College football faces major changes off the field as the 2026 season approaches.
The Protect College Sports Act of 2026 targets the sport’s long-term health. The legislation addresses NIL deals, transfer portal usage and player eligibility rules. Leaders continue debating playoff expansion while managing these ongoing challenges.
The on-field product remains exciting heading into 2026.
Indiana enters as the defending national champion. That alone shows how much the landscape has shifted since the 12-team College Football Playoff era began.
The 2026 national championship race looks wide open. Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon lead the Big Ten contenders. Georgia and Texas will compete alongside Notre Dame for the title.
All these programs feature top-tier quarterbacks.
The College Football Playoff starts Dec. 18. Semifinals will be played at the Capital One Orange Bowl and Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 14-15.
The College Football Playoff championship game is scheduled for Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Sporting News will provide preseason top 25 rankings, bowl projections and All-American selections to prepare fans for the upcoming season.
SN Preview Magazine
The Sporting News College Football 2026 Preview magazine is available to order now. The preview magazine returned this summer after a brief hiatus.
It features more than 150 team previews covering FBS to FCS programs. The magazine includes detailed analysis of the top storylines heading into the 2026 college football season.
College football rankings: SN’s preseason top 25
Sporting News’ post-spring Top 25 places defending national champion Indiana at No. 1 heading into the 2026 season.
Here’s the top 10:
- 1. Indiana
- 2. Ohio State
- 3. Georgia
- 4. Texas
- 5. Notre Dame
- 6. Oregon
- 7. Miami
- 8. Ole Miss
- 9. Oklahoma
- 10. USC
Texas and Notre Dame earn high preseason rankings heading into 2026. The complete preseason top 25 will compare with the AP Preseason Top 25 and Coaches Poll later this summer.
College Football Playoff expansion
The College Football Playoff made several adjustments to the 12-team format for 2026-27. The changes affect seeding and automatic qualifier rules.
Future expansion to 24 teams remains under discussion.
The CFP structure continues evolving as conferences realign and competition intensifies.
Ranking top college quarterbacks for 2025
The 2026 quarterback class features multiple potential first-round NFL picks. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin returns as a Heisman finalist from last season.
Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss and Oregon’s Dante Moore led their teams to CFP appearances. Miami’s Darian Mensah tops the transfer quarterback market.
Notre Dame’s CJ Carr and Texas’ Arch Manning enter as early Heisman favorites.
Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby also draws attention among the loaded field. Our complete top 25 quarterback rankings cover the talent across all conferences.
We’ve also ranked quarterback rooms for the ACC (and Notre Dame), Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
College football coach rankings (1-138)
North Dakota State and Sacramento State join the FBS this season. That brings the total to 138 FBS coaches for the 2026 season.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti takes the No. 1 spot in our rankings. That’s a notable change from previous seasons dominated by Georgia’s Kirby Smart or Ohio State’s Ryan Day.
Lane Kiffin moved from Ole Miss to LSU during the offseason.
His new position affects the coaching landscape across the SEC. Our complete 1-138 coach rankings and separate top 25 coaches list provide detailed analysis of each program’s leadership.
SEC, Big Ten schedule rankings
Florida faced the toughest SEC schedule the past two seasons. The conference moved to a nine-game conference schedule format this year.
That change affects strength of schedule calculations across all SEC programs. The Big Ten also faces scheduling challenges with its expanded membership.
Complete schedule rankings for both the SEC and Big Ten will be released this week.
2027 NFL Draft Big Board
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith’s draft stock has been tracked since his freshman year. The Buckeyes’ star receiver could be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Manning leads a loaded quarterback class for 2027.
Our 2027 NFL Draft Big Board will be updated throughout the season as prospects develop.
Playoff and bowl projections for 2026-27
The 2026-27 season features 40 bowl games involving FBS teams. That total doesn’t include first-round, on-campus games for the College Football Playoff.
Complete bowl projections and 12-team College Football Playoff predictions will be released later this month.
SN Preseason All-American team
Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore returns from Sporting News’ 2025 All-America Team. Few other players earned returning All-American status.
The Preseason All-America team will be released later this summer.
Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine consensus All-American status at season’s end.
SN 140
Sporting News celebrates its 140th anniversary this year. College football coverage represents a significant part of the publication’s history.
The celebration will honor the greatest teams and All-Americans heading into the 2026 season.
Special anniversary content will be released throughout the summer as part of the milestone celebration.
