NCAA Considers Major Shift to College Football Schedule, Including Earlier Start and Extended Season Format

A sweeping change to the structure of the college football season could be on the horizon, as the NCAA considers a proposal that would reshape how the regular season is scheduled across the country.

The NCAA announced Thursday that its Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Oversight Committee has recommended moving the start of the season up by one week. Under the proposal, games would begin during what is currently known as “Week Zero” — the weekend preceding Labor Day — rather than the traditional Week 1 start.

If adopted, the regular season would be standardized into a 14-week schedule, beginning with Week Zero and concluding on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. Despite the earlier start, teams would still play a 12-game schedule. However, the adjustment would create an additional open date, giving programs more flexibility for rest, scheduling, or rescheduling games if needed.

Current NCAA rules prohibit teams from playing their first game before the Thursday leading into Labor Day weekend. An exception, introduced in 2016, allows teams from Hawaii — along with their opponents — to begin a week earlier. The new proposal would effectively extend that flexibility to all FBS programs.

Officials say the primary goal of the change is to build more adaptability into the calendar, particularly as college football continues to evolve with the expansion of the College Football Playoff. A longer scheduling window could help accommodate future postseason adjustments without overburdening teams.

Key events such as conference championship games and the Army-Navy Game are not expected to be impacted under the proposed format.

Some logistical questions remain unresolved, including how the schedule would be structured in years when the calendar naturally includes 14 Saturdays between Labor Day weekend and the end of the regular season — a scenario expected to occur again in 2029 and 2030.

The recommendation now heads to the NCAA Division I Council for further review in June. If approved, the new 14-week scheduling model would go into effect beginning with the 2027 college football season.