The NCAA on Wednesday announced a pair of new proposals for 2018, one that that would limit football staff sizes to 30 and another that would move the start of football practice back to early August.

According to the proposal, FBS schools would be "required to designate 30 individuals who will participate in on-campus football recruiting activities." There is currently no limit on the number of staffers who can be involved in recruiting, and many schools have football staffs numbering several dozen.

The 30 staff members would include all on-field coaches, including the head coach, as well as 10 assistant coaches and four graduate assistants. Schools would be required to designate their 30 staff members prior to preseason practice and send a list to their conference office (staff members who leave a given school could be replaced on the list of 30 at the discretion of their athletic director).

"We feel we have reinforced the rules that are already on the books," said Bob Bowlsby, chair of the Football Oversight Committee and commissioner of the Big 12 Conference. "The head coach, the soon to be 10 assistants and the four graduate assistants are the people who are supposed to be coaching student-athletes, preparing them for the game and doing the recruiting."

Staff members designated as being involved in recruiting activities would be the only ones allowed to "initiate written and electronic correspondence with prospective student-athletes, their parents or legal guardians." All those designated would be required to pass the NCAA's recruiting exam every year.

The proposal, introduced by the Division I Council, must first pass the Division I Football Oversight Committee at its January meeting before it can take effect next Aug. 1. However, that is typically regarded as a rubber-stamp process.

In addition, the Division I Council is proposing a new practice start date, which would be 25 days prior to the first game of the season. For example, a team playing its first game Sept. 1 could hold its first practice Aug. 3.

With the elimination of two-a-day practices this year, schools were allowed to begin practice an extra week earlier. Some did so in late July, which would no longer be allowed under the proposed change.

According to the NCAA, members of the American Football Coaches Association are on-board with that proposed change.

"We were also talking about the 14-week standardized season, but it became apparent that it was going to be an impediment in our efforts to keep all the practices in August," Bowlsby said. "We didn't want practices taking place in July and conflicting with the end of summer school."