NCAA Approves the New Football Calendar: A 10-Day January Portal Window, an Earlier Week 1 and 21 Offseason Practices

NCAA Approves the New Football Calendar: A 10-Day January Portal Window, an Earlier Week 1 and 21 Offseason Practices

The NCAA Division I Cabinet approved FBS and FCS calendar changes: the January transfer portal window drops to 10 days starting Jan. 4, the season starts in Week 0 and spring ball gets reworked.

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College football's transfer portal just got shorter. The NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a new football calendar that cuts the January window from 15 days to 10 and moves the start of the season up a week, according to FootballScoop and CBS Sports. The changes take effect Jan. 1.

The Transfer Portal Window: Jan. 4 Through 10 Days

The window now opens on the first business day after Jan. 1, which is Monday, Jan. 4, 2027. The 10 days are the period for entering the portal, not for picking a new school. CBS Sports notes the spring window was already eliminated this year, so January is now the only window, and it opens three weeks before the national championship game.

Week 0 Becomes Week 1

Starting with the 2027 season, teams can play their first games on the Thursday of what is now Week 0, the last weekend before Labor Day. The regular season ends the Saturday after Thanksgiving. CBS Sports reports the extra week gives teams a second bye.

Spring Ball Becomes Two Practice Sessions

The old spring practice and summer rules are replaced. Under the NCAA's summary, teams get 21 on-field practices split over two out-of-season sessions. Neither session can run longer than five weeks, the two together cannot exceed seven, and schools must set aside at least nine weeks when required activities are not allowed. CBS Sports describes the summer piece as NFL-style voluntary workouts. Preseason camp shrinks to 21 practices over 27 days, down from 25.

FCS programs get two extras, according to FootballScoop: joint practices during the spring session and up to 17 coaches allowed to recruit off campus. The changes grew out of American Football Coaches Association recommendations from June 2025. Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea, the AFCA board president, called the new schedule "a great step forward for our game."

For players, the practical change is the clock. A player thinking about leaving has 10 days in early January to enter the portal, and no spring window to fall back on. More college football is on the BallerTube college football page.