Navigating the NCAA 25 Offseason: Key Dates, Realignment Rumblings, and Rule Changes
The college football offseason is no longer a period of complete dormancy. With the transfer portal, NIL deals, potential revenue sharing, and the evolving College Football Playoff format, the news cycle churns relentlessly. This article serves as a guide to the major events and deadlines shaping the landscape of college football as we approach the 2025 season.
Ongoing Conference Realignment
While the major realignment moves seem to have subsided for now, the situation remains dynamic. Aside from the Pac-12's need to add at least one more football-playing school to maintain FBS conference status, the Power 4 leagues appear locked into television deals extending until at least the 2029-30 school year.
The ACC presents a unique case, with Clemson and Florida State engaged in lawsuits against the conference (and vice versa). Discussions about settling these legal disputes through a new revenue-sharing structure that rewards schools for TV exposure have taken place. However, if these suits remain unresolved, a lengthy legal battle lies ahead, deterring other conferences from extending invitations to entangled ACC schools.
Looking ahead to 2025, C-USA will welcome Delaware and Missouri State as full football members on July 1, bringing the conference to 12 full members. Changes are also slated for 2026, with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State, and San Diego State joining Oregon State and Washington State. Northern Illinois will depart the MAC in 2026, and Gonzaga will become a non-football member of the Pac-12.
Key Dates and Deadlines
To keep track of the ever-evolving offseason, here's a breakdown of important dates and deadlines:
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January 24: Deadline for players from Ohio State and Notre Dame to declare for the NFL Draft. For all other players, the deadline has already passed, with 70 underclassmen committed. The decline in underclassmen declaring for the draft is attributed to NIL rules, which allow players to earn money while remaining in college.
February 5: National Signing Day. Although many top prospects signed in December, National Signing Day remains a key date for remaining unsigned players to commit to their chosen schools.
February 19: Athletic directors from the SEC and Big Ten meet in New Orleans. With the new Playoff contracts kicking in during 2026, the Big Ten and SEC are positioned to exert significant influence over the CFP.
Late February/Early March: Spring practices commence across the country, offering teams a chance to build culture, integrate new coaches and players, and establish team chemistry.
February 24-28: The NCAA Football Rules Committee convenes. A primary focus will be addressing the issue of teams feigning injuries to disrupt opposing offenses. The committee and conference commissioners have been hesitant to implement rules that would require players who feign injuries to sit out multiple plays. However, the prevalence of this tactic may necessitate a rule change to protect genuinely injured players.
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February 24-March 3: The NFL Combine takes place. This event provides college football fans and media with insights into the draft prospects, often revealing surprising evaluations of players.
April 7: Scheduled date for a final approval hearing for the settlement agreement of House v. NCAA and other antitrust lawsuits. Formal objections are being filed, with a deadline of January 31. If Judge Claudia Wilken approves the settlement, NCAA schools can share up to $20.5 million with their athletes during the 2025-26 school year, with most of the money expected to go to football players. Failure to approve the deal could complicate or derail revenue-sharing plans.
April 11-30: Contact period opens. Coaches and student-athletes can have open communication, including on-campus and at-home visits, making it an ideal time for official visits.
April 15-25: The spring transfer portal window opens. This period allows players to transfer after teams have assembled their rosters post-National Signing Day. The volume of players entering the portal could be high due to potential roster cuts triggered by the House settlement and potential NCAA legislation granting Division I athletes an extra year of eligibility.
April 22: Transfer portal closes. This is the last day for players to enter their name into the portal, with exceptions for coaching changes, hardship waivers, or graduate transfers. Players can remain in the portal indefinitely and can even be in the portal and the NBA draft simultaneously.
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April 24-26: The NFL Draft is held. College football fans bid farewell to their favorite players as they embark on their professional careers.
April 27: NBA draft Early Entrant Deadline. Players who still have college eligibility must declare for the NBA draft with a written notice to NBA commissioner Adam Silver by this date.
May 9-11: NBA G League combine. A select group of players will have an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of scouts and general managers.
May 11-18: NBA draft combine. Players who received an invite to the NBA draft combine will be put to the test in front of NBA scouts and front offices.
May 27-30: The SEC spring meetings traditionally start the day after Memorial Day. Other conferences usually meet in May, but the SEC generally goes out of its way to make a show of its offseason gathering of coaches and administrators. The conference is expected to weigh whether to increase the conference football schedule from eight games to nine.
May 28: NBA draft withdrawal deadline (NCAA). The last day for players who have NCAA eligibility remaining to withdraw from the draft and return to school for next season.
June 15: Formal withdrawal deadline from NBA draft. The last day for all remaining players to withdraw from the NBA draft.
June 25-26: NBA draft.
July 8-9: Football media days start, with the Big 12 having already announced its will be held in Frisco, Texas, the week after a long Fourth of July weekend.
July 14-17: The four-day SEC event is slated for Atlanta.
August: Fall camp begins, and teams prepare for the upcoming season. Preseason Heisman Trophy hype intensifies.
August 23: The 2025 college football season officially kicks off with Iowa State vs. Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland, during Week Zero.
Week of Saturday, Dec: First round of the College Football Playoffs.
Monday, Jan: CFP National Championship Game. The title game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Recruiting Calendar
The NCAA football recruiting rules and calendar dictate when and how college coaches can contact athletes. This helps families navigate the recruiting process and allows athletes and coaches to plan effectively. Here's a simplified overview:
- Any time: Athletes can receive brochures for camps, recruiting questionnaires, NCAA materials, and non-athletic recruiting publications.
- June 15 before junior year: Athletes can receive any form of private, electronic communication.
- April 1 through the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June: A college may pay for a prospective student-athlete and two family members to visit campus. After this date, a college may offer an expense-paid visit after Sept. 1 of senior year.
- July 1 before senior year: Coaches can contact athletes off-campus, but only during the contact periods.
- First day of classes: Athletes can take unlimited official visits.
- Evaluation days: Coaches can evaluate each recruit three times.
- June 15 after sophomore year: Athletes can begin taking official visits. Coaches can conduct in-person, off-campus recruiting contact.
- Dead period: Coaches may not have any in-person contact with recruits and/or their parents.
- December 22, 2024 â Jan.
- February 2 â Mar.
- Jun. 23 â Jul.
- Quiet period: You can talk to college coaches in-person on their college campus.
- Evaluation period: College coaches are allowed to watch an athlete compete in person or visit their school.
Looking Ahead: The 2025 Season and Beyond
As teams gear up for the 2025 season, several programs are poised for contention. Ohio State will aim to defend its national title, while Texas, Alabama, Penn State, and Georgia are expected to be strong contenders. Teams that experienced early playoff exits in the previous season will be eager to advance further in 2025.
The 2026 season is set to begin on Thursday, Aug. Here are some of the games currently scheduled for Saturday, Aug. Aer Lingus College Football Classic: North Carolina vs. College Football Brasil: NC State vs. MEAC/SWAC Challenge: Alabama A&M vs. North Alabama vs. Southern vs. The following week begins Week 1 of the 2026 college football season, with most of the games set for Saturday, Sept. 5 during Labor Day weekend. Thursday, Sept. Friday, Sept. Saturday, Sept. Louisville vs. Baylor vs. Sunday, Sept. Wisconsin vs. South Carolina State vs. Monday, Sept. Thursday, Sept. Friday, Sept. Saturday, Sept. Duke's Mayo Classic: Virginia vs. Union Jack Classic: Arizona State vs. Miami (Ohio) vs. Stephen F.
The College Football Playoff National Championship Game will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, Jan. 25, 2027.
Future CFP National Championship Game locations include:
- 2027-28: New Orleans (Caesars Superdome)
- 2028-29: Tampa (Raymond James Stadium)
- 2029-30: Miami (Hard Rock Stadium)
tags: #ncaa #25 #release #date #offseason #schedule
