DANIA BEACH, Fla. — It's the biggest time of year in college football. And it has become a circus, with coaches on the move everywhere and in some cases essentially trying to work at two schools at the same time. On top of that, players will be formally on the move as well.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning thinks he has a way to settle things down.
Lanning — whose Ducks play Texas Tech in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl — said Wednesday that he believes changes are needed to try and streamline this time of year, where coaches move to other schools and players start entering the transfer portal that opens on Friday and recruiting is happening and agents are bustling and, while all that is happening, some teams are still playing with hopes of winning a national championship.
“I think there’s clearly a better way,” Lanning said.
Oregon is losing both coordinators when its season ends; defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi will become head coach at Cal, offensive coordinator Will Stein will become head coach at Kentucky. They are understandably being pulled in multiple directions right now and they're not alone.
Texas A&M, Tulane and James Madison played first-round CFP games knowing its staffs were going to look very different in 2026. Alabama and Ohio State are losing some coaches to other schools as well; the Buckeyes have already seen offensive coordinator Brian Hartline hired to take over at USF. And there was the move that had the biggest ripple effect, that being Lane Kiffin leaving Mississippi — which was about to enter the playoff — and taking over at LSU.
Lanning says it's time to change the schedule.
“Ultimately, in my mind, the vision for this should be every playoff game should be played every single weekend until you finish the season,” Lanning said as his counterpart in Thursday's Orange Bowl — Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire — nodded his head in solidarity and approval. “Ideally, the season, even if it means we start in Week Zero or you eliminate a bye, the season ends January 1st. This should be the last game. This should be the championship game. Then the portal opens and then coaches that have to move on to their next opportunities get the opportunity to move to their next opportunities.”
This season ends Jan. 19, when the CFP title game is played in Miami Gardens. Texas Tech hasn't played a game in nearly four weeks. The college football bowl schedule has always worked that way, but now in the playoff era — and amid hints that the 12-team field is going to get bigger before long — some wonder if it's time for change.
Lanning wants to play every week, get the playoff done and clear the decks for players and coaches to move on if they choose. Others have offered similar plans, and plenty of people seem to be in agreement that something has to happen.
“I think we’re just in a unique time in college football, both players and coaches, based on the calendar,” said Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who took over when Kiffin left for LSU and has about a half-dozen assistants with him for the CFP quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl against Georgia who'll be leaving for Baton Rouge when the Rebels' season is over.
“I think from Day One, when that opportunity was created for a lot of these guys, it’s going to be no different than every opportunity created for these players once January 2nd hits," Golding said. "They’re going to have every opportunity that they want, if they played really well throughout the season. I think coaches are no different. ... I think the timeline was unfortunate, and it’s not their fault."
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, whose team will face Ole Miss on Thursday, doesn't know what the answer is. He just knows what's in place now, especially with regard to the portal opening while a season is going on, isn't the answer.
“We created a system that only allows you to gain advantage if you want to leave,” Smart said. “And that’s not the players’ fault. It’s not the agents’ fault. It’s not our fault. It’s not anybody’s fault. It’s just, you’ve created a system that inherently rewards what defies a team concept. And in a team sport, it just makes no sense. You tear at the culture of every organization by promoting something that doesn’t exist.”
The NFL has added some Saturday games to its end-of-regular-season lineup, and it would seem to make sense for broadcasters to not want CFP games and the NFL to start colliding at this time of year. But Lanning is certain that there's a way to make things work better for everyone and decide a college champion sooner.
“I’ve got a ton of respect for the NFL, but we’re a prep league for the NFL,” Lanning said. “We do a lot of favors for the NFL. We’re the minor league in a lot of ways. But there’s no money paid from the NFL to take care of college football. In that sense, we’ve given up some of our days to the NFL. We said, ‘You guys get to have this day, you get to have this day, you get to have this day.’ Saturdays should be sacred for college football, and every Saturday through the month of December should belong to college football in my opinion.”
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