Proposed NCAA calendar changes may be coming to college football

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

The NCAA's FBS Oversight Committee has proposed several changes to the college football calendar in a move meant to better align the season with an expanded College Football Playoff, transfer portal, and academic calendar. The measure now moves to the Division I Council for further consideration.

Under a revised timeline, the regular season would kick off one week prior to the traditional Labor Day weekend start. The committee also recommended moving preseason practice from 25 days before a team's first game to 27 days. The proposal would also grant teams the ability to hold two joint practices with another school during the spring window, similar to how the NFL facilitates collaborative training sessions.

"The proposal would allow for two out-of-season practice sessions, for a total of 21 practices, neither of which could exceed five weeks. College teams currently can hold 15 practices during the spring, but an NFL-like model with organized team activities (OTAs) for the late spring and early summer has gained popularity in recent years," writes College Football reporter Adam Rittenberg.

The proposal would also shrink the transfer portal window from 15 days to 10 days. "The portal would open on the first business day following Jan. 1 each year. The transfer portal opened earlier this year, spanning from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16, as a previously used spring transfer window was eliminated," Rittenberg goes on to say.

The committee's hope is to modernize an archaic college football calendar as the sport continues to adapt to the rapid structural changes. The measure will go to a vote in August and, if approved, will be implemented for the 2027 season.

For Jon Sumrall and the Gators, the Orange and Blue game would be replaced by these joint practices. Early competition against other Power Four talent in a controlled environment could give the UF staff better evaluation than the spring game. Extra preseason time benefits a program like Florida, especially as the Gators face one of the nation's toughest schedules.

As Florida will be leaning on a very strong 2027 class, the added time could benefit the Gators incoming blue-chippers.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Calendar changes proposed by NCAA could impact Florida football

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos