The NCAA Division I Cabinet has voted to reshape the college football calendar, setting a 14‑week regular season that will begin in the fall of 2027. The new schedule will allow teams to play up to 12 games before the season concludes just after Thanksgiving, giving programs two built‑in bye weeks and dedicated weekends for conference championship games and the traditional Army‑Navy matchup.
Immediate Bowl Access for Reclassifying Teams
Teams that are moving up from the Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision will become bowl‑eligible right away, a change that takes effect this fall. This policy shift removes the previous waiting period and gives rising programs a chance to showcase themselves on a national stage sooner.
The Cabinet also asked its staff to examine concerns about athlete tampering and to develop an enhanced agent registry system. In parallel, the FBS and FCS oversight committees proposed trimming the January transfer portal window from 15 to 10 days, aiming to reduce the window for last‑minute roster shuffling.
Revised Off‑Season Structure
A new model for spring and summer activities was introduced, featuring two sessions of spring drills that will total 21 on‑field practices across the year. The proposal also permits teams to hold a joint spring practice with another four‑year institution, and it requires each school to designate at least nine discretionary weeks during which players are not required to attend mandatory activities.
The oversight committees are slated to vote on these proposals in August, with the possibility of implementation beginning on January 1 of the following year. If approved, the changes will mark the most substantial restructuring of college football rules in recent memory.