Get ready to mark your calendars earlier, college football fans. The NCAA is considering a significant shift that could reshape the autumn sports landscape. A key committee has put forward a proposal to start the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) season sooner, aiming for a 2027 kickoff.

The recommendation calls for all FBS teams to play their standard 12-game schedule across a longer, 14-week regular season. This new framework would see the first games launch on the Thursday currently known as "Week Zero," with the regular season concluding the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This creates a more uniform and elongated calendar for every program.

This structural change is about more than just dates on a schedule. By providing two built-in open weeks for every team, the plan directly addresses growing concerns about player health and recovery, especially for squads making deep runs in the expanded College Football Playoff. The extra flexibility also future-proofs the calendar, creating crucial space for potential playoff games in mid-December while protecting traditional standalone events like conference championship weekends and the iconic Army-Navy game.

For the change to become official, it must be approved by the NCAA's Division I Cabinet, which is scheduled to review the proposal in June. If passed, the 2027 season would look notably different from the 2026 slate, which is currently set to begin with just eight "Week Zero" games on August 29th. This potential shift promises more football, smarter scheduling, and a season built for the modern era of the sport.