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Big 12 Notes – Spring and Summer
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April 16th
… Foe Pause …
NCAA one step closer to approving Week Zero schedule with two bye weeks
From ESPN … Beginning in 2027, college football could have an earlier official start to the season, as the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee on Thursday recommended a standard start before Labor Day weekend.
Under the proposal, the regular season would begin on the Thursday of what is now called Week Zero, and still end on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Schools would have 14 weeks to schedule 12 games. This model would give teams two open dates and allow for “flexibility for potential changes to the postseason.”
That’s significant, as leaders of the College Football Playoff continue to discuss how and when to expand the current 12-team field. The proposed calendar change would also preserve standalone weekends for conference championship games and the Army-Navy game.
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea, who is a member of the Football Oversight Committee, told ESPN the football season calendar has been a “health and safety issue” that needed to be addressed.
“To go through a season without two bye weeks is challenging to a roster,” he said, “and in a time where we’ve imposed roster limits, and in our league where we’re playing nine league games now, on the off years where we weren’t able to get that second bye, we believe there’s a negative impact mentally, physically, emotionally, to the players, coaches, everyone involved. So from our vantage point, it was something we’ve supported and feel strongly about.”
Under the proposal, the NCAA would also eliminate exceptions for teams to play before the official start of the season. The sport has seen an uptick recently in schools applying for waivers to start their seasons earlier. In 2025, there were five games on Saturday, August 23. This season, there are eight games scheduled for Aug. 29, including North Carolina and TCU playing in Dublin, and NC State and Virginia in Rio de Janeiro.
For the proposal to become official, the Division I Cabinet still has to adopt the legislation, and that group is scheduled to discuss the recommendation in June.
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April 10th
… Foe Pause …
Big 12 Friday night games: CU home game against Houston moved to a Friday night
… As a result of the move, the home game against on October 3rd against Texas Tech will now designated as CU’s Homecoming game …
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April 8th
… Foe Pause …
NCAA proposing age limits for eligibility (five years from 19th birthday)
From YahooSports.com … The NCAA is considering a significant change to its eligibility rules.
An NCAA committee next week is expected to explore a new age-based standard for athlete eligibility as part of a proposal that’s been in the works for weeks, but only recently has been socialized with high-level conference and school administrators.
Those with knowledge of the proposal spoke to Yahoo Sports under condition of anonymity.
According to the concept, NCAA athletes would have five full years of eligibility from the time of their 19th birthday or their high school graduation, whichever is earliest. No waiver requests, redshirts or exceptions will be permitted, except for a small group of outliers (those on maternity leave, military service or religious missions).
Members of the NCAA Division I Cabinet are set to review the proposal at their meeting next week. While a timeline for approval remains unclear — it is likely weeks or months away — the legislation is considered an urgent matter with potential for implementation as soon as this coming academic year (fall 2026).
Any implementation is expected to be phased in as is the case with most new NCAA policy. For instance, leaders will take strides to avoid adversely impacting any current athlete’s long-term eligibility under existing rules. What’s unclear is if those players completing or having completed their final, fourth season of eligibility will regain a fifth season if they fall within the new policy’s five-year window.
The policy seeks to bring some semblance of stability to a growing landscape of inconsistent court rulings regarding eligibility. Though it predates President Donald Trump’s executive order, the proposal aligns with a concept embedded in Trump’s Friday announcement, which instructed the NCAA to pass legislation over a variety of issues, including a five-year eligibility standard for athletes.
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