College football coaches propose a controversial rule change: allowing players to play up to nine games and retain redshirt eligibility.
In a recent development, college football coaches have made a unanimous recommendation to the NCAA, suggesting a significant alteration to the current redshirt rules. The proposal suggests that players should be permitted to play in up to nine games while maintaining their eligibility to declare a redshirt season. This recommendation comes after a thorough discussion among over 60 Football Bowl Subdivision head coaches during the American Football Coaches Association's annual convention in Charlotte.
Currently, redshirt eligibility is determined by the number of regular-season games played. Players can redshirt if they play four or fewer regular-season games, but they exhaust their eligibility with the fifth regular-season game. However, a rule change implemented last year ensures that postseason games no longer count toward the redshirt rule.
The proposed change has sparked debate among coaches and players alike. While some believe it could provide more opportunities for players to showcase their skills, others argue that it might lead to increased wear and tear on players' bodies. The meeting's outcome was not a formal NCAA proposal, but it will be presented to NCAA committees for further consideration.
Notable coaches like Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney, Marcus Freeman, and James Franklin were present, along with representatives from all Power 4 conferences and the Group of 6. Initially, there was optimism that the meeting might result in a recommendation to extend eligibility to five years and eliminate the use of redshirts and waivers. However, this specific agreement was not reached.
The NCAA has already announced that the current eligibility rules will remain in place until the end of the 2026-27 academic year. Some players have chosen to opt out of games to preserve their redshirt status, as seen with Colorado's Julian Lewis, who sat out the season finale to retain his redshirt status.
The current eligibility rules allow players four years of eligibility, with some extending their college careers to five, six, or even seven years, including redshirt seasons, medical waivers, and the additional year granted to athletes in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has led to numerous lawsuits challenging the NCAA's eligibility rules.
One notable example is the case of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who earned a sixth year of eligibility after a court injunction ruled that his two seasons playing junior college football did not count toward his eligibility at FBS programs. Similarly, around 20 players, including Tennessee's Joey Aguilar, are seeking a similar ruling from a federal judge, while Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is pursuing a waiver for an additional year of eligibility due to his time at Division II Ferris State.
