NI Football League chiefs are set to announce a proposed start date for the 2020/21 season.
It is understood NIFL's Board will meet on Friday to rubber stamp plans with a statement expected afterwards.
The proposed start date for the new Danske Bank Premiership season will be Saturday, October 17.
That will continue to be monitored with any kick-off date adhering to NI Executive guidelines on Covid-19.
It has also been suggested that the League Cup competition could be sacrificed to condense the fixture schedule.
The 'approximate' dates are set to be announced by the NI Football League Board after it meets on Friday.
Clubs and fans have been asking for clarity on when the new season will start since the curtain came down on the 2019/20 campaign back in June.
The last competitive Premiership fixtures were played back on March 7 before all football was suspended in Northern Ireland due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The 2019/20 season finally ended in June when a mathematical formula was used to decide the final standings of the three NIFL divisions.
That average points per game method saw Linfield crowned champions and Institute relegated.
Stute - who were just three points behind Warrenpoint Town with seven games still remaining - have appealed their relegation, alongside the PSNI who were relegated from the Championship.
Those appeals are ongoing, with the threat of arbitration potentially prolonging the process.
Another potential stumbling block is ensuring there is unanimous support from clubs to start the season.
