# 2026 college football season preparations > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/2026-college-football-season-preparations > Updated: 2026-08-26T01:11:18.000Z. Sources: 13. Developments: 2. As the 2026 college football season approaches, various updates have emerged regarding roster changes, rankings, and conference schedules. Initial reports highlighted specific roster moves, such as the Minnesota Gophers signing veteran kicker Luke Drzewiecki, who gained eligibility following a class action lawsuit against the NCAA. Preseason analysis also provided outlooks for the FCS, with predictions for the Ivy League, Pioneer Football League, and MVFC, while FBS and SEC power ratings identified Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, and Indiana as top contenders. Following these updates, the Big Ten conference released its 2026 schedule, with the season set to begin on August 29. Sportsbooks and analysts have issued win projections for the 18 conference teams, noting that roster volatility from the transfer portal and conference realignment has complicated preseason forecasting. Specific projections include Indiana at an over/under of 10.5 wins and Michigan projected under 8.5 wins during a rebuilding phase. ## Timeline ### 2026-08-26: Big Ten football 2026 schedule and win projections released The 2026 Big Ten football season begins August 29, featuring a competitive schedule and evolving roster dynamics following conference realignment and heavy transfer portal usage. 8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/big-ten-football-2026-schedule-and-win-projections-released ### 2026-08-19: College football prepares for 2026 season with roster moves and rankings Various updates ahead of the 2026 college football season include Minnesota Gophers roster changes, FCS conference predictions, and talent rankings for top programs like Ohio State and Texas. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/fcs-football-predictions-highlight-pfl-and-mvfc-contenders-for-2026-season --- Cite as: 2026 college football season preparations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/2026-college-football-season-preparations