ASHEVILLE, N.C. — College leaders are again exploring an earlier football kickoff date.
Executives this week re-examined an issue that has, for years, been under discussion: making Week Zero a permanent playing date for college football teams. FBS leaders held more conversations on the long-discussed concept during the annual three-day gathering of Division I conference commissioners here this week.
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Commissioners expect the conversation to continue in the coming weeks and months. While there is growing support for the move, no formal proposal has been introduced.
That’s not the case for FCS. The division is expected to formalize a proposal that permits schools to begin playing on Week Zero — a decision that would add a 12th regular season game to the schedule starting in 2026.
For FBS, the decision is more complex.
Some do not support shifting the season-opening week from Labor Day weekend — a holiday coinciding with a smorgasbord of college football. However, such a move creates an additional bye week for teams that choose to play on what would be the new Week 1 — an incentive that provides more rest during a college football season that continues to get extended.
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“My view is we should have a consistent start date,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey told Yahoo Sports on Thursday. “The adage is, teams make their most substantial improvement between Games 1 and 2. I think we should have a consistent start date. Labor Day weekend has been a good start date for college football.
“The fact we are taking another look at it could be interesting,” Sankey said of permanently playing on Week Zero. “I’m not opposed to that. I want to make sure it’s a broad view of the issues and not something narrow.”
For now, schools wanting to play on Week Zero must be granted a waiver by NCAA…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/college-football-leaders-revisit-moving-up-season-to-week-zero-125825489.html
Author : Ross Dellenger
Publish date : 2025-06-20 12:58:00
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