Samwise College Football Newsletter
Thursday, June 25, 2026
NFL Nixes 2026 Supplemental Draft, Leaving Sorsby Without a Pro Path This Season
The NFL has declined to hold a 2026 supplemental draft, ending Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby’s hopes of playing professional football this year. The league cited Sorsby’s gambling violations — more than $90,000 in bets including 40 wagers on his own Indiana team — as creating game-integrity concerns. Sorsby had entered the supplemental draft after dropping a lawsuit against the NCAA, which declared him permanently ineligible. His attorney called the NFL’s decision a CBA violation and promised legal action. Sorsby’s earliest path to the NFL is now the 2027 Draft. He had been rated the No. 1 player in the 2026 college football transfer portal.
NCAA Division I Adopts Five-Year Age-Based Eligibility Model, Eliminating Redshirts
The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved a sweeping overhaul of athletic eligibility rules, adopting a five-year, age-based model that eliminates redshirts, waivers, and sport-specific limits. Under the new framework, athletes receive five seasons of eligibility beginning when they first enroll full-time in college or at the start of the academic year following their 19th birthday, whichever comes first. Current athletes with eligibility remaining after 2025–26 may choose whichever model is more favorable. Freshmen entering in fall 2026 fall automatically under the new model. The change aims to reduce litigation and bring greater consistency to eligibility decisions across all Division I sports.
FBS Committee Proposes 10-Day Portal Window and Restructured Spring Practice Calendar
The Division I Football Oversight Committee proposed significant changes to college football’s offseason structure Wednesday, including shortening the winter transfer portal window from 15 days to 10 and redesigning the spring practice calendar. Under the proposal, teams would replace the current 15-practice spring model with two distinct sessions totaling 21 practices, neither exceeding five weeks — an NFL-style OTA format. Preseason camp would also shrink from 25 to 21 practices. If approved by the committee in August, the changes take effect January 1, 2027. Separately, the committee discussed expanding off-campus recruiting staff limits, with a formal proposal expected later this summer.
NCAA Eliminates Two-Year Postseason Ban for FCS-to-FBS Transition Programs
The NCAA Division I Cabinet voted Wednesday to eliminate the two-year postseason penalty for programs transitioning from FCS to FBS, immediately benefiting North Dakota State and Sacramento State, both joining the FBS this fall. Under the old rules, transitioning programs were barred from bowl games and the College Football Playoff for their first two years at the higher level. Under the new rule, schools meeting the standard six-win requirement can compete in the postseason immediately. NDSU Athletic Director Matt Larsen had campaigned for the rule change. The decision signals a more welcoming posture toward FCS programs considering the jump to the top level of college football.
Sources: CBS Sports Share ↗ ✉︎ Email 💬 Text
Oregon QB Dante Moore Launches Heisman Push From Tokyo as Ducks Begin Japan Showcase
Oregon quarterback Dante Moore kicked off what the program hopes will be a Heisman campaign this week, appearing on towering billboards across Tokyo’s Kabukicho district as the Ducks launched the Tokyo Oregon Football Showcase. Running June 25 through June 27, the event — organized by Oregon’s NIL collective Division Street alongside sneaker retailer Flight Club and the Japan Gridiron Association — brings coach Dan Lanning and seven players to Japan for 7-on-7 demonstrations. Moore, a preseason Heisman contender, joins teammates including wide receiver Evan Stewart for the trip. Oregon called the event a celebration of the historical connection between the university and Japanese American Football.
Preseason Consensus Top 10
Pre-AP Poll (Season starts Aug. 29)
1. Indiana (Defending champion)
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia
4. Texas
5. Notre Dame
6. Oregon
7. Miami
8. Ole Miss
9. Oklahoma
10. USC
2026 Season Key Dates
Off-season
Aug. 27 — FCS season opener
Aug. 29 — First FBS games
Dec. 18 — CFP first round
Jan. 14-15 — CFP Semifinals
Jan. 25 — CFP Championship (Las Vegas)
New FBS Members
North Dakota State (NDSU)
Sacramento State
Curated by JD · samwise.agency