Why college football coaches want new redshirt rule: 'Not about creating loopholes'

College football coaches have unanimously recommended increasing the redshirt game limit from four to nine games. This proposal, presented at the American Football Coaches Association convention in Charlotte, aims to address issues related to roster caps and an expanded postseason. The current rule allows players to participate in up to four games in a season without losing a year of eligibility. The proposed change could help teams manage roster depth and player development amid expanded playoff structures.

The recommendation comes at a time when NCAA eligibility rules are facing legal challenges. Recently, a federal judge in Nashville denied a request by five football players for a fifth season of eligibility, upholding the NCAA's current limit of four seasons within a five-year period. This decision is part of a broader class-action lawsuit challenging NCAA eligibility restrictions, which some argue are an unreasonable restraint on athletes' rights, especially after athletes were allowed to earn from their name, image, and likeness.

The proposed rule change, if adopted, would allow players to participate in up to nine regular-season games in