Overview
- FBS coaches voted unanimously at the AFCA convention to endorse allowing players to appear in up to nine games without losing a year of eligibility.
- Current rules permit participation in up to four regular-season games plus postseason contests while preserving a redshirt season.
- The push reflects pressures from transfer-portal movement, NIL money, and recent eligibility disputes, including a lawsuit by Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and an injunction benefiting Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.
- Some coaches favored a full five-year playing window, but legal concerns steered the group to a nine-game compromise.
- Supporters say the proposal would reduce midseason opt-outs and keep more players engaged, as the NCAA also weighs broader concepts such as a potential 5-in-5 model.