Division I HBCUs could not schedule non-conference matchups of interest for years due to an 11-game restriction.
That will be a thing of the past, as the NCAA announced Wednesday that its Football Championship Subdivision level (FCS) will adopt a 12-game regular season schedule in 2026, according to a report from FBSSchedules.com’s Brian Wilmer.
The NCAA stated, “Moving forward, FCS programs will be able to compete in 12 regular-season games yearly, with the regular season starting 13 weeks before the FCS championship selections date. The move provides programs greater scheduling flexibility and eliminates the first contest date exceptions.”
This added flexibility leaves open the possibility of more HBCU classics and non-conference matchups that have not been played before or were lost due to conference realignment or other reasons.
What is currently known as Week 0 would become the FCS new Week 1. FCS teams would be permitted to play games on the two Thursdays before Labor Day, creating an exciting opportunity for extended media coverage from Thursday through Saturday.
This could allow FCS football to dominate television screens, as FBS typically features only a handful of games during Week 0.
It’s also possible that FBS could soon follow suit, especially with the expanded College Football Playoff pushing the season deeper into January.
Moving the FCS season entirely into Week 0 offers several advantages: the potential for higher-profile non-conference matchups on national TV, increased ticket sales, and greater scheduling flexibility.
Teams could also more easily add a 12th game or arrange for bye weeks, making the schedule more adaptable overall.
