The Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Oversight Committee has recommended a major overhaul of the college football regular-season schedule, the NCAA announced Thursday.
Under the recommended proposal, the beginning of the college football season would be moved up one week to what is currently referred to as Week Zero, which is the unofficial name for the weekend of college football games that are played on the Saturday prior to Labor Day weekend. It’s named Week Zero because it falls one week before the majority of college football teams play their first games in Week 1.
The regular-season schedule would then be fixed at 14 weeks, starting with Week Zero and concluding on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
FBS teams would still play 12 games per season, but would gain an additional open date or off week each season.
Per NCAA Bylaw 17.12.4, Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams cannot play their first contest until the Thursday preceding Labor Day, which is September 3 this season. Beginning in 2016, an exception to this rule was added (Bylaw 17.12.4.1) that allows Hawaii and teams that play in Hawaii, plus their opponents, the option to play one week earlier on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend.
The proposed change for FBS schools to begin their seasons in what is now Week Zero is intended to build flexibility into the calendar for potential future adjustments to the College Football Playoff.
Conference championship games and the annual Army-Navy Game would likely be unaffected by the proposal.
Unclear, however, is how the season would be oriented in weeks when the calendar contains 14 Saturdays beginning with Labor Day weekend and ending the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That’s schedule to occur again in 2029 and 2030.
The committee’s recommendation will advance to the Division I Cabinet, which is scheduled to review it in June. If approved, the standardized 14-week season would take effect with the 2027 campaign.
View Comments (17)
At one time schools wanted the later games because students are not on campus before Labor Day. It is obvious that schools no longer care about students. Schools do care about all the money they can get and students are not a good source of revenue.
a lot of schools in the south start classes in mid-august
In the distant past, schools wanted games after labor day because students would be able to attend games. Now money prevails.
This is the right move. The season should always start on the last weekend of August, regardless of if it's Labor Day Weekend or not. That way, each team will always have two byes.
Then, get rid of the conference championship games, and start the Playoffs the second weekend of December.
I would take CFB on Labor Day weekend over New Year's Day any day plus I want to see all teams play.
So if that happens, there's no more Hawaii rule. Isn't that why people would agree to play at Hawaii, so they could offset the cost and schedule another game, or get the benefit of having a TV game when no one else was playing?
The Hawaii rule is in there for aa different reason than this. If teams play in Hawaii during the specific times, they should still be able to have a 13th game and that should still be the case here.
Good for the NCAA for not making the 13th game regular season the new standard. I don't see where Stan is concerned this will affect the students that much, it will increase the number of early neutral site matchups IMO than it will add to on campus games, but that will only hold true if they don't mandate the 13th game.
There are two Hawaii rules. One allows Hawaii and teams to play a 13th game to offset the cost of traveling to/from Hawaii.
The second rule is for Week Zero. It allows Hawaii and teams that play in Hawaii, plus their opponents, to play in Week Zero without an exemption. This rule also applies to games played in foreign countries. It's to allow more rest due to the longer travel.
Kevin, I do believe schools that play in a foreign country had to apply for an exemption. Only teams playing in Hawaii (and their opponents) get the exemption automatically.
Sounds like this rule allows any game to be played this week, meaning some years will have 3 byes.
Something's finally being done to fix college football's broken calender.
Agree
So if this was the case the past two season most teams would have three bye weeks, correct?
I’m all for this, plus the extra bye week being baked in allows for a little more flexibility if early season games need to be canceled for a hurricane or something.
Not at all, it allows teams to play games on week 0 and then add in the extra open week later in the season. If there is a weather related cancellation, that isn't going to get corrected by this either.
In a normal season, there is one bye week. Add an extra week (Week Zero) and you get two byes.
The random seasons where there are 14 playing weeks for 12 games will result in three byes if the season starts in Week Zero.
Check this schedule for an example. 2025 has 14 playing weeks, so there were two byes. If Michigan played one game in Week Zero last season (Aug. 23), they'd have three byes.
https://fbschedules.com/2025-michigan-football-schedule/
Finally!! And just start Labor Day weekend in the years where there are 14 weeks to Thanksgiving. Not rocket science.
Labor Day weekend is appropriate time to start college football regular season.
By the way are you the adopted son of Barney & Betty Rubbles.
Do not be concerned just having fun.
I liked it back in the day when we knew who was the national champion on New Years night. Those days are gone but i think conference championship games at least on the power 4 level need to end.