireless headsets for game officials to communicate with each other.
• Two players at the same position on the same team may not wear the same uniform number.
• Players that change numbers during a game must report to the referee, who will announce it via wireless microphone. Failure to report is a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
• Instant replay will be permitted to adjust the game clock at the end of each quarter. Previously, instant replay could only adjust the game clock at the end of each half.
• Permitting the Big 12 Conference to experiment with an eighth official during conference games, positioned in the offensive backfield opposite the Referee to assist in detecting infractions on the offensive line as well as spotting the ball and monitoring substitutions. This official will be referred to as an "alternate referee" and wear an "A" on the back of the uniform. Use of eight-man officiating crews was expanded to all FBS conferences in the 2014 season.

Conference realignment

Membership changes

Other headlines

• May 14 – The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa announced that effective July 1, all of the school's men's sports teams would use the nickname Rainbow Warriors, a combination of the school's historic name of "Rainbows" and the "Warriors" nickname used by some teams since 2000. This reversed a plan announced by UH in February 2013, under which all men's teams would use "Warriors", previously used by football, men's golf, and men's volleyball. UH had allowed men's teams to choose their own nicknames in 2000, which resulted in the baseball team using "Rainbows", the three aforementioned teams using "Warriors", and other men's teams using "Rainbow Warriors". The change did not affect UH women's sports, which continue to be known as Rainbow Wahine.
• May 20 – The organizers of the Military Bowl announced that the game, previously held at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., would be moved to Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland effective with the upcoming 2013 edition.
• September 7 – The 2013 Michigan–Notre Dame game set an NCAA record for attendance in a game with 115,109 fans attending the game at Michigan Stadium. Michigan won the game 41–30.
• October 10 – Minnesota and its head coach Jerry Kill jointly announced that Kill would take an indefinite leave of absence, effective immediately, to focus on treatment and management of his epilepsy. Kill had missed the second half of the Golden Gophers' win over Western Illinois on September 14 due to a seizure, and was unable to travel with the team to Michigan on October 5 due to his condition. Minnesota named defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys as interim head coach; Kill returned to the team for the Northwestern game on October 19, but remained in the press box, allowing Claeys to direct the team from the sidelines until resuming on-field duties in the second half of the Texas Bowl.
• November 30 – In a game whose winner would clinch the SEC West division and a berth in the 2013 SEC Championship Game, the No. 4-ranked Auburn Tigers upset the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2013 Iron Bowl by a score of 34–28. Auburn's Chris Davis returned a missed Alabama field goal attempt for a touchdown on the final play of the game, which was dubbed the "Kick Six." The Iron Bowl was one of the most-watched games of the 2013 season, and the play was widely considered to be one of the greatest moments in the history of college football.

  Updated stadiums

• Nebraska's Memorial Stadium was expanded.
• Kansas State's Bill Snyder Family Stadium was renovated.
• Arizona's Arizona Stadium was renovated.
• Washington returned to Husky Stadium following a $280 million renovation that began during the 2011 season.
• UCLA's Rose Bowl was renovated.
• Houston's Robertson Stadium was closed after the 2012 season; a new venue that ultimately became TDECU Stadium opened on the former stadium's site in 2014. The Cougars used Reliant Stadium for five of their seven home games in 2013 and two games at BBVA Compass Stadium.
• Massachusetts' Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium was renovated, maintaining its previous capacity of 17,000, and was planned to be ready by the 2014 season. The Minutemen were to use Gillette Stadium for their entire 2013 home schedule, however the school was also contracted to play at least four home games at Gillette Stadium in each season from 2014 to 2016.
• Missouri's Faurot Field underwent renovation, and its seating was temporarily cut from 71,004 to 67,124 for 2013, in preparation for an expansion to 77,000 in 2014.
• Texas Tech's Jones AT&T Stadium was renovated with an upgraded video board and colonnade.

  Conference standings

Conference champions

• Louisiana–Lafayette vacated its shared Sun Belt Conference title due to NCAA penalties levied in 2016.

  Final BCS rankings

Bowl games

Bowl record by conference

Awards and honors

Heisman Trophy

Other major awards

• Archie Griffin Award : Jameis Winston, Florida State
• AP Player of the Year: Jameis Winston, Florida State
• Chic Harley Award : Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois
• Maxwell Award : AJ McCarron, Alabama
• SN Player of the Year: Jameis Winston, Florida State
• Walter Camp Award : Jameis Winston, Florida State

  Special awards

• Burlsworth Trophy : Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin
• Paul Hornung Award : Odell Beckham Jr., LSU
• Campbell Trophy : John Urschel, Penn State
• Wuerffel Trophy : Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma

  Offense

• Davey O'Brien Award : Jameis Winston, Florida State
• Johnny Unitas Award : AJ McCarron, Alabama
• Kellen Moore Award : AJ McCarron, Alabama
• Manning Award : Jameis Winston, Florida State
• Sammy Baugh Trophy : Derek Carr, Fresno State

• Doak Walker Award : Andre Williams, Boston College
• Jim Brown Trophy : Andre Williams, Boston College

• Fred Biletnikoff Award : Brandin Cooks, Oregon State
• Paul Warfield Trophy : Davante Adams, Fresno State

• John Mackey Award : Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Washington
• Ozzie Newsome Award : Jace Amaro, Texas Tech

• Dave Rimington Trophy : Bryan Stork, Florida State
• Outland Trophy : Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
• Jim Parker Trophy : Cyril Richardson, Baylor

  Defense

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy : Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
• Chuck Bednarik Award : Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
• Lott Trophy : Anthony Barr, UCLA

• Bill Willis Award : Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
• Dick Butkus Award : C.J. Mosley, Alabama
• Jack Lambert Trophy : Khalil Mack, Buffalo
• Rotary Lombardi Award : Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
• Ted Hendricks Award : Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas

• Jim Thorpe Award : Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State
• Jack Tatum Trophy : Darqueze Dennard, Michigan State

  Special teams

• Lou Groza Award : Roberto Aguayo, Florida State
• Vlade Award : Roberto Aguayo, Florida State
• Ray Guy Award : Tom Hornsey, Memphis

  Coaches

• AFCA Coach of the Year: David Cutcliffe, Duke
• AP Coach of the Year: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• Bobby Bowden National Collegiate Coach of the Year Award: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award: David Cutcliffe, Duke
• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• Maxwell Coach of the Year: David Cutcliffe, Duke
• Paul "Bear" Bryant Award: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• SN Coach of the Year: Gus Malzahn, Auburn and David Cutcliffe, Duke
• The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• Woody Hayes Trophy: Gus Malzahn, Auburn
• Walter Camp Coach of the Year: David Cutcliffe, Duke

  Assistants

• AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year: Chad Morris, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, Clemson
• Broyles Award: Pat Narduzzi, defensive coordinator, Michigan State

  All-Americans

Coaching changes

Television viewers and ratings

Most watched regular season games

Kickoff games

Conference championship games