The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on Friday, August 28, adopted proposals to modify the FBS calendar, aiming to provide greater flexibility for coaches and student-athletes. These changes, if approved by the Division I Cabinet at its October 6-7 meeting, would take effect on January 1.
The new model for out-of-season activities would replace existing rules on spring practices and summer activities. It allows FBS schools to conduct two out-of-season practice periods, totaling 21 on-field practices. These two periods combined cannot exceed seven weeks, with neither period lasting more than five weeks. Additionally, schools must designate a minimum of nine discretionary or voluntary weeks for student-athletes, during which required athletically related activities are not permitted.
This initiative was a collaborative effort between the committee and the American Football Coaches Association, which first recommended changes in June 2025. Josh Brooks, FBS Oversight Committee vice chair and the director of athletics at Georgia, chaired the FBS Calendar Subgroup responsible for crafting these modifications over the past nine months.
Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, a committee member and president of the AFCA board of trustees, expressed that the legislation improves out-of-season activities, allowing for more flexibility in team building during spring and summer, which will benefit student-athlete development. Sam Edwards, a former Michigan State football student-athlete and committee member, emphasized the importance of the student-athlete voice in these changes, noting the shift toward flexibility and program-specific scheduling will be greatly beneficial.
A modified preseason practice period is also part of the approved legislation, effective for the 2027 season. This period will consist of 27 calendar days to conduct 21 practices. The oversight committee reduced the preseason practice period by four days and the number of practices from 25 to 21, citing the additional practice opportunities available during spring and summer under the new out-of-season activities model.
Furthermore, the notification-of-transfer period in January will be shortened from 15 to 10 days, beginning the first business day after January 1. Earlier this year, the FBS Calendar Subgroup also recommended amendments to the regular season and the off-campus recruiting model. A new FBS first-contest date has been adopted, effective in the 2027 season, with the season beginning on the Thursday of what is currently designated Week 0 and concluding on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Recommended changes to the off-campus recruiting model are also expected to be reviewed by the Division I Cabinet at its October meeting, with a potential effective date of January 1 if adopted.
The committee also approved formalizing the rules process for the 2026-27 academic year to provide transparency, including deadlines for rules recommendation submissions and a calendar for stakeholder engagement.
