NCAA reshapes college football calendar
The NCAA Division I Cabinet has approved a sweeping revision to the college football calendar, standardizing the Bowl Subdivision regular season at 14 weeks beginning in the fall of 2027.
Under the new framework, teams will be allowed to schedule up to 12 regular‑season games, incorporate two bye weeks and reserve standalone weekends for conference championship games and the traditional Army‑Navy matchup.
Programs that are transitioning from the Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision will become immediately eligible for bowl participation, a change that takes effect this fall.
The Cabinet also asked its staff to continue investigating concerns about athlete tampering and to explore an enhanced agent registry system to better regulate player representation.
Meanwhile, the FBS and FCS oversight committees have proposed shortening the January transfer portal window from 15 to 10 days, starting the first business day after Jan. 1, and introducing a new spring‑and‑summer activity model that includes two drill sessions and a total of 21 on‑field practices.
The committees further suggest that each school set aside at least nine discretionary weeks for players, during which no mandatory activities are required, and they propose allowing joint spring practices with other four‑year institutions. A vote on these measures is scheduled for August, with adopted changes slated to take effect on Jan. 1.