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[Tentative Ruleset]

This ruleset is tentative and subject to change for the upcoming Fall 2026 season.

College Football 26 Game Manual

Fall 2026 (Tentative)​

THIS TOURNAMENT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH, SANCTIONED OR SPONSORED BY EA SPORTS OR ANY OTHER GAME DEVELOPER OR PLATFORM.

Competition​

Platform​

  • Playstation 5/Xbox Series X|S
  • Must have PS+ or Xbox Live dependent on system
Series Lengths & Scheduling

Series Lengths​

  • Game: A single matchup between two players
  • Match: Matches are best of 3 games

Scheduling​

  • Match Time is 4 PM on Tuesday (may start early if both teams agree)
  • Match reschedules must be planned by Match Time
  • Rescheduled matches must start by no later than 4pm on Friday the same week

Players​

Roster Requirements

Roster​

  1. A team roster must consist of at least 1 player
  2. A player is allowed to represent only one team's roster in the same MiHSEF EA Sports College Football 26 season
  3. Players are only allowed to be added to a team that was created by a coach or advisor officially representing their school

Minimum to Compete​

  • Teams must provide a minimum of 1 player for a match
  • If a team is unable to field the required number of players, they will forfeit the match

Pre-Match​

Lobby Setup

Lobby​

  1. Unless otherwise requested, the HOME team will create the lobby and invite the other players
  2. Both players should verify connection via the designated MiHSEF chat channel (Fenworks Chat)
  3. The match settings to be used are as follows:
    • Fatigue: Off
    • Injuries: Off
    • Even Teams: On
    • Quarter Length: 4 Minutes
    • Weather: Off
Team Selection Rules

Team Selection​

  • Select one of any of the current 134 FBS teams only
  • No player-created teams
  • No legends teams
  • Opponents can pick the same team (wear Home/Away uniforms accordingly)
  • Select a "Neutral Field" that doesn't give advantage to either team

Gameplay​

Game of Record​

  • The match is of record when:
    • Initial kick-off from any player
    • The time ticks down at least 1 second
Mercy Rule
  • Can be put into effect when a player has a 21-point lead after the first half
  • The opponent will get possession to score in the 2nd half

Stoppage of Play​

Player Connectivity Issues

Player Connectivity​

  1. In College Football 26, matches automatically end if a player disconnects
  2. If a player disconnects:
    • The connected player must screenshot the score and time remaining
    • Both players will reconnect and pick the same teams
    • Continue from the time remaining
    • Compile original score + new match score for final result
Technical Issues Policy

Technical Issues​

  • Matches will not be paused or restarted due to controller/console disconnect, malfunction, or battery failure unless opponent agrees to a good-faith restart
  • Server lag may allow reset only if both players consent

Match Procedure (Regular Season)​

Pre-Match Timeline​

  • 3:30pm: Queue opens for players/coaches to activate players
  • 4:00pm: Matches generated, channels created on Fenworks
  • 4:05pm: Teams initiate communication in match channel
  • 4:10pm: High seed team creates lobby and shares connection info
  • 4:15pm: First players should be joined and ready

Game Flow​

  1. Team Selection: Players pick their teams
  2. Play Game: Complete the game
  3. Determine Winner: Player with most points wins that game
  4. Continue: If match score is 1-1, proceed to Game #3

Schedule​

MatchDateGame 1Game 2Game 3
Pre-SeasonSep 16 & 23, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 1Sept 30, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 2Oct 8, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 3Oct 15, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 4Oct 22, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 5Oct 29, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 6Nov 5, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Week 7Nov 12, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
Play-insNov 14-Dec 1, 2025GAME 1GAME 2GAME 3 (IF NEEDED)
FinalsDec 13, 2025---

Restrictions​

Anti-Cheating Rules
  1. All teams, players, and customization options are allowed except those banned in official EA Sports College Football tournaments
  2. Any intentional use of bugs, exploits, game file modification or third party applications is strictly prohibited
  3. MiHSEF will determine prohibited bugs/exploits and whether violations occurred

Resources​

Date Approved by Board: November 19, 2025

Rule Management & Change History​

📋 Rule Administration & Historical Changes

Official Board Approval​

Approval AuthorityApproval DateVersion
MiHSEF Board of DirectorsNovember 19, 20251.0.0

📋 PROPOSED CHANGES​

Change TypeDescriptionImplementation TimelineStatus

📅 CHANGE LOG​

DateChange TypeDescriptionAffected Section

Version Information​

  • Current Version: 1.0.0