received a waiver from the NCAA. 17.12.4 First Contest. [FBS/FCS] An institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition in football prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day (see Figure 17-2). (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/9/96 effective 8/1/96, 1/14/97, 5/12/05) 17.12.4 First Contest. (Revised: 1/11/89, 1/9/96 effective 8/1/96, 1/14/97, 5/12/05, 6/25/25 effective 8/1/26) 17.12.4.1 Exception -- Institutions That Compete in Hawaii. [FBS/FCS] An institution that is scheduled to play a regular-season game in Hawaii may play its first permissible contest with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. If the institution's first opponent of the season is not a member institution located in Hawaii, the institution’s first opponent of the season may also play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. (Adopted: 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16) 17.12.4.1 First Contest -- Bowl Subdivision. [FBS] In bowl subdivision football, an institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition before the Thursday preceding Labor Day (see Figure 17-2). (Adopted: 6/25/25 effective 8/1/26) 17.12.4.1.1 Exception -- Institutions That Compete in Hawaii -- Bowl Subdivision. An institution that is scheduled to play a regular-season game in Hawaii may play its first permissible contest with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. If the institution's first opponent of the season is not a member institution located in Hawaii, the institution’s first opponent of the season may also play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. (Adopted: 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16, Revised: 6/25/25 effective 8/1/26) 17.12.4.1.2 Exception -- In-Season Foreign Competition -- Bowl Subdivision. An institution that is scheduled to play a regular-season game in a foreign country may play its first permissible contest with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. An institution that uses this exception must provide its student-athletes with five additional days off from all countable athletically related activities during the institution's declared playing season. (Adopted: 5/19/22 effective 8/1/22, Revised: 6/25/25 effective 8/1/26) 17.12.4.2 Exception -- Nationally Televised Contest -- Championship Subdivision. [FCS] In championship subdivision football, an institution may participate in a nationally televised (broadcast or cable; not internet only) contest against a nonconference opponent during the weekend (Saturday-Sunday) before the Thursday preceding Labor Day. Participation in such a contest is limited to one institution per conference per year. An institution that participates in such a contest for two consecutive years may not participate in such a contest in the following year. (Adopted: 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16) 17.12.4.2 First Contest -- Championship Subdivision. [FCS] In championship subdivision football, an institution shall not play its first contest (game or scrimmage) with outside competition prior to the Thursday that is 13 weeks before the FCS Championship selection date (see Figure 17-2). (Adopted: 6/25/25 effective 8/1/26) 17.12.4.3 Exception -- In-Season Foreign Competition. [FBS/FCS] An institution that is scheduled to play a regular-season game in a foreign country may play its first permissible contest with outside competition on the Saturday prior to the Thursday preceding Labor Day. An institution that uses this exception must provide its student-athletes with five additional days off from all countable athletically related activities during the institution's declared playing season. (Adopted: 5/19/22 effective 8/1/22) These bylaws have allowed the NCAA to keep the number of waiver requests down because they are quite specific. Likewise, the liability issue is a somewhat moot point because there are other bylaws that are specific for Fall Practice and when schools do receive a waiver to assist them in lowering there risk. 17.12.2 Length of Playing Season. [FBS/FCS] The length of an institution's playing season in football shall be limited to the period of time between the start of preseason practice (see Bylaw 17.12.3) and the end of the regular playing season (see Bylaw 17.12.5), except as provided in Bylaw 17.12.7 (see Bylaw 17.12.4 for restrictions on first contest dates). 17.12.3 Practice. [FBS/FCS] 17.12.3.1 First Practice Date. [FBS/FCS] An institution shall not commence official preseason football practice sessions, for the varsity, junior varsity or freshman team, before 31 days before its first scheduled intercollegiate game. Before its first scheduled intercollegiate game, an institution may not engage in more than 25 on-field practices. (Revised: 1/11/89, 4/14/03, 4/24/03 effective 5/1/03, 4/28/05, 1/18/18, 6/11/18, 5/18/22) 17.12.3.1.1 Exception. [FBS/FCS] An institution that has prohibitions against athletics activities during a specific day of the week due to religious reasons, may start official preseason football practice sessions one day earlier than the date determined pursuant to Bylaw 17.12.3.1. (Adopted: 4/28/05 effective 5/1/05) 17.12.3.4 Seven-Day Acclimatization Period. [FBS/FCS] In football, preseason practice shall begin with a seven-day acclimatization period for both first-time participants (e.g., freshmen and transfers) and continuing student-athletes. All student-athletes, including walk-ons who arrive to preseason practice after the first day of practice or who begin practice at any other point in the playing season, are required to undergo a seven-day acclimatization period. The seven-day acclimatization period shall be conducted as follows: (Adopted: 4/24/03 effective 5/1/03, Revised: 4/28/05 effective 8/1/05, 7/18/05, 12/13/05, 4/27/06, 12/15/06, 1/4/08, 4/28/16 effective 8/1/16, 4/26/17, 1/18/18, 6/11/18, 1/23/19, 5/19/21, 10/27/21) (a) An institution may not conduct administrative activities (e.g., team pictures, etc.) other than those permitted prior to or on the academic orientation day (e.g., compliance-related activities, medical examinations, individual photographs) prior to the first permissible date of practice. Conditioning, speed, strength or agility tests may not occur on any day prior to the start of the seven-day acclimatization period. (b) During the seven-day period, participants shall not engage in more than one on-field practice per day, not to exceed three hours in length. (1) Exception -- During the seven-day acclimatization period, an institution has the option of conducting one on-field practice per day, not to exceed three hours in length, or one on-field testing session (speed, conditioning or agility tests) per day, not to exceed one hour in length and one on-field practice, not to exceed two hours in length. In addition, an institution may conduct one one-hour walk-through session per day of the acclimatization period pursuant to Bylaw 17.02.22. Student-athletes must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between any sessions (testing, practice or walk-through) occurring that day. During this time, studentathletes may not attend any meetings or engage in other athletically related activities (e.g., weight lifting); however, time spent receiving medical treatment and eating meals may be included as part of the recovery time. If an institution conducts only a walk-through on a particular day during the acclimatization period, that day does not count toward the required seven days of acclimatization, but the walk-through counts toward the limit of 25 onfield practices in the preseason practice period. (c) First-time participants and continuing students shall not be required to practice separately. (d) During the first two days of practice or testing activity, helmets and spider pads shall be the only protective equipment student-athletes may wear. During the next three days of practice or testing activity, helmets, spider pads and shoulder pads shall be the only pieces of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. On the sixth day of practice or testing activity, student-athletes may practice in full pads. (e) An institution shall provide student-athletes with one day off during the seven-day acclimatization period. The required day off may occur as early as the second day or as late as the seventh day. 17.12.3.4.1 Exception -- National Service Academies. [FBS] First-time participants (e.g., freshmen and transfers) who will be attending a national service academy and who have completed basic military training immediately prior to preseason practice are not required to complete the acclimatization period. (Adopted: 4/29/04 effective 8/1/04, Revised: 12/15/06) 17.12.3.5 Preseason Activities After Acclimatization Period. [FBS/FCS] The remaining 19 on-field preseason practice sessions after the acclimatization period shall be conducted as follows: (Adopted: 4/24/03 effective 5/1/03, Revised: 12/15/06, 4/24/14, 4/14/17, 5/19/21, 10/8/21, 10/27/21) (a) General. (1) Multiple on-field practice sessions shall not be conducted on the same day; (2) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of on-field practice activities per day; (3) A walk-through is not considered an on-field activity; however, if a walk-through is conducted on a day in which no other on-field activities occur, the walk-through must be included in the limit of 25 on-field practices in the preseason practice period. In championship subdivision football, on-field walk-throughs shall not exceed a total of two hours per day; and (4) Student-athletes must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between an on-field practice session and a walk-through. During this time, student-athletes may not engage in physical athletically related activities (e.g., weight lifting). Time spent in team meetings, film review, receiving medical treatment and eating meals may be included as part of the recovery time. (b) Protective Equipment Restrictions. (1) Up to eight on-field practice sessions may be conducted in full pads; (2) During at least five on-field practice sessions, protective equipment is restricted to not more than helmets and spider pads; (3) During the remaining on-field practice sessions, protective equipment is restricted to not more than helmets, spider pads and/or shoulder pads; and (4) On-field practice sessions may be conducted in less protective equipment than the maximum restrictions noted above. (c) Contact Restrictions. (1) Full contact (tackling to the ground) is only permitted during an on-field practice session in full pads; (2) An institution shall not conduct more than two consecutive days of full contact (tackling to the ground) practices. A full contact practice during the acclimatization period counts toward this limit; (3) An institution shall not conduct more than a total of 75 minutes of full contact (tackling to the ground) within any one on-field practice session other than during the two permissible scrimmages; and (4) An institution shall not conduct more than two scrimmages during the preseason practice period. A scrimmage is a practice devoted primarily (greater than 50 percent of practice time) to 11-on-11, full contact (tackling to the ground) activities. A scrimmage counts as one of the eight permissible practices in full pads and may include more than 75 minutes of full contact (tackling to the ground). If the schools amendment the bylaws so schools no longer need a waiver to play Week 0 games because Week 0 officially becomes the start of the regular season, then it is likely all of these bylaws will be impacted in some way. It is even possible schools will be forced to change some/most/all of the bylaws dealing with Fall Practice. Most likely the schools would add more restrictions (i.e. fewer practices, fewer minutes of full contact, more down time between practice and walkthroughs, etc.) to try to offset the increase in risk to heat and humidity. A byproduct of the change could end up being sloppier Week 0 and even Week 1 games because teams aren't as well prepared going into the season as they were in the past. At least I wouldn't assume the only change is moving up the start of the regular season. For the record, I am not opposed to the idea of Week 0 becoming the official start of the regular season. However, I have become very familiar with the NCAA DI Manual over the years and I know the school reps on the NCAA Oversight Committee is involved in the process to get bylaws added and changed in the manual for each of the 3 division levels. So I always ask myself "Why was this bylaw added to the manual?" Once I think I have found the answer, then the follow-up question is typically "If this bylaw is removed or changed, then what is the potential fallout of this change?" It is this question where the level of risk/liability issue came into play for me. Not only for the school, but the coaches, staff, and players too because the change could have an impact on their level of risk. Given that in 2021 the University of Maryland settled with the family of late football player Jordan McNair for $3.5 million, it led me to the conclusion that the schools won't willing accept the additional risk without at least adding more precautious to the bylaws to offset the increase and potentially harm the product on the field. There is a reason the schools have been slow to change some of the bylaws in their manuals. Regardless whether it requires the support of the other 2 division levels or not. Managing risk levels is as likely of a reason as any other.