Regular Season
Understanding the proposed regular season structure requires first examining how the current system works and why it needs reform. If you want to learn more on how the football season operates in lower NCAA Divisions, you can visit lower NCAA Division season structures.
Current Regular Season Structure
Here is the current Division I FBS regular season schedule:
| Labor Day Falls On | Week 0 | Week 1 | Regular Season Finale | Conference Championship Games | Army-Navy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 | Weekend of Aug. 23 | Weekend of Aug. 30 | Weekend of Nov. 29 | Weekend of Dec. 6 | Dec. 13 3PM EST |
| Sept. 2 | Weekend of Aug. 24 | Weekend of Aug. 31 | Weekend of Nov. 30 | Weekend of Dec. 7 | Dec. 14 3PM EST |
| Sept. 3 | Weekend of Aug. 25 | Weekend of Sept. 1 | Weekend of Nov. 24 | Weekend of Dec. 1 | Dec. 8 3PM EST |
| Sept. 4 | Weekend of Aug. 26 | Weekend of Sept. 2 | Weekend of Nov. 25 | Weekend of Dec. 2 | Dec. 9 3PM EST |
| Sept. 5 | Weekend of Aug. 27 | Weekend of Sept. 3 | Weekend of Nov. 26 | Weekend of Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 3PM EST |
| Sept. 6 | Weekend of Aug. 28 | Weekend of Sept. 4 | Weekend of Nov. 27 | Weekend of Dec. 4 | Dec. 11 3PM EST |
| Sept. 7 | Weekend of Aug. 29 | Weekend of Sept. 5 | Weekend of Nov. 28 | Weekend of Dec. 5 | Dec. 12 3PM EST |
Week 0
Teams that start their regular season at Week 0 would have the following number of bye weeks:
| Number of Regular Season Games | Number of Bye Weeks |
|---|---|
| 12 | 2 or 3 |
| 13 | 1 or 2 |
If Labor Day falls on Sept. 1 or 2, teams would have three bye weeks while playing a 12-game regular season schedule plus a possible conference championship game and starting on the weekend before Labor Day Weekend. Otherwise, teams would have two bye weeks while playing a 12-game regular season schedule and starting on the weekend before Labor Day Weekend.
A 13-game regular season schedule would be feasible for teams that start on Week 0. If Labor Day falls on Sept. 1 or 2, teams would have two bye weeks while playing a 13-game regular season schedule plus a possible conference championship game and starting on the weekend before Labor Day Weekend. Otherwise, teams would have one bye week while playing a 13-game regular season schedule and starting on the weekend before Labor Day Weekend.
Week 1
Teams that start their regular season at Week 1 would have the following number of bye weeks:
| Number of Regular Season Games | Number of Bye Weeks |
|---|---|
| 12 | 1 or 2 |
| 13 | 1 (but only Possible if Labor Day falls on Sept. 1 or 2) |
If Labor Day falls on Sept. 1 or 2, teams would have two bye weeks while playing a 12-game regular season schedule plus a possible conference championship game and starting on Labor Day Weekend. Otherwise, teams would have only one bye week while playing a 12-game regular season schedule and starting on Labor Day Weekend. If a team starts on Week 1, a 13-game regular season schedule plus a possible conference championship game would only be possible if Labor Day falls on Sept. 1 or 2.
The Biggest Questions
By proposing the 32-team playoff field, we would have to adjust the regular season. The regular season is going to depend on how the latest realignment wave is going to play out. The biggest questions that would come with the transition would be the following:
- Should FBS conferences continue to enforce conference championship games?
- How would conference champions be determined if conferences decide to no longer hold conference championship games?
- How would Army and Navy hold their annual rivalry since they usually play their game in December?
- Would every FBS conference need to schedule early in order to play more games?
Since the inclusion of the 12-team playoff field, conference championship games are becoming meaningless. Sure, an extra game to win a conference title can help to potentially propel a team to a playoff berth. However, it really means less in certain conferences, especially when the conference runner-up and conference champion can potentially both make it to the playoffs.
Conference Championships
Given the nature of an expanded playoff field, not many conferences administer conference championship games. In Division I FCS, only the SWAC continues to administer the conference championship game. The winner of the SWAC Championship Game would play in the Celebration Bowl against the MEAC Champion, which serves as the HBCU National Championship. Division II only has three conferences continuing to run the conference championship games. Finally, Division III only has one conference (SCIAC) managing championship weekend (with the top division winners playing for a conference title and other teams playing their assigned crossover divisional opponents depending on their divisional standings).
Recommended Approach
Eliminate conference championship games. Automatic bids would be awarded to regular season conference champions, with tiebreakers applied as needed. You can learn more on how tie-breakers are broken through the selection process.
By eliminating conference championship games, this approach does the following:
- Creates equal rest for all playoff teams
- Eliminates the redundancy of both conference championship participants making the playoff
- Avoids punishing teams for losing championship games
- Simplifies scheduling and selection
Alternative
Keep conference championship games. Some conferences may prefer to maintain championship games for tradition, revenue, or competitive reasons. A few Division II and Division III conferences currently do this. If conferences choose this path, championship games would occur the weekend before Thanksgiving, with additional scheduling considerations. You can learn more in the alternative solution to keep conference championship games.
Regular Season Game Options
By eliminating the conference championship games, we no longer have to break ties to determine which of the two teams would play in given conference championship games in a given multi-way tie. In addition, administering conference play-in games should become a complete non-starter. Instead, we are going back to conferences naming co-champions concluding the regular season. The overall conference champion would be determined through tie-breakers instead. However, each conference will make a different set of tie-breakers to determine their overall conference champion.
Once again, regardless of the number of teams in the conference, it would be up to each conference on the composition of conference and non-conference games.
12-Game Regular Season
This is the current length of the regular season in college football. With the elimination of conference championship games, the regular season can stay at 12 games. For teams in certain conferences that want to keep a 12-game regular season schedule, their start of the regular seasons could be the following:
| Labor Day Falls On | Opening Weekend With 1 Bye Week | Opening Weekend With 2 Bye Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 | Weekend of Aug. 30 | Weekend of Aug. 23 |
| Sept. 2 | Weekend of Aug. 31 | Weekend of Aug. 24 |
| Sept. 3 | Weekend of Aug. 25 | Weekend of Aug. 18 |
| Sept. 4 | Weekend of Aug. 26 | Weekend of Aug. 19 |
| Sept. 5 | Weekend of Aug. 27 | Weekend of Aug. 20 |
| Sept. 6 | Weekend of Aug. 28 | Weekend of Aug. 21 |
| Sept. 7 | Weekend of Aug. 29 | Weekend of Aug. 22 |
Teams playing a 12-game schedule with one bye week would start their season around Aug. 25-31. Teams playing a 12-game schedule with two bye weeks would start their season around Aug. 18-24.
Conferences would do either the following with a 12-game regular season schedule:
| Non-Conference Games | Conference Games |
|---|---|
| 4 | 8 |
| 3 | 9 |
| 2 | 10 |
13-Game Regular Season
With the elimination of conference championship games, the regular season can be increased to a 13-game schedule. For teams in certain conferences that want to go to a 13-game regular season schedule, their start of the regular seasons could be the following:
| Labor Day Falls On | Opening Weekend With 1 Bye Week | Opening Weekend With 2 Bye Weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1 | Weekend of Aug. 23 | Weekend of Aug. 16 |
| Sept. 2 | Weekend of Aug. 24 | Weekend of Aug. 17 |
| Sept. 3 | Weekend of Aug. 18 | Weekend of Aug. 11 |
| Sept. 4 | Weekend of Aug. 19 | Weekend of Aug. 12 |
| Sept. 5 | Weekend of Aug. 20 | Weekend of Aug. 13 |
| Sept. 6 | Weekend of Aug. 21 | Weekend of Aug. 14 |
| Sept. 7 | Weekend of Aug. 22 | Weekend of Aug. 15 |
Teams playing a 13-game schedule with one bye week would start their season around Aug. 16-22. Teams playing a 13-game schedule with two bye weeks would start their season around Aug. 11-17.
Conferences would do either the following with a 13-game regular season schedule:
| Non-Conference Games | Conference Games |
|---|---|
| 4 | 9 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 2 | 11 |
14-Game Regular Season
With the elimination of conference championship games, the regular season can be increased up to a 14-game schedule. For teams in certain conferences that want to go to a 14-game regular season schedule, their start of the regular seasons could be the following:
| Labor Day Falls On | Opening Weekend With 1 Bye Week |
|---|---|
| Sept. 1 | Weekend of Aug. 16 |
| Sept. 2 | Weekend of Aug. 17 |
| Sept. 3 | Weekend of Aug. 11 |
| Sept. 4 | Weekend of Aug. 12 |
| Sept. 5 | Weekend of Aug. 13 |
| Sept. 6 | Weekend of Aug. 14 |
| Sept. 7 | Weekend of Aug. 15 |
Teams playing a 14-game schedule with one bye week would start their season around Aug. 11-17.
Conferences would do either the following with a 14-game regular season schedule:
| Non-Conference Games | Conference Games |
|---|---|
| 4 | 10 |
| 3 | 11 |
| 2 | 12 |
Regular Season Finale
Regardless whether teams in certain FBS conferences play a 12-game, 13-game, or 14-game regular season, the regular season finale would be the same for all FBS teams except for Army and Navy. The regular season finale for all FBS teams except for Army and Navy would be on the weekend before Thanksgiving. This is where the majority of teams would play their most hated rival during this weekend. Concluding the regular season, teams would await their postseason fate.
Army-Navy Game
The Army-Navy game remains a standalone finale, kicking off on the Saturday after Thanksgiving at 3PM ET. This serves as a bye week for all other FBS teams, ensuring everyone enters the playoff with equal rest. If Army and/or Navy make the playoff, they would have had two bye weeks during the regular season and play their first playoff game no earlier than Friday the next week. This should exceed the requirements of any broadcast protection mandate.
Selection Timeline
Selection Show: Saturday after Thanksgiving at 7:30PM ET
The selection show would announce the 32-team field, seeding for teams 1-16, and first-round matchups. This timing allows:
- Teams to prepare for their first-round opponents
- Media buildup and promotional opportunities
- Playoff kickoff the following Thursday (first weekend of December)
Academic Calendar Considerations
Ending the regular season before Thanksgiving aligns well with academic calendars. Most teams finish their season before final exams, and playoff games occur during winter break for most institutions. This reduces conflicts between athletics and academics compared to the current system where championship games and early playoff rounds often coincide with finals week.
Comparison to Current System
| Aspect | Current 12-Team System | Proposed 32-Team System |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Season End | Conference Championships First Weekend of December | Weekend before Thanksgiving (championship weekend optional) |
| Bye Week Equity | Top 4 seeds get byes; others don't | All teams enter with equal rest |
| Selection Timing | Sunday after Conference Championships Games | Saturday After Thanksgiving 7:30PM ET |
| Playoff Start | Third Weekend of December | First Weekend of December |
| Championship Game | Third or Fourth Monday of January | Second Friday or Saturday of January |
The Regular Season Will Still Have Meaning
The regular season will continue to have importance. It would help teams put themselves in better position for a path to a National Championship. Division I FCS, Division II, and Division III had no problem with their regular season even though they have historically expanded their playoff field in the past.