Home Proposal Bracket Rankings Calendar Community Operating calendar Start with the timeline. Switch between the current schedule and the proposed cycle; proposed dates are illustrative.
Proposed transfer portal: January 28–February 10, 2027 · 14 days. Limited spring exceptions: May 1–7 · seven days. These are illustrative proposal dates, not current NCAA rules. Portal and coaching dates → · Quick transfer-market answers →
CalendarProposed 2027 cycle Current 2026–27 Full 25-month bridge ShowAll events Games + practice Postseason Roster + coaches Academics + recovery Rankings + operations January 2027 → August 2028 An illustrative cycle, not an approved launch: player and coaching markets, the season, both tournaments, and the next offseason. Adoption requires a completed championship and passed validation gates.
51 events · All categories Changeover and roster market 5 events Proposed Jan 26–Feb 5, 2027 National implementation window
Rankings, media, and operations
Illustrative post-title changeover If every adoption gate has passed, the national rulebook, agreement standard, roster clock, welfare protections, and ranking definitions begin only after the current championship.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A clean post-title changeover avoids moving the goalposts during the 2026 season.
Operating rule Illustrative date, not an approved launch; no competitive rule changes during the current season. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Programs should not raid staffs while teams are preparing for postseason games.
Operating rule Formal FBS-to-FBS hiring activity begins after the championship. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 28–Feb 10, 2027
Roster and coaching
Primary player-movement market Players whose agreements have ended—or who hold a written release, no-fault exit, buyout right, or for-cause remedy—receive fourteen days to enter the national market. Entry does not itself erase existing aid or support.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Athletes see coaching outcomes before making a movement decision, while rosters still settle before spring practice.
Operating rule No lifetime transfer count. Contractual freedom controls; tampering rules protect athletes with active commitments. Independent advice, written offers, and credit-and-eligibility review clocks apply. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Feb 11–21, 2027
Roster and coaching
Visits, player-school agreements, and signing Transfer visits, written player-school agreements, final roster decisions, and one coordinated high-school signing period occur after market entry closes.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The sequence reduces simultaneous recruiting, staff movement, postseason play, and academic disruption.
Operating rule Every commitment states term, compensation, guarantees, duties, exits, buyouts, breach remedies, coaching-change treatment, health protection, and dispute process before signature. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Feb 22–Mar 14, 2027
Academic and recovery
Protected football shutdown Required football activity stops except for voluntary medical care, rehabilitation, and ordinary academic support.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The calendar needs a genuine off-ramp after the season and roster market.
Operating rule No required workouts, meetings, recruiting hosting, or football travel. Read the calendar proposal Proposed offseason 9 events Proposed Mar 15–Apr 22, 2027 Campus
Football games and practice
Spring practice block Fifteen practices are distributed across five weeks, ending with a spring game or open practice.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A national block reduces calendar gamesmanship while leaving campuses room to fit their academic schedules.
Operating rule Fifteen practices; no more than four in any seven-day period. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Apr 23–May 7, 2027
Academic and recovery
Spring finals protection Campuses map this national quiet window onto their own reading days and final examinations.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Football should not force a national exam calendar onto universities, but it can reserve a common low-activity band.
Operating rule No countable practice; local academic calendars control the exact protected days. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 1–7, 2027
Roster and coaching
Limited spring correction market A seven-day lane covers program discontinuation, material school breach, an agreement’s written coaching-change right, aid loss, degree completion, and documented hardship.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A narrow correction mechanism protects people from material change without reopening unrestricted roster shopping.
Operating rule Published, appealable categories only. An athlete with an active agreement still needs the agreement’s exit, release, buyout, or for-cause remedy. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 8–15, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
Spring roster certification Programs publish roster counts, scholarship or revenue-sharing commitments, and unresolved compliance exceptions.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Athletes and opponents deserve to know when the spring roster is meaningfully settled.
Operating rule Public aggregate counts; individual financial terms remain private unless disclosure is legally required. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Recruiting remains active without consuming the July recovery period or overlapping postseason preparation.
Operating rule Published contact, evaluation, and camp limits apply nationally. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jun 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Playoff access should not reward avoidable schedule weakness hidden behind conference labels.
Operating rule Every program receives the same public checklist before media days. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jul 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A year-round sport still needs a predictable period in which players can step away.
Operating rule No recruiting visits or required football activity beyond medical care and limited conditioning plans. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jul 15, 2027
Rankings, media, and operations
National competitive-rule lock Material eligibility, roster, transfer, recruiting, compensation-disclosure, integrity, and postseason rules publish before fall camp.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Teams and athletes should enter a season knowing the competitive population and the rules that govern it.
Operating rule Later changes require a documented safety emergency, controlling legal requirement, or future-season effective date with transition relief. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jul 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Fans should enter the season knowing what changed, when rankings matter, and how access is earned.
Operating rule The national calendar and selection manual publish before fall camp. Read the calendar proposal Proposed regular season 10 events Proposed Jul 28–Aug 25, 2027 Campus
Football games and practice
Fall camp and acclimatization Camp opens with staged acclimatization, contact limits, recovery days, and roster-health reporting.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A common opening protects preparation equity and athlete welfare.
Operating rule No more than six consecutive required-activity days; contact limits escalate gradually. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Aug 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The public bracket should always identify its source without pretending that an early poll is a final selection.
Operating rule CFP → AP. The Coaches Poll is excluded; release date and last-check time remain visible. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Aug 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The sport needs a clear national opening without draining campus identity from the schedule.
Operating rule Twelve games across a fourteen-week team window; every team receives two byes. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Sep 5–18, 2027
Football games and practice
National nonconference window Programs complete most intersectional games before the conference schedule takes over.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A visible early window improves comparison across leagues and makes schedule strength easier to understand.
Operating rule At least one nonconference opponent must meet the published quality standard. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Sep 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Direct comparison should be created on the field rather than inferred entirely from reputation.
Operating rule Matchups publish before the season; results enter the résumé dashboard without an artificial bonus. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Sep 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Comparable league schedules strengthen conference races and the national résumé model.
Operating rule No team plays more than two consecutive road games; one October bye is protected. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Oct 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Recovery and academics should be scheduled into the system, not left to chance.
Operating rule Each team receives one no-game Saturday across the two-week band. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Tuesdays, 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Weekly disclosure should explain movement, not merely announce an order.
Operating rule Every release includes résumé comparisons, automatic-access status, and conflict disclosures. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Nov 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Fans, campuses, and visiting teams need travel certainty for the season’s most important games.
Operating rule No rivalry-week kickoff changes after this date except for weather or safety. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Nov 22–27, 2027
Football games and practice
Rivalry and regular-season finale Traditional rivalry games close the regular season across Thanksgiving week, culminating Saturday.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The calendar ends the regular season with the sport’s most local and emotionally important inventory.
Operating rule Protected rivalries receive scheduling priority; no conference title game occurs this week. Read the calendar proposal Proposed postseason 13 events Proposed Dec 3–4, 2027
Postseason
Conference championship weekend Championship games establish automatic access, champion protections, and the final résumé evidence.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Conference titles remain meaningful without becoming the only route into the national field.
Operating rule Results are incorporated before Sunday selection. Five selected conference champions receive access and at least one bye. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 5, 2027 National announcement
Rankings, media, and operations
CFP and National Tournament selection Publish both fields, seeds, certified opening-round hosts, replacement order, and selection explanations. Bowl matchups follow the opening round and its reseed; the site rotation is known in advance.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Separate what is settled on selection day from what depends on the next results. Potential hosts prepare before selection, not after earning a game.
Operating rule No Power Four team is eligible for the National Tournament; CFP teams cannot transfer after elimination. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Postseason preparation should account for final exams instead of treating them as an inconvenience.
Operating rule No games Monday through Thursday; travel plans must respect campus exam policies. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 10–11, 2027 Four certified host campuses
Postseason
Campus Opening Round Four games begin the 18-team playoff. Seeds 11–14 host seeds 15–18 if certified; otherwise the published neutral fallback applies.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Campus hosting rewards regular-season achievement and limits first-round fan travel. Short notice activates an existing staffing and travel plan.
Operating rule Four winners join eight single-bye teams at CFP Bowl Weekend after reseeding. With two double-bye teams still waiting, fourteen teams remain alive. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 14–15, 2027 Eight host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament Round of 16 Eligible non-Power Four programs open their separate championship path on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A distinct national title gives strong teams meaningful postseason stakes without pretending they are in the CFP.
Operating rule No Power Four participants; higher seeds host. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 17–18, 2027 Six premier bowl sites
Postseason
CFP Bowl Weekend Six games fill Friday and Saturday across the Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Peach, and Fiesta bowls.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose One concentrated destination round keeps the premier bowls central without requiring repeated neutral-site travel.
Operating rule Eight single-bye teams join four opening-round winners. Those twelve teams reseed by underlying résumé before the six sites follow a prepublished rotation. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 21–22, 2027 Four host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament quarterfinals Four Tuesday and Wednesday campus games narrow the separate field before Christmas.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The weekday lane avoids direct collision with the principal CFP inventory.
Operating rule Higher seeds host; no team may enter from the CFP. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 23–30, 2027
Academic and recovery
Christmas No-Game Pause Neither tournament plays during this proposed window. It is not automatically eight days away from football or a guaranteed trip home.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A meaningful recovery period needs agreed limits on required activity and travel, alongside continued medical, meal, and housing support.
Operating rule No CFP or National Tournament games. Athlete representatives must help settle time-off and practice protections before adoption, especially with a December 31 restart. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Dec 31, 2027–Jan 1, 2028 Four certified host campuses
Postseason
Campus Quarterfinals The two double-bye teams enter. Four higher seeds host across the New Year window if certified; the bracket locks after the second reseed.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Campus games reward stronger résumés, but students may still be on winter break. Each host needs an actual student-access and operating plan.
Operating rule Four campus games; no reseeding after this round. Reconfirm the pre-selection hosting plan or activate the objective neutral-site fallback. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 4–5, 2028 Two host campuses
Postseason
National Tournament semifinals The remaining four teams play Tuesday and Wednesday at the higher seeds’ campuses.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Continued campus hosting makes the tournament financially credible and gives communities a postseason event.
Operating rule Two campus games; higher underlying seed hosts. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 8–9, 2028 Two certified host campuses
Postseason
Campus Semifinals Two campus semifinals use an illustrative Saturday–Sunday window, subject to recovery checks and NFL and broadcast coordination.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The strongest surviving teams retain a hosting reward; these dates are not an agreed protected window.
Operating rule Two certified campus hosts; bracket remains locked. Publish actual kickoffs and unresolved NFL conflicts before the season. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 11, 2028 Rotating neutral site
Postseason
National Tournament championship The non-Power Four tournament concludes at a rotating neutral site selected at least two years in advance.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The final should feel like a destination championship while the first three rounds preserve the earned-campus advantage and control travel costs.
Operating rule Bid standards prioritize an indoor or weather-resilient stadium, a distinct regional market, affordable travel inventory, and no conflict with the CFP title site. The winner earns the following season’s prime interconference challenge invitation—not automatic CFP entry. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 15, 2028 Preselected neutral host
Postseason
CFP National Championship Illustrative Saturday-night target at a preselected neutral site—not an approved date or an NFL-free window.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Saturday primetime is the preferred negotiated outcome. A mutually cleared Friday or other standalone night is the compact’s fallback.
Operating rule One neutral-site game. If the agreed date changes, recovery and market dates must move with it; all roster and coaching markets remain closed through the final whistle. Read the calendar proposal Proposed 2028 offseason 12 events Proposed Jan 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.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The next market should not open while championship participants are still traveling home.
Operating rule No portal entry or FBS-to-FBS coaching transactions. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 18–31, 2028
Roster and coaching
Coaching movement window The formal coaching market opens after recovery and closes before February roster decisions.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose All teams, including championship participants, enter the market at the same time.
Operating rule Fourteen-day FBS hiring window. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jan 20–Feb 2, 2028
Roster and coaching
Primary player-movement market Contractually free players may explore after initial coaching decisions become visible without automatically surrendering aid or team support.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Sequencing and a postseason extension protect players on teams that advance deepest.
Operating rule No lifetime transfer count. Fourteen-day entry lane with active-agreement tampering protection, written offer disclosure, credit-review deadlines, and independent advice. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Feb 3–12, 2028
Roster and coaching
Visits, agreements, and roster commitments Transfer visits, written player-school agreements, and the coordinated signing period finish the primary roster market.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose Programs and athletes receive a clear decision horizon before the football shutdown.
Operating rule Every agreement receives informed review before signature; aggregate roster commitments certify at the end of the window. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Feb 13–Mar 14, 2028
Academic and recovery
Protected football shutdown Required football activity pauses before the next spring-practice block.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The annual calendar must contain a predictable period that is genuinely not football season.
Operating rule Medical care and rehabilitation continue; required football activity does not. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Mar 15–Apr 20, 2028 Campus
Football games and practice
Spring practice block Fifteen practices over five weeks conclude with campus spring events.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The same national rhythm repeats from year to year.
Operating rule Fifteen practices; contact and recovery limits carry forward. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Apr 21–May 7, 2028
Academic and recovery
Spring finals protection Required football activity yields to campus reading days and final exams.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The calendar makes academic priority visible instead of merely aspirational.
Operating rule Local exam calendars define exact campus restrictions inside the national band. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 1–7, 2028
Roster and coaching
Limited spring correction market Defined program-change, school-breach, agreement, degree-completion, and hardship cases receive a final seven-day remedy.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The system preserves narrow human flexibility without reopening unrestricted movement.
Operating rule Published, appealable categories only; active agreements remain enforceable according to their written exit and breach terms. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 8–15, 2028
Rankings, media, and operations
Spring roster certification Programs publish aggregate roster and commitment status before the recruiting summer.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A stable roster date improves planning for athletes, staffs, schedules, and compliance offices.
Operating rule Public aggregate reporting; protected individual information remains private. Read the calendar proposal Proposed May 16–Jun 30, 2028
Roster and coaching
Recruiting, camps, and evaluation The national recruiting lane repeats with defined contact and evaluation limits.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The cycle becomes understandable and predictable after one full year.
Operating rule Visits and camps close before the July reset. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jul 1–21, 2028
Academic and recovery
Summer dead period and athlete reset The second cycle preserves a meaningful quiet period before camp.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A protected summer window should be structural, not a one-year experiment.
Operating rule No recruiting visits or required football activity beyond limited conditioning and medical care. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Jul 15, 2028
Rankings, media, and operations
Annual competitive-rule lock The next season’s material competitive and player-market rules enter the public ledger before fall camp.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The rulebook should create a repeatable annual rhythm rather than rely on one launch-year promise.
Operating rule Prospective changes only, except for documented safety emergencies or controlling legal requirements with transition relief. Read the calendar proposal Next season begins 2 events Proposed Jul 27–Aug 23, 2028 Campus
Football games and practice
2028 fall camp The next season begins under the same acclimatization, contact, recovery, and roster-health standards.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose A durable proposal must show how the calendar repeats, not stop after one championship.
Operating rule Camp standards carry forward unless changed through the public review process. Read the calendar proposal Proposed Aug 26, 2028 Campus and selected neutral sites
Football games and practice
2028 season opens The second full competitive cycle begins with the calendar already published and understood.
Purpose, rule & source
Purpose The reform becomes an operating rhythm rather than a one-season exception.
Operating rule The next twelve-game, fourteen-week team window begins. Read the calendar proposal About current and proposed dates 2026 season finishes as scheduled 12-team CFP · title Jan. 25, 2027 · Las Vegas
Official schedule Illustrative boundary: January 26, 2027 Only if launch gates pass. The proposed cycle brings an 18-team CFP, a National Tournament, and delayed roster and coaching markets.
Read the calendar rules How to read this Starts and Ends mark each window; arrows show it continuing. Select any marker to open its dates and details below. Blue marks games and practice, navy the CFP, red the non-Power Four National Tournament, green roster and coaching, gold academic protection, purple rankings and operations, and cream true recovery. Current dates are separated from proposed dates; every reform date remains an illustrative policy model until adopted.
Football season is for football. Rivalry week closes the regular season; conference titles, selection, and postseason rounds follow. Christmas has a no-game pause, with time off and practice protections still to be agreed. Campus dates need local academic and hosting checks, and national windows need NFL and broadcast coordination. Coaching movement and the primary contractually free player market wait until every championship is complete.
Read the national-calendar proposal Review the broadcast windows and funding deadlines →