2026 College Football Key Dates
Tracking the CFB season, transfer portal & recruiting calendar
If there’s one thing I’ve learned since starting The Gunslinger Buzz, it’s just how confusing the calendar is for players and parents going through the college football process. A number of them regularly reach out trying to figure this whole thing out especially when it comes to the recruiting calendar. Hopefully this page can provide more guidance on a topic that is fairly difficult to even research online. I did the best I could to round up the most important dates through Dec. 31, 2026, and it’s free to all subscribers.
This page tracks college football in-season and offseason key dates including the recruiting calendar, transfer portal window and more.
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2026 College Football Key Dates
🏈 CFB Season Key Dates
➡️ Transfer Portal Key Dates
📝 Recruiting Calendar Key Dates
Email GunslingerBuzz@gmail.com or DM on Twitter with news tips.
If you see anything that needs to be corrected, especially at the non-FBS levels, please contact me.
FBS Key Dates
🏈 Jan. 1, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 1, 2026 - CFP Quarterfinals
➡️ Jan. 1-4, 2026 - Quiet Period for Two- and Four-Year College Transfers who Intend to Enroll Midyear
📝 Jan. 1, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can be Contacted Off Campus
📝 Jan. 1-4, 2026 - Dead Period
🏈 Jan. 2, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 2, 2026 - Bowl Season Ends
➡️ Jan. 2-16, 2026 - Transfer Portal Window
📝 Jan. 3, 2026 - Under Armour All-America Game
📝 Jan. 5-10, 2026 - Contact Period
🏈 Jan. 8, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 8, 2026 - CFP Semifinals
🏈 Jan. 9, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 9, 2026 - CFP Semifinals
📝 Jan. 11, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 Jan. 12-14, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 Jan. 15-31, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 Jan. 16, 2026 - Polynesian Bowl
🏈 Jan. 18, 2026 - College Football Playoff Meeting
🏈 Jan. 19, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 19, 2026 - CFP National Championship
➡️ Jan. 20-24, 2026 - Transfer Portal Window for National Championship Players
🏈 Jan. 23, 2026 - CFP Expansion Decision Deadline
📝 Feb. 1, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 Feb. 2-March 1, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 Feb. 4, 2026 - National Signing Day
📝 Feb. 6-March 1, 2026 - Quiet Period for Service Academies
📝 March 2-April 14, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 April 1-June 21, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can take Official Visits
📝 April 15-May 23, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 May 24-27, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 May 28-June 21, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 June 15, 2026 - 2028 Recruits can Receive Verbal Offers
📝 June 22-July 31, 2026 - Dead Period
🏈 Aug. 29, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Aug. 29, 2026 - Regular Season Starts
📝 Sept. 1, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can be Called once per week with Unlimited Calls during Contact Period
📝 Sept. 1, 2026 - 2028 Recruits can Receive any Communication (Emails, Recruiting Materials, Texts, Direct Messages, etc.)
🏈 Sept. 3, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Sept. 5, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Sept. 6, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Sept. 12, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Sept. 19, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Sept. 26, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Oct. 3, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Oct. 10, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Oct. 17, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Oct. 24, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Oct. 31, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 7, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 14, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 21, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 27, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 28, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Nov. 28, 2026 - Regular Season Ends
🏈 Dec. 5, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Dec. 5, 2026 - Conference Championships
🏈 Dec. 12, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Dec. 12, 2026 - Army-Navy Game
FCS Key Dates
➡️ Jan. 1-4, 2026 - Quiet Period for Two- and Four-Year College Transfers who Intend to Enroll Midyear
📝 Jan. 1-4, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 Jan. 1, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can be Contacted Off Campus
➡️ Jan. 2-16, 2026 - Transfer Portal Window
🏈 Jan. 5, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 5, 2026 - National Championship
📝 Jan. 5-10, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 Jan. 11, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 Jan. 12-14, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 Jan. 15-31, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 Feb. 1, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 Feb. 2-March 1, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 Feb. 4, 2026 - National Signing Day
📝 March 2-April 14, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 April 1-June 21, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can take Official Visits
📝 April 15-May 23, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 May 24-27, 2026 - Dead Period
📝 May 28-July 31, 2026 - Quiet Period
📝 June 15, 2026 - 2028 Recruits can Receive Verbal Offers
📝 Sept. 1, 2026 - 2027 Recruits can be Called once per week with Unlimited Calls during Contact Period
📝 Sept. 1, 2026 - 2028 Recruits can Receive any Communication (Emails, Recruiting Materials, Texts, Direct Messages, etc.)
D2 Football Key Dates
📝 Jan. 1-Feb. 1, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 Feb. 2-4, 2026 - Signing Date Dead Period
📝 Feb. 4, 2026 - National Signing Day
📝 Feb. 5-Dec. 31, 2026 - Contact Period
📝 June 15, 2026 - 2028 Recruiting Off-Campus Contact and Official Visits Begin
D3 Football Key Dates
📝 Jan. 1, 2026 - 2028 Recruiting Official Visits Begin
🏈 Jan. 4, 2026 - Game Day
🏈 Jan. 4, 2026 - National Championship
Recruiting is always live in D3 football recruiting with no such thing as quiet periods, dead periods, etc.
NAIA Football Key Dates
Recruiting is always live in NAIA football recruiting with no such thing as quiet periods, dead periods, etc.
JUCO Football Key Dates
Recruiting is always live in JUCO football recruiting with no such thing as quiet periods, dead periods, etc.
NFL Draft Key Dates
🏈 Jan. 5, 2026 - Early Deadline for Underclassmen to Declare for the NFL Draft
🏈 Jan. 10, 2026 - Hula Bowl
🏈 Jan. 14, 2026 - Deadline for Underclassmen to Declare for the NFL Draft
🏈 Jan. 23, 2026 - Deadline for CFP National Championship Underclassmen to Declare for the NFL Draft
🏈 Jan. 27, 2026 - East-West Shrine Bowl
🏈 Jan. 31, 2026 - Senior Bowl
🏈 Feb. 21, 2026 - HBCU Legacy Bowl
🏈 Feb. 23-March 2, 2026 - NFL Scouting Combine
🏈 April 23-25, 2026 - NFL Draft
Notes
Transfer Portal - Players have 15 days to enter the transfer portal and are immediately eligible assuming they’re academically eligible. There’s no limit on how many times they can transfer, and they may join their next school at any time based on the academic calendar. Players also get a 15-day window to enter the transfer portal that opens five days after the school hires or announces its next head coach. Keep in mind, players can unenroll and enroll at a new school without entering the transfer portal.
Contact Period - A contact period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to make in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
Evaluation Period - An evaluation period is that period of time when it is permissible for authorized athletics department staff members to be involved in off-campus activities designed to assess the academic qualifications and playing ability of prospective student-athletes. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts shall be made with the prospective student-athlete during an evaluation period.
Quiet Period - A quiet period is that period of time when it is permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts only on the member institution’s campus. No in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may be made during the quiet period.
Dead Period - A dead period is that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus.
Signing Date Dead Period - A signing date dead period is that period of time when it is not permissible to make in-person recruiting contacts or evaluations on or off the member institution’s campus or to permit official or unofficial visits by prospective student-athletes to the institution’s campus.