The following playing rule changes were recommended by the Football Rules Committee on February 28, 2025:[10]
In an effort to reduce feigned injuries, if medical personnel have to enter the field to tend to an injured player after the ball is spotted by officials ready for play, that team will be charged a timeout (or a five-yard delay of game penalty if out of timeouts). If this occurs after the two-minute timeout (and the injury is the only reason for the clock to stop), a 10-second runoff applies if the team is out of timeouts.
Starting with the third overtime period, teams will only be permitted one timeout to use until the game is concluded. Previously teams received a timeout for each overtime period, including the two-point attempts that begin with the third overtime.
Updating the terminology used on instant replay announcements to "Overturned" and "Upheld" instead of "Confirmed" or "Stands".
On punt formations, no player can be directly in line of the snap to a potential kicker, no player can be inside of the frame of the snapper, not having enough players on the line is an illegal formation penalty (five yards) and if the snapper is on the end of a line, he loses the scrimmage kick protection and the defense can line up a player over the snapper.
If a player on the kickoff return team gives a "T" signal, the play will be whistled dead.
Enhance rules regarding words or signals used to distract opponents trying to put the ball in play. The terms "stem" and "move" would only be permitted for defenses, and defenses cannot used cadence or sounds that simulate offensive team signals.
Codifying the rule change from 2024's Ohio State-Oregon game, after the two-minute time-out, teams called for having 12 or more players participating in a down will be penalized five yards, and the offense would have the option to reset the game clock to the time at the start of the play. If the 12th or more player(s) were not participating in the down (ex. running off the field at the snap), the yardage penalty would apply but no clock reset option would be available.
Proposed the Coach to Player (green dot) communication technology currently used in FBS be made available to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Kickoff games
Week 0
The regular season will begin on Saturday, August 23 with four games in Week 0.
This is the second year under the expanded College Football Playoff format. Under this format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the next seven highest-ranked teams will receive at-large bids. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye in the playoff.[11]
Normally, a team is required to have a .500 minimum winning percentage during the regular season to become bowl-eligible (six wins for an 11- or 12-game schedule, and seven wins for a 13-game schedule). If there are not enough winning teams to fulfill all open bowl slots, teams with losing records may be chosen to fill available bowl slots. Additionally, on the rare occasion in which a conference champion does not meet eligibility requirements, they are usually still chosen for bowl games via tie-ins for their conference.
Television changes
This is the first season of a new television contract for the Big 12 Conference with ESPN, Fox Sports and TNT Sports. ESPN will hold the rights to the top four college football games per season, and twelve of the top twenty games, along with the Big 12 Championship Game. TNT Sports will sublicense thirteen games from ESPN.[12][13]
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