Coaches vote to support expansion of redshirt eligibility from four games to nine in college football

The eligibility of players has become a highly debated topic around college football in recent seasons. In particular, there has been a push to expand eligibility. Now, it looks like the redshirt rules may have taken another step toward being adjusted.

Head coaches from around the country have just finished their first meeting for the AFCA. The major point of discussion there was the four-game redshirt rule, rather than the calendar. There, director Craig Bohl, a former head coach at Wyoming and North Dakota State, shared that the coaches voted unanimously to expand the redshirt rule from four games to nine games.

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“The FBS head coaches unanimously support increasing the current Division I football redshirt rule to include up to nine regular season games,” Craig Bohl said. “End of story.”

It’s important to note that this is just a recommendation. It will now be put forth to the Division I committees.

If the change from four games to nine games does occur, it would be another notable change to the redshirt rule was adjusted to allow players some leeway to play games and retain their eligibility. Previously, it had been strict that players couldn’t play at all. Then, in 2018, the four-game redshirt rule came into place. Later, players would be allowed to not count bowls towards those four games.

Andy Staples, reporting on the conversations, shared some insight into why. He wrote, “Essentially, the four-game rule incentivizes players to shut it down to get an extra year of pay. Five to play five seems the preference.”

It’s not uncommon now for players to play in four games and step away from their programs to use a redshirt and transfer. This would, potentially, incentivize them to stay with their programs longer during the season.

NIL is also a consideration in all of this. With financial incentive, players are looking to maximize their potential earning and as a response to that, coaches seem to prefer moving to five years of eligibility. If they were to do that at some point in the future, then the redshirt would be removed entirely.

In October of 2025, the NCAA had given extensive thought to the five-for-five plan on eligibility. However, at the time, it was tabled for the time being. Still, the hope for supporters of the change is that it would simplify the system and help handle legal attacks on eligibility standards.

Certainly, the NCAA is facing numerous legal battles regarding its eligibility standards. That includes the high-profile JUCO lawsuit that involves Diego Pavia and Joey Aguilar. Then, Ole Miss‘ Trinidad Chambliss recently mounted a challenge to his additional season of eligibility being denied.