Major Changes in US College Soccer: Season Extension
A better college football experience and a pathway to professional leagues
Important news for college football players! The U.S. Soccer Federation, through the NextGen College Soccer Committee, has proposed major changes to Division I college football, including men’s and potentially women’s programmes. These reforms aim to modernise the sport and bring it closer to professional standards.
One of the biggest updates is the extension of the college football season, turning it into a full academic year sport. This would give players more time to train, recover, and compete at a high level.
Let’s take a closer look at what this proposal means and how it could impact your sporting future.
Why Is College Football Facing Major Changes?
The college football season is played during the autumn semester, starting in August and finishing in November or December, depending on how far universities progress in the NCAA Tournament. Teams often play two matches per week, which creates a tight and demanding schedule.
This system has been criticised for being too compressed, financially strained, and disconnected from global football standards.
On 16 October 2025, U.S. Soccer and the NextGen College Soccer Committee published a white paper proposing major reforms to address these issues. The key suggestions include transforming Division I football into a year-round sport, creating regional leagues to reduce travel, introducing a promotion and relegation system, and increasing flexibility around players’ eligibility.
The proposal is a transformative step towards a more professional future for college football.
What Are the Major Changes Proposed by U.S. Soccer?
1. Extending the college football season
Under this model, the season will begin in August and finish in April, with a winter break between December and January and a national championship held in May. Matches would be played at weekends rather than having multiple fixtures in a week. This aligns college football with professional schedules seen in European leagues and Major League Soccer (MLS).
2. Regionalisation
The proposal suggests that college football should separate from the usual conference system and create four large regional leagues, each with about 50–54 teams. Each region would have two competitive levels: a top tier and a lower tier. In the top level, there would be two divisions of nine teams each, while the lower level would include four divisions organised geographically.
Throughout the year, teams would play other universities in their division twice, plus a few matches against teams from outside their division. There will be a total of 18–22 matches in the season.
3. Promotion and relegation model
This system would allow teams to move up or down between tiers based on their performance, just like in professional leagues around the world.
4. More professional opportunities
Currently, college athletes cannot play with professional clubs. The new model would change that, allowing players to train or play with professional teams in the off-season without losing eligibility. U.S. Soccer also suggests allowing athletes who have previously played professionally to return to college football.
What Are the Benefits of These Reforms?
The U.S. Soccer proposal would bring many benefits to college football, including:
- Improved student-athlete experience with more rest and better competition balance.
- Better player development through longer, higher-quality seasons.
- Reduced travel costs thanks to regional leagues.
- Stronger professional pathways, allowing players to connect with clubs in MLS, USL, or even abroad.
- Enhanced visibility and commercial growth with better broadcasting opportunities.
When Will These Changes Happen?
The goal is to introduce the new system for Division I men’s football as early as the 2026–27 academic year, depending on approval from the NCAA and universities. Changes to women’s college football may follow later, since the structure and number of teams differ from the men’s game.
The proposal is expected to face some resistance, as it requires major financial and administrative adjustments.
How Does This Affect Me?
The U.S. Soccer and NextGen College Soccer Committee proposal opens the door to a more professional experience, offering better training conditions and a clearer pathway to professional teams. It allows players to pursue their professional ambitions while earning a university degree. If approved by the NCAA, it could become one of the most significant reforms in the history of college sports.
The key changes proposed include:
- Extension of the college football season to a full academic year
- Regionalisation of college football leagues
- Introduction of a promotion and relegation system
- Allowing players to train or play with professional clubs without losing college eligibility
At Keystone Sports, we specialise in supporting student-athletes who want to play college football in the U.S. Whether it’s finding sports scholarships or understanding eligibility rules like this, we’re here to help you along the way.
Ready to learn more about your options? Reach out to us today, and let’s explore how you can make the most of your college sports journey!
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About the author
Lorena Montañés
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