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Colleges

Best Football colleges in California

Explore colleges in California recruiting Football athletes, most popular programs first. Open any school to see its division, costs and coaches, or let our football recruiting platform email every coach for you.

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Overview

Football colleges in California

How the programs break down by division, conference, cost and size. Updated October 2026.

Programs
37
Coaches recruiting
640
  • 11Division I
  • 3Division II
  • 10Division III
  • 1NAIA
  • 1Junior college

California has 37 colleges with Football programs. Of those, 11 compete in NCAA Division I, 3 in NCAA Division II, 10 in NCAA Division III, 1 in the NAIA and 1 at the junior college level. The most popular programs are University of Southern California, Stanford University and University of California, Los Angeles. Their head coaches are Lincoln Riley at University of Southern California and Bob Chesney at University of California, Los Angeles. 10 schools compete in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the most common conference.

All programs

Every Football program in California

Open any school to see its coaches, costs and admissions.

Questions

Questions about Football colleges in California

Quick answers about the programs and how to reach their coaches.

How many colleges in California have Football?

37 colleges in California have Football programs: 11 Division I, 3 Division II, 10 Division III, 1 NAIA and 1 Junior college.

Which colleges in California have D1 Football?

11 colleges in California compete in NCAA Division I Football: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California State University, Fresno, California State University, Sacramento, San Diego State University, San Jose State University, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Davis and 3 more.

Which colleges in California have D2 Football?

3 colleges in California compete in NCAA Division II Football: Azusa Pacific University, California State University, Chico and William & Mary.

Which colleges in California have D3 Football?

10 colleges in California compete in NCAA Division III Football: California Lutheran University, Chapman University, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Scripps College, University of La Verne and 2 more.

Which colleges in California have NAIA Football?

1 college in California competes in NAIA Football: Simpson University.

Which colleges in California have JUCO Football?

1 college in California competes in NJCAA junior college Football: Saddleback College.

What is the most affordable college in California with Football?

California State University, Fresno has the lowest average net price at $7,834 a year after grants and scholarships.

What conference do most Football programs in California compete in?

The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has the most Football programs in California.

Who are the Football head coaches in California?

Lincoln Riley (University of Southern California), Bob Chesney (University of California, Los Angeles), Tosh Lupoi (University of California, Berkeley), Sean Lewis (San Diego State University), Tim Skipper (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo), Alonzo Carter (California State University, Sacramento), Ken Niumatalolo (San Jose State University) and Tim Plough (University of California, Davis).

How do I contact Football coaches in California?

There are 640 coaches recruiting Football in California. Start a free 7-day AthleticScholar trial to see who recruits your position and send personal messages from your own Gmail, with follow-ups until they reply.

By division

Football colleges by division in California

The most popular programs at each level, with links to the full lists.