NCAA approves rule changes on countable coaches, cannabis testing, introduces more transfer changes

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The Division I Council has met and approved a number of measures for college football and more, as well as proposed more changes to the transfer portal windows.

Among the rule changes approved and set to go into play is for any coach to be allowed to "provide technical and tactical instruction to" players, overriding previous limitations on countable coaches.

More from the NCAA:

The Division I Council on Tuesday approved a rule change adopted by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committees to permit any staff member to provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes. The decision is not final until the meeting concludes Wednesday.

The change would be effective immediately. Moving forward, any staff member may provide technical and tactical instruction to student-athletes during practice and competition.

The proposal does not change the number of off-campus recruiters. FBS teams remain limited to up to 11 staff members and FCS teams remain limited to 13 staff members who may participate in off-campus recruiting activities. National service academies are permitted an additional four off-campus recruiters. Both subdivisions must include the head coach as an off-campus recruiter, and only staff members who regularly engage in on-campus coaching activities with student-athletes can be counted as off-campus recruiters.

FBS programs also remain able to have up to four graduate student coaches and no more than five strength and conditioning coaches. Limits for student assistant coaches will be the same as the number of permissible off-campus recruiters for a football program.

Another rule change comes in testing for cannabis:

The council voted to remove cannabinoids from the banned drug class for championships and postseason participation in football, effective immediately.

"The NCAA drug testing program is intended to focus on integrity of competition, and cannabis products do not provide a competitive advantage," Whitman said. "The council's focus is on policies centered on student-athlete health and well-being rather than punishment for cannabis use."

Any penalties currently being served by student-athletes who previously tested positive for cannabinoids will be discontinued.

The football recruiting calendar is also seeing some changes:

In FBS football, changes include:

Extending the July dead period. A 31-calendar day dead period beginning July 1 is intended to allow coaches to prepare for the upcoming season without focusing on recruiting.

Adding a December quiet period, intended to allow teams to focus on the football postseason and allow on-campus recruiting activities.

Extending the January contact period, intended to allow schools the opportunity to recruit high school juniors and four-year college transfers.

Adding a quiet period the Sunday before the American Football Coaches Association Convention, to allow coaches to finish campus visits before the AFCA Convention dead period.

Other approved changes came with lifting restrictions on the number of official visits in basketball and baseball, the number of foreign tours players can participate in with basketball and whether Division I basketball teams can meet on foreign tours.

When it comes to proposals, those center on the transfer portal.

The Division I Council voted Tuesday to introduce proposals that would change notification-of-transfer windows for undergraduate students in Division I men's basketball, women's basketball and football from a total of 45 days to 30 days. The decision to introduce the proposals is not final until the meeting concludes Wednesday.

Initially recommended by the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees — and later supported by the Football Bowl Subdivision and Football Championship Subdivision Oversight Committees — the basketball proposals would conclude the transfer window for basketball before the end of the academic school year, enabling student-athletes to spend more time in the recruitment process after being entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal, while also providing coaches with more information about roster stability before students leave campus at the end of the academic year. In football, the change in notification-of-transfer days would provide greater stability for football programs and student-athletes...

Under this proposal, student-athletes whose head coaches leave the school would continue to have an additional 30-day transfer window after a coach's departure...

The FBS and FCS Oversight Committees will finalize a recommendation for Transfer Portal dates by October...A vote on the proposals is anticipated during the council's October 2024 meeting.

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