Changes to FBS practice, portal windows proposed
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- The Division I Football Oversight Committee is proposing changes to FBS offseason and preseason practice schedules and a shorter transfer portal window, potentially effective for the 2027 season.
- The proposal would allow two out-of-season practice sessions totaling 21 practices, each capped at five weeks — an NFL-like OTA model replacing the current 15 spring practices that has gained popularity in recent years.
- Preseason practices would drop from 25 to 21, spread over a 27-day window; the committee cited the added offseason practice opportunities to justify the four-day reduction.
- The transfer portal window would shrink from 15 to 10 days, opening on the first business day after January 1 each year; the committee in April also recommended moving the standard season start up a week to the current Week 0 before Labor Day weekend.
- Off-campus recruiting changes under discussion would raise the number of staff members allowed to recruit off campus to 17 (including the head coach) and create a yearly allotment of recruiting days, with a formal proposal and later summer vote targeted for 2027.
- The committee's package goes to vote in August; if approved, the practice and portal changes would apply to the 2027 season.
Why it matters: A 10-day portal window and four fewer preseason practices give programs less time to replace departing players but more structured spring/summer development time. The August vote locks in the changes for 2027, affecting every FBS program's roster-building and recruiting calendar.
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