12-team CFP · title Jan. 25, 2027 · Las Vegas
Official schedule ↗Operating calendar
Every date has a purpose.
The current 2026–27 season stays intact. The proposed operating calendar activates January 26, 2027.
ChangeoverJanuary 26, 2027Proposal activates
18-team CFP · National Tournament · delayed roster and coaching markets
Read the rules →Primary view · proposed system
January 2027 → August 2028
The proposal activates the morning after the current national championship. Follow one complete reform cycle—from the first coaching and roster windows through the 2027 season, both tournaments, the 2028 offseason, and the next kickoff.
Changeover and roster market
ProposedJan 26–Feb 5, 2027National implementation window
Rankings, media, and operations
Proposed calendar takes effect
The national rulebook, roster clock, scheduling standards, welfare protections, and transparent ranking definitions become operative after the current championship.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A clean post-title changeover avoids moving the goalposts during the 2026 season.
- Rule
- No competitive rule changes before January 26, 2027.
ProposedJan 26–Feb 8, 2027
Roster and coaching
Coaching movement window
FBS head-coach and full-time staff changes move into one nationally published window after the title game.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Programs should not raid staffs while teams are preparing for postseason games.
- Rule
- Formal FBS-to-FBS hiring activity begins after the championship.
ProposedJan 28–Feb 10, 2027
Roster and coaching
Primary transfer portal window
Players receive fourteen days to enter the portal; entry preserves options but does not require an immediate destination.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Athletes see coaching outcomes before making a movement decision, while rosters still settle before spring practice.
- Rule
- Fourteen-day entry window with tampering enforcement and a public compliance clock.
ProposedFeb 11–21, 2027
Roster and coaching
Visits, commitments, and signing
Transfer visits, final roster decisions, and one coordinated high-school signing period occur after portal entry closes.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The sequence reduces simultaneous recruiting, staff movement, postseason play, and academic disruption.
- Rule
- Commitments may occur earlier, but roster certification follows this window.
ProposedFeb 22–Mar 14, 2027
Academic and recovery
Protected football shutdown
Required football activity stops except for voluntary medical care, rehabilitation, and ordinary academic support.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The calendar needs a genuine off-ramp after the season and roster market.
- Rule
- No required workouts, meetings, recruiting hosting, or football travel.
Proposed offseason
ProposedMar 15–Apr 22, 2027Campus
Football games and practice
Spring practice block
Fifteen practices are distributed across five weeks, ending with a spring game or open practice.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A national block reduces calendar gamesmanship while leaving campuses room to fit their academic schedules.
- Rule
- Fifteen practices; no more than four in any seven-day period.
ProposedApr 23–May 7, 2027
Academic and recovery
Spring finals protection
Campuses map this national quiet window onto their own reading days and final examinations.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Football should not force a national exam calendar onto universities, but it can reserve a common low-activity band.
- Rule
- No countable practice; local academic calendars control the exact protected days.
ProposedMay 1–7, 2027
Roster and coaching
Limited supplemental portal
A seven-day exception window addresses coaching changes, aid changes, degree completion, and documented hardship cases.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A narrow correction mechanism is fairer than reopening a general market.
- Rule
- Defined exceptions only; no general roster shopping.
ProposedMay 8–15, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Spring roster certification
Programs publish roster counts, scholarship or revenue-sharing commitments, and unresolved compliance exceptions.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Athletes and opponents deserve to know when the spring roster is meaningfully settled.
- Rule
- Public aggregate counts; individual financial terms remain private unless disclosure is legally required.
ProposedJun 1–14, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Schedule-strength certification
Each schedule receives a published audit covering home-road balance, nonconference quality, protected rivalries, consecutive travel, and FCS usage.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Playoff access should not reward avoidable schedule weakness hidden behind conference labels.
- Rule
- Every program receives the same public checklist before media days.
ProposedMay 16–Jun 30, 2027
Roster and coaching
Summer recruiting and evaluation
Prospect evaluation, camps, and official visits occupy a defined lane after spring rosters are certified.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Recruiting remains active without consuming the July recovery period or overlapping postseason preparation.
- Rule
- Published contact, evaluation, and camp limits apply nationally.
ProposedJul 1–18, 2027
Academic and recovery
Summer dead period and athlete reset
A meaningful July quiet period protects recovery, internships, family time, and independent training before camp.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A year-round sport still needs a predictable period in which players can step away.
- Rule
- No recruiting visits or required football activity beyond medical care and limited conditioning plans.
ProposedJul 19–23, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
National media and rules week
Conferences coordinate media days with one national rules briefing, calendar release, officiating update, and ranking-source explainer.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Fans should enter the season knowing what changed, when rankings matter, and how access is earned.
- Rule
- The national calendar and selection manual publish before fall camp.
Proposed regular season
ProposedJul 28–Aug 25, 2027Campus
Football games and practice
Fall camp and acclimatization
Camp opens with staged acclimatization, contact limits, recovery days, and roster-health reporting.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A common opening protects preparation equity and athlete welfare.
- Rule
- No more than six consecutive required-activity days; contact limits escalate gradually.
ProposedAug 16–Dec 5, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Published ranking-source ladder
The simulator begins with the AP Top 25 and switches to the CFP committee when its first current-season ranking is published.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The public bracket should always identify its source without pretending that an early poll is a final selection.
- Rule
- CFP → AP. The Coaches Poll is excluded; release date and last-check time remain visible.
ProposedAug 28–Sep 4, 2027
Football games and practice
Opening week
The season opens with campus games and carefully selected neutral-site events; the first two Saturdays prioritize national nonconference inventory.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The sport needs a clear national opening without draining campus identity from the schedule.
- Rule
- Twelve games across a fourteen-week team window; every team receives two byes.
ProposedSep 5–18, 2027
Football games and practice
National nonconference window
Programs complete most intersectional games before the conference schedule takes over.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A visible early window improves comparison across leagues and makes schedule strength easier to understand.
- Rule
- At least one nonconference opponent must meet the published quality standard.
ProposedSep 23–25, 2027
Football games and practice
Interconference Challenge
A coordinated Thursday-through-Saturday series matches leagues using prior-year performance bands and geographic safeguards.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Direct comparison should be created on the field rather than inferred entirely from reputation.
- Rule
- Matchups publish before the season; results enter the résumé dashboard without an artificial bonus.
ProposedSep 30–Nov 13, 2027
Football games and practice
Conference race
Nine-game conference schedules move through a consistent seven-week core, with protected rivalries and home-road balance audited over multiple seasons.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Comparable league schedules strengthen conference races and the national résumé model.
- Rule
- No team plays more than two consecutive road games; one October bye is protected.
ProposedOct 11–23, 2027
Academic and recovery
Academic and recovery bye bands
Every program places one of its two byes inside a campus-selected October band aligned as closely as possible with midterms.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Recovery and academics should be scheduled into the system, not left to chance.
- Rule
- Each team receives one no-game Saturday across the two-week band.
ProposedTuesdays, Nov 2–30, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Weekly CFP committee rankings
The committee publishes a Top 25, an 18-team bracket view, access explanations, and the first teams outside both tournaments.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Weekly disclosure should explain movement, not merely announce an order.
- Rule
- Every release includes résumé comparisons, automatic-access status, and conflict disclosures.
ProposedNov 9, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Final regular-season television lock
Kick times for the final two weekends become fixed, ending rolling six-day holds before rivalry week.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Fans, campuses, and visiting teams need travel certainty for the season’s most important games.
- Rule
- No rivalry-week kickoff changes after this date except for weather or safety.
ProposedNov 22–27, 2027
Football games and practice
Rivalry and regular-season finale
Traditional rivalry games close the regular season across Thanksgiving week, culminating Saturday.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The calendar ends the regular season with the sport’s most local and emotionally important inventory.
- Rule
- Protected rivalries receive scheduling priority; no conference title game occurs this week.
Proposed postseason
ProposedDec 3–4, 2027
Postseason
Conference championship weekend
Championship games establish automatic access, champion protections, and the final résumé evidence.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Conference titles remain meaningful without becoming the only route into the national field.
- Rule
- Results are incorporated before Sunday selection; no automatic first-round bye.
ProposedDec 5, 2027National announcement
Rankings, media, and operations
CFP and National Tournament selection
Both fields, seeds, campus hosts, bowl assignments, replacement order, and committee explanations publish in one national program.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The two postseason paths must be understood together, with no eligible team held in suspense.
- Rule
- No Power Four team is eligible for the National Tournament; CFP teams cannot transfer after elimination.
ProposedDec 6–9, 2027
Academic and recovery
Fall academic protection
A national no-game window follows selection, while campuses protect their own reading days and examinations.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Postseason preparation should account for final exams instead of treating them as an inconvenience.
- Rule
- No games Monday through Thursday; travel plans must respect campus exam policies.
ProposedDec 10–11, 2027Four host campuses
Postseason
CFP opening round
Four games begin the 18-team playoff. Seeds 11–14 host seeds 15–18 before the field reseeds.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Campus hosting rewards regular-season achievement and limits first-round fan travel.
- Rule
- Four campus games; winners reseed into the Round of 12.
ProposedDec 14–15, 2027Eight host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament Round of 16
Eligible non-Power Four programs open their separate championship path on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A distinct national title gives strong teams meaningful postseason stakes without pretending they are in the CFP.
- Rule
- No Power Four participants; higher seeds host.
ProposedDec 17–18, 2027Six premier bowl sites
Postseason
CFP Round of 12 · Bowl Weekend
Six games fill Friday and Saturday across the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta bowls.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- One concentrated destination round keeps the premier bowls central without requiring repeated neutral-site travel.
- Rule
- Seeds 3–10 enter; all twelve teams are reseeded before the round.
ProposedDec 21–22, 2027Four host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament quarterfinals
Four Tuesday and Wednesday campus games narrow the separate field before Christmas.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The weekday lane avoids direct collision with the principal CFP inventory.
- Rule
- Higher seeds host; no team may enter from the CFP.
ProposedDec 23–30, 2027
Academic and recovery
Protected Christmas recovery pause
Neither tournament plays during the principal holiday window.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Players, staffs, families, campuses, and host communities need a genuine break before the final rounds.
- Rule
- No CFP or National Tournament games; limited team activity and travel protections apply.
ProposedDec 31, 2027–Jan 1, 2028Four host campuses
Postseason
CFP quarterfinals
The two double-bye teams enter. Four higher seeds host across the New Year window and the bracket locks after the second reseed.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Campus quarterfinals reward the best two regular seasons and return premium inventory to college towns.
- Rule
- Four campus games; no reseeding after this round.
ProposedJan 4–5, 2028Two host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament semifinals
The remaining four teams play Tuesday and Wednesday at the higher seeds’ campuses.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Continued campus hosting makes the tournament financially credible and gives communities a postseason event.
- Rule
- Two campus games; higher underlying seed hosts.
ProposedJan 8–9, 2028Two host campuses
Postseason
CFP semifinals
Two campus semifinals occupy the protected Saturday and Sunday national window.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The regular season’s strongest surviving teams retain a tangible hosting reward deep into the bracket.
- Rule
- Two campus games; bracket remains locked.
ProposedJan 11, 2028Rotating neutral site
Postseason
National Tournament championship
The non-Power Four tournament concludes at a rotating neutral site on Tuesday night.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A distinct stage, trophy, and broadcast window make the championship meaningful in its own right.
- Rule
- Winner earns the following season’s prime interconference challenge invitation—not automatic CFP entry.
ProposedJan 15, 2028Preselected neutral host
Postseason
CFP National Championship
The 18-team playoff concludes at a preselected neutral championship site.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A mid-January finish preserves a national championship week without pushing football into February.
- Rule
- One neutral-site game; all roster and coaching markets remain closed through the final whistle.
Proposed 2028 offseason
ProposedJan 16–17, 2028
Academic and recovery
Postseason recovery and exit meetings
The national calendar reserves two no-transaction days for medical review, exit meetings, and return travel.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The next market should not open while championship participants are still traveling home.
- Rule
- No portal entry or FBS-to-FBS coaching transactions.
ProposedJan 18–31, 2028
Roster and coaching
Coaching movement window
The formal coaching market opens after recovery and closes before February roster decisions.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- All teams, including championship participants, enter the market at the same time.
- Rule
- Fourteen-day FBS hiring window.
ProposedJan 20–Feb 2, 2028
Roster and coaching
Primary transfer portal window
Players may enter after initial coaching decisions become visible.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Sequencing reduces uncertainty and protects players on teams that advance deepest.
- Rule
- Fourteen-day entry window; commitment deadline follows.
ProposedFeb 3–12, 2028
Roster and coaching
Visits, signing, and roster commitments
Transfer visits and the coordinated signing period finish the primary roster market.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- Programs and athletes receive a clear decision horizon before the football shutdown.
- Rule
- Roster commitments certify at the end of the window.
ProposedFeb 13–Mar 14, 2028
Academic and recovery
Protected football shutdown
Required football activity pauses before the next spring-practice block.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The annual calendar must contain a predictable period that is genuinely not football season.
- Rule
- Medical care and rehabilitation continue; required football activity does not.
ProposedMar 15–Apr 20, 2028Campus
Football games and practice
Spring practice block
Fifteen practices over five weeks conclude with campus spring events.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The same national rhythm repeats from year to year.
- Rule
- Fifteen practices; contact and recovery limits carry forward.
ProposedApr 21–May 7, 2028
Academic and recovery
Spring finals protection
Required football activity yields to campus reading days and final exams.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The calendar makes academic priority visible instead of merely aspirational.
- Rule
- Local exam calendars define exact campus restrictions inside the national band.
ProposedMay 1–7, 2028
Roster and coaching
Limited supplemental portal
Defined hardship and program-change cases receive a final seven-day remedy.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The system preserves flexibility without reopening unrestricted movement.
- Rule
- Exception categories are published and appealable.
ProposedMay 8–15, 2028
Rankings, media, and operations
Spring roster certification
Programs publish aggregate roster and commitment status before the recruiting summer.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A stable roster date improves planning for athletes, staffs, schedules, and compliance offices.
- Rule
- Public aggregate reporting; protected individual information remains private.
ProposedMay 16–Jun 30, 2028
Roster and coaching
Recruiting, camps, and evaluation
The national recruiting lane repeats with defined contact and evaluation limits.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The cycle becomes understandable and predictable after one full year.
- Rule
- Visits and camps close before the July reset.
ProposedJul 1–21, 2028
Academic and recovery
Summer dead period and athlete reset
The second cycle preserves a meaningful quiet period before camp.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A protected summer window should be structural, not a one-year experiment.
- Rule
- No recruiting visits or required football activity beyond limited conditioning and medical care.
Next season begins
ProposedJul 27–Aug 23, 2028Campus
Football games and practice
2028 fall camp
The next season begins under the same acclimatization, contact, recovery, and roster-health standards.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- A durable proposal must show how the calendar repeats, not stop after one championship.
- Rule
- Camp standards carry forward unless changed through the public review process.
ProposedAug 26, 2028Campus and selected neutral sites
Football games and practice
2028 season opens
The second full competitive cycle begins with the calendar already published and understood.
Read the calendar proposal →- Purpose
- The reform becomes an operating rhythm rather than a one-season exception.
- Rule
- The next twelve-game, fourteen-week team window begins.
Calendar philosophy
Football season is for football.
The calendar protects the Saturday product while giving every other market a defined lane. Rivalry week ends the regular season. Conference titles and one transparent selection day follow. The CFP owns Friday and Saturday. The National Tournament owns Tuesday and Wednesday. Christmas is a real recovery pause. Coaching and roster movement wait until every championship is complete.
Read the national-calendar proposal section →