College Football 26: 3 Essential Tips to Manage Wear and Tear Keep your stars on the field longer by mastering substitutions, rotations, and toughness

In College Football 26, few things are more frustrating than losing a key player to injury or watching their performance tank because of Wear and Tear. Luckily, there are strategies you can use in Dynasty mode and during games to keep your team fresh and effective. Here are three tips every coach should know.

1️⃣ Adjust Your Auto Subs

Auto Subs are your first line of defense against Wear and Tear. By automatically rotating position groups, you can keep high-impact players fresh, especially in roles like running back, EDGE, offensive line, and linebacker.

How to adjust Auto Subs in Dynasty Mode:

Go to the Coaching tab in Dynasty mode.
Select Auto Subs.
Set your Wear and Tear subbing strategy to Keep Fresh or create a custom slider.

👉 Pro tip: For custom sliders, a 65/80 split works well for positions like RB. If you don’t want to experiment, stick with Keep Fresh for reliable results.

2️⃣ Rotate Players Manually In-Game

Auto Subs won’t always catch everything, so sometimes you’ll need to step in yourself.

To rotate players manually:

After calling a play (before the snap), press Up on the D-Pad.
Check each player’s Wear and Tear bar.
If you notice a point missing, consider resting them for a possession or even a quarter.

This allows players to recover and reduces the chance of injuries or stat drops. Monitoring every few plays can make a huge difference.

3️⃣ Prioritize Toughness in Player Development

The Toughness stat is crucial for limiting the effects of Wear and Tear. While attributes like Stamina and Injury help too, Toughness directly reduces how much players are impacted over the course of a game or season.

When progressing your athletes in Dynasty mode, consider funneling points into Toughness — especially for high-usage positions. It’s a long-term investment that pays off when it matters most.

📌 Final Takeaway

Managing Wear and Tear in College Football 26 is all about balance: smart Auto Subs, hands-on in-game management, and building tough rosters. With these three strategies, you’ll keep your stars healthy, avoid unnecessary stat drops, and give your team the best chance to dominate every Saturday.