The NCAA's Football Oversight Committee on Wednesday proposed numerous changes to the off-season calendar. None are earth-shattering, and most have been discussed previously. The changes would have to be approved by a higher-ranking committee in August, and would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2027.
Clearing the way for OTAs: The Oversight Committee forwarded a proposal to allow teams to conduct OTAs in addition to traditional spring practices. If approved, teams could conduct 21 off-season practices over a total period of seven weeks, with a maximum of five consecutive weeks of practice. In conjunction with that, teams would have to designate nine "dead" weeks with no mandatory football activity.
A shortening of August camp: In connection to the above, the FOC recommended reducing the traditional training camp period -- 29 days to conduct up to 25 practices -- to 21 practices over 27 days.
Shortening the transfer portal window: The transfer portal window would further shrink from 15 days to 10, beginning the first business day after Jan. 1. Existing exceptions for teams that make CFP runs, coaching changes, etc., would still apply.
Other suggested changes:
The FOC is considering a proposal to allow a yearly allotment of off-campus recruiting days, and to permit up to 16 assistants to recruit off-campus. This proposal was created after membership feedback, the NCAA says, and will elicit further feedback from the conferences. As above, any changes would not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2027.
Elsewhere, the FOC heard a proposal from the Football Rules Subcommittee to allow coaches booths to view instant replay video output in real time. This will be made available to conferences on an experimental basis for the 2026 season, and can be utilized in non-conference games if both teams agree. Presumably, this will allow coaching staffs to see the same thing the video review booth sees, thereby allowing them to make more informed decisions on whether to challenge plays or not.
Finally, the Division I Cabinet has agreed to eliminate the 2-year transition period for teams transitioning from FCS to FBS, thereby making North Dakota State and Sacramento State postseason eligible for the 2026 season.