College football’s entire calendar is getting a massive shakeup starting January 1, 2027. The NCAA has officially approved big changes for the FBS, including a much shorter transfer portal window in January, Week 1 moving up on the schedule, and a total revamp of how teams approach offseason practices, bringing in NFL-style voluntary workouts.
NFL-Style Offseason: Say Goodbye To Old Practices
Forget everything you thought you knew about spring practices and summer workouts. Those are gone. The new policy allows teams 21 on-field practices, split into two sessions. The combined sessions can’t run longer than seven weeks, and no single session can stretch past five weeks. What’s huge for player well-being is the mandate for schools to set aside a minimum of nine discretionary or voluntary weeks, periods when athletic activities are totally off-limits. Preseason is also getting a facelift: 21 practices packed into 27 calendar days, a real reduction from the old model of 25 practices over 31 days. And get this: the college football season itself is kicking off a whole week sooner next fall. Week 1 is moving up to what we currently call Week 0, and every team gets an extra off week during the season. That’s a second bye week, folks!
The January Transfer Portal Is Shrinking Fast
If you thought the transfer portal drama was intense, prepare yourself. The new calendar, if approved, slashes the January transfer portal window from 15 days down to a rapid-fire 10 days. The clock starts ticking on the first business day after January 1. This means teams, coaches, and us fans won’t be holding our breath quite as long for player movement. Josh Brooks, the vice chair of the oversight committee and athletic director at Georgia, spilled the beans that the committee worked super close with the American Football Coaches Association to dial in these calendar tweaks. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea, who’s also on the committee and president of the AFCA, called this new schedule a “great step forward for our game.” He says it’ll “allow for more flexibility for team building in the spring and summer.”
So yeah, while these are huge moves, don’t forget the Division I Cabinet still has to give its final blessing at their meeting on October 6-7. That’s the real moment of truth. If they approve, college football is going to look and feel different come January 1, 2027. From how teams manage their offseason grind to the frenetic pace of the transfer portal, everything’s on the line. Get ready, because it’s going to be a wild ride.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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