FBS coaches voted unanimously Tuesday to expand the redshirt rule that would allow players to appear in up to nine games while still preserving a full year of eligibility. This wasn't official and still needs to be enacted by the NCAA.
The vote was taken during the annual convention of the American Football Coaches Association. This is a clear reaction to player eligibility and roster management concerns in the sport. Under the current rule, players may compete in up to four regular-season games to retain eligibility.
While nine games seems too much, there's no real middle ground for evaluation purposes. Several coaches advocated for a more sweeping change that would permit five full seasons of participation within a five-year window. However, concerns over potential legal challenges brought by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and others are trying to be avoided in the future.
Roughly half of the 136 FBS head coaches attended the meeting, including Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, according to ESPN's David Hale. Coaches said the proposal aims to curb midseason opt-outs, which have increased amid NIL incentives, revenue sharing and heavy transfer portal movement.
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With the transfer portal down to one period and closing soon, this will become more interesting going into the 2026 season.
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