Rules on spring practices, summer activities would be replaced with new model, shorter preseason
The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on Thursday adopted proposals to change the FBS calendar, giving schools more flexibility to meet the needs of coaches and student-athletes.
For the changes to go into effect Jan. 1, the Division I Cabinet must approve them at its meeting Oct. 6-7.
Out-of-season activities: Jan. 1 through the start of preseason
The new out-of-season activities model would replace the current rules on spring practices and summer activities and allow FBS schools to conduct two out-of-season practice periods with a total of 21 on-field practices.
The two practice periods combined could not exceed seven weeks, and neither practice period could exceed five weeks.
Additionally, schools would have to designate a minimum of nine discretionary or voluntary weeks for student-athletes when required athletically related activities are not permitted.
The process of changing the football calendar was a collaborative effort between the committee and the American Football Coaches Association, which recommended changes in June 2025.
Josh Brooks, FBS Oversight Committee vice chair and the director of athletics at Georgia, chaired the FBS Calendar Subgroup over the last nine months to craft the modifications.
“The work of the calendar subcommittee in building off the American Football Coaches Association’s recommendations has been critical in establishing clarity with the college football calendar,” Brooks said. “We dedicated a tremendous amount of time and energy to ensure we built a calendar that best fits the needs of our coaches and student-athletes. I am proud of this work and appreciate the efforts of our group, which included athletics directors, coaches, student-athletes and commissioners from various schools and conferences.”
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, who is a member of the committee and the president of the AFCA board of trustees, agreed that the legislation improves out-of-season activities.
“The new playing and practice schedule is a great step forward for our game,” Lea said. “This will allow for more flexibility for team building in the spring and summer and will benefit the development of our student-athletes. I am grateful for the partnership between the AFCA and the NCAA and look forward to continued collaboration to advance college football.”
Sam Edwards, a former football student-athlete at Michigan State and a member of the committee, provided a player’s perspective on the new out-of-season model.
“I was very grateful for the opportunity to bring the student-athlete voice to the table, empowered by collaboration with the entire Football Student-Athlete Engagement Group,” Edwards said. “In an evolving environment, the shift toward flexibility and program-specific scheduling for out-of-season activities, as well as strategic changes to in-season operations, will be greatly beneficial for student-athletes and football programs alike. I look forward to watching the revised and revamped calendar structure carry college football into the future.”
Modified preseason practice period — effective for the 2027 season
The preseason practice period would consist of 27 calendar days to conduct 21 practices.
In making the change, the oversight committee noted that additional practice opportunities would be available during the spring and summer under the new out-of-season activities model, which warranted a four-day reduction in the length of the preseason practice period and a reduction in the number of practices from 25 to 21.
Notification-of-transfer period — effective Jan. 1
The notification-of-transfer period in January would change from a 15- to a 10-day period beginning the first business day following Jan. 1.
Additional changes to the FBS calendar
Earlier this year, the FBS Calendar Subgroup presented recommendations to the committee to amend the regular season and the off-campus recruiting model.
In response to those recommendations, a new FBS first-contest date has been adopted and will take effect in the 2027 season. The season will begin on the Thursday of what is now designated Week 0 and end on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Recommended changes to the off-campus recruiting model are expected to be reviewed by the Division I Cabinet at its Oct. 6-7 meeting. If adopted, those changes would take effect Jan. 1.
Rules process
The committee approved modifying how the rules process will work for the 2026-27 academic year.
The change formalizes the process to provide transparency to all involved, including deadlines for rules recommendation submissions, as well as a calendar that provides notice to stakeholders about when and how to be engaged in the process.
