Redshirt rules are changing college football.
Earlier this month, the American Football Coaches Association's FBS coaches unanimously voted in favor of expanding the limit of games played in a redshirt season from four to nine.
As is the case with the four-game limit, players can still play postseason games without counting against the new limit.
The rule is still pending NCAA approval, but previous rules that come up to similar votes of coaches have historically been very successful. As a result, the nine-game redshirt limit will likely be approved for the 2026 season.
Just nine years ago, a single snap on the field meant a year of eligibility was gone. This caused coaches to be very careful about who entered games, especially when a quick substitution could mean anyone coming in. The change was one that came with reason, but the new ruling means players could play as much as 81% of the season if a team advances to the national championship game.
Strategies around playing freshmen could change completely based on this ruling. If a player sat out three non-conference games and played the remainder of the season, he could retain eligibility while functionally being a complete part of the team.
Any injury that takes a player out for a limited period could also be considered a medical redshirt. If a player misses just three weeks with injury — whether at once or in multiple points across the season — he could regain the year.
Current eligibility rules — in addition to the proposed lawsuit headed by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, which would not count junior college years against NCAA eligibility — has created a backlog of players. Combined with the new 105-member roster limit, fewer students are coming out of high school and going onto FBS rosters. Routes through junior college or post-graduate high school years are increasingly common.
The move is also a response to a lawsuit requesting a universal fifth year of eligbility stemming from the blanket redshirt given to 2020 players following the COVID-affected season. Allowing nine regular-season games could stop players from requesting the full year of eligibility.
If a fifth year of eligibility is granted, it should mean the end of the redshirt and the introduction of the proposed "five in five" model. Under those rules, athletes could spend five seasons on a college roster and play all five years but would not be granted additional eligibility for any reason, including what would now be considered medical redshirts.
A more modern approach to redshirt limits could be to base the rules around snap counts rather than games played. That way, freshmen could still participate on special teams for a full season in a limited role while not being charged for a season.
The new rule is the end result of the win-now mindset that has overtaken college football. Redshirt and transfer rules do not have the best interest of students in mind. Coaches need wins to save their jobs, and that desperation has extended to the players.
When the new college football season begins next August, it will likely come with a new structure around eligibility. The concept of taking a year completely off the field for development is dead, and the new rule completely removes the spirit of the original redshirt.