A new NCAA proposal would eliminate the need for "Week 0" waivers and exemptions, moving the start of the season up one week for every team


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College football is moving toward an earlier start to the season.

On Thursday, the Division I FBS Oversight Committee recommended moving up Week 1 to the week typically reserved for Week 0, starting with the 2027 season. The proposal would standardize schedules and eliminate the patchwork of waivers and exemptions that has defined Week 0 for years. The DI Cabinet is scheduled to consider the proposal in June.

The FBS regular season would be standardized to 14 weeks, with two bye weeks in a 12-game schedule. The season would open on the Thursday of what is currently designated Week 0 in late August and close on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It preserves conference championship games and the exclusive window for the Army-Navy game in early December.

Player health is the primary push for the changes. Coaches and athletic directors have long campaigned for an earlier start to the season to allow more flexibility in scheduling and recovery time with two bye weeks.

The FCS got there first. Beginning this season, all FCS programs can open in Week 0 under a rule change that took effect in 2026. FBS is following the same path, one year later.

There are also tradeoffs. Moving the season opener back means moving training camp back into July, which coaches and staff have historically treated as partial downtime.

The NCAA is pushing to streamline its rules, and one of the goals is to eliminate waivers across multiple regulations. Its biggest crusade is changing player eligibility to an age-based system limited to five years, with zero waivers and "redshirt" seasons.

While the proposal creates flexibility that could eventually support an earlier start for the College Football Playoff -- the national title for the 2027 season isn't scheduled until Jan. 24, 2028 -- this recommendation doesn't move the postseason. That conversation involves the CFP, conferences and the networks.

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