I personally think there's going to be a very short application period for TAR 18; like maybe 10-12 days at most. Casting has done that before, and as I recall, it's turns out that team form the newer season were finalists the previous season, so there's a logic to it. (Replenish the finalist pool for the fitire.) I keep having this feeling that Lynn Spielman and company have a strong leftover pool from TAR 17, and rhey're not too concerned about new applications right now.
Now, that's just a gut feeling. I've seen press releases for casting the new dancing series for CBS that Paula Abdul is executive producing, and I suspect casting is getting that one done first before TAR 18.
If the rumors (plus Allison Groesner's interview last week) are correct with Jeff Schroeder heading towards LA for a night as part of his ongoing Around The World For Free season, that would be a hook for CBS to use not only for ATWFF, but for a TAR 18 casting promo. It wouldn't be the first time TAR xasting has used BB airtime for a promo or two, and given the way CBS thinks a lot of the time, it is the sort of thing CBS would do.