Ideas index: 18 proposals to fix college football
Each distinct proposal in the archive, with who has supported or opposed it. Names link to person pages; each proposal page lists the underlying sourced entries. “Predicts” means the person forecast it without necessarily endorsing it.
Ideas index · Outside proposals (3)
Also see Outside proposals: 3 full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites (not insiders), listed separately under each related idea.
- A commissioner or single central authority for college football
- Power 4 breakaway, super league or separate top division
- Players as employees, unions or collective bargaining
- Direct pay or revenue sharing with players
- A hard salary or revenue cap
- A federal law, national NIL standard or antitrust protection
- Transfer limits and portal calendar reform
- Eligibility: five-year clock, JUCO years, draft age
- Playoff expansion to 16, 24 or more teams
- Fixed title-game site at the Rose Bowl
- Calendar reform: shorter season, sacred Saturdays
- Scheduling: standardize schedules, reward tough non-conference games
- Preserve rivalries; geography-based conferences via pooled media rights
- An NFL-funded developmental or minor league
- Enforce the rules and remove donors
- Health, medical and scholarship protections
- Tie benefits to education
- Regulate agents
1. A commissioner or single central authority for college football
- Supporters: Nick Saban (2025, commissioner plus a competition committee); Kirk Herbstreit (2026, national commissioner); Deion Sanders (2026); Mike Elko (2026, "Put somebody in charge"); James Franklin (2024); Lane Kiffin (2024, backs Saban for the job).
- Precursor: Michael Adams (2008) wanted the NCAA to take control of the postseason.
- Wants intervention but asks who would do it: Kirk Ferentz (2022).
- Skeptics: Kirby Smart (2024, "nice in theory"); Urban Meyer (2025–26, enforce existing rules instead).
2. Power 4 breakaway, super league or separate top division
- Supporters or predictors: Kirk Herbstreit (2026, Power 4 should break away with its own governing body; also predicts the Big Ten would follow an SEC exit); Mack Brown (2023, "separate divisions"); Ross Bjork (2024, consolidate the highest-resource programs); Dabo Swinney (2025, a 40–50-team super league is "a matter of time"); Charlie Baker (2023, "Project D1" top tier).
- Predicted consolidation: Matt Leinart (2022, "two conferences"); Tim Tebow (2022, at least three conferences).
- Opponents or critics: Pete Bevacqua (2025, "horrible mistake"); Cody Campbell (2025, "gilded monopoly"); Ted Cruz (2026, warns of a 30–50-team pro league).
- SEC and Big Ten position: Greg Sankey (June 2026) called super-league talk "not consistent with the truth," though in July 2026 he acknowledged "real" talk of conference governance options. Tony Petitti (2026) said conference-based rules would not be a breakaway.
- Earlier autonomy push: Bob Bowlsby (2014) favored power-conference autonomy.
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- College Sports Only's 80-team proposal: eight 10-team conferences whose title games feed a playoff (via OutKick) (Proposal: College Sports Only (X account); article: Ian Miller (OutKick), Dec 12, 2025; an 80-team top-level 'league' (a separate top tier))
3. Players as employees, unions or collective bargaining
- Supporters or sympathizers: Kain Colter and Ramogi Huma (2014); Archie Griffin (2014); Trey Johnson (2019, minimum wage); Chase Griffin (2024); Dartmouth's Cade Haskins and Romeo Myrthil (2024); Jim Cavale of Athletes.org (2025); Jason Stahl and the CFBPA (2026 platform); Cam Newton (2025–26, player contracts); Kirk Herbstreit (2026, a union so rules survive antitrust suits).
- Predicted a union: Matt Leinart (2022).
- Opponents: Myles Brand (2006); Mark Emmert (2011, 2019); Larry Scott (2014); Dabo Swinney (2014); Gene Smith (2019); Jack Swarbrick (2023); George Kliavkoff (2023, "existential threat"); Tim Pernetti (2026).
4. Direct pay or revenue sharing with players
- Supporters: Steve Spurrier (2011, $300 a game from coaches); Johnny Manziel (2014, 2018); Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett (2015; Bennett proposed deferred pay); Ed O'Bannon (2015, 2018); Joe Burrow (2017); Caleb Williams (2022); Desmond Howard (2022); Jim Harbaugh (2023–24); Archie Manning (2023, fine with pay but wants limits); Sedona Prince and Kardell Thomas (2025); Swinney (2025, revenue sharing with a cap); Travis Hunter (2025, free market).
- Opponents or skeptics: Myles Brand (2008); Swinney (2014); Tim Tebow (2019; softened in 2022); Bo Jackson (2026).
- Alternative: Donald Trump (2026) floated equal, modest pay for every player.
5. A hard salary or revenue cap
- Supporters: Deion Sanders (2025, "I wish there was a cap"); Mark Cuban (2026); Lincoln Riley (2026, "true salary cap"); Swinney (2025); Brett Yormark (2026, criticized "no salary cap").
- Complications or opponents: Greg Sankey (2026, antitrust law makes caps hard); Steve Berman (2026, soft cap only); Travis Hunter (2025, "no regulations").
6. A federal law, national NIL standard or antitrust protection
- Supporters: Jimbo Fisher (2022, "government is the only" regulator); Saban (2024, 2026); Jim Phillips (2026, 37 state laws); Gordon Gee, Pete Bevacqua, Teresa Gould, Maria Cantwell and Lance Holtzclaw (all at the 2026 Senate hearing); Ted Cruz (2025–26); Cody Campbell (2025, a single set of rules).
- Opponent: Rand Paul (2026).
- Undecided: Sankey (2026) would not "rush to say we support."
- Caution: Campbell opposes an antitrust exemption that lets the Big Ten and SEC consolidate.
7. Transfer limits and portal calendar reform
- Move windows out of the season: Lane Kiffin (2023–24); Kirby Smart (2025, January window); Dan Lanning (2026).
- One free transfer or lock-in periods: David Pollack (2026, two-year lock-in, one free transfer, graduate bonus year); Clay Travis (2026, three-year lock-in); Cam Newton (2026, two- to three-year contracts and limits on excessive transfers).
- Movement is the core problem: Saban (2025); Cam Newton (2026); Bo Jackson (2026); Archie Manning (2023).
- Defenders of transfer freedom: Baker Mayfield (2014, walk-on rules "ridiculous"); Desmond Howard (2022, "coaches do it all the time").
- Legal view: Steve Berman (2026) says a conference-only one-transfer rule may survive antitrust review.
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fix College Football: 144 teams, 16 geographic conferences and a 32-team on-field playoff (Anonymous / Fix College Football (fixcollegefootball.com), Undated; claims the structure would reduce transferring (not a transfer rule))
8. Eligibility: five-year clock, JUCO years, draft age
- Challenger: Diego Pavia (2024 lawsuit over JUCO years).
- Uniform national eligibility rules: Greg Sankey (2026).
- Older prospects are a problem for the NFL: Eric DeCosta (2026).
- NFL draft age: Charley Casserly (2013) would raise the rule to four years out of high school. Albert Breer (2013) said courts won't overturn it. Roger Goodell (2026) defends the rule.
9. Playoff expansion to 16, 24 or more teams
- Earlier expansion supporters: Michael Adams (2008, NCAA-run playoff); John Swofford (2011, recalling the 2008 plus-one he co-proposed with Mike Slive) and Mike Slive (2008, plus-one); Bob Stoops (2012, 4-team).
- For bigger fields: Mike Leach (2021, 64 teams); Brian Kelly (2022, "more access"); Tony Petitti and the Big Ten (2025–26); Lincoln Riley (2026); Robert Griffin III (2026, 24 teams); Brett Yormark (2026, 24 teams).
- Opponents or cautious: Mike Tranghese and John White (2008); Gordon Gee (2008, "cold, dead hands"); Jim Delany (2008–12, "slippery slope"); Kevin Warren (2021; later supportive in 2022); Dabo Swinney (2021, expansion makes the season less important and hurts players); Chris Klieman (2021, health); Jim Phillips (2022, "not the right time"); Greg Sankey (2025–26).
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fix College Football: 144 teams, 16 geographic conferences and a 32-team on-field playoff (Anonymous / Fix College Football (fixcollegefootball.com), Undated; 32-team playoff)
- Fixing College Football (SID Sports series), Parts 1-2: regional 10-team conferences and a 24-team playoff (Griffin Olah (SID Sports), Mar 30, 2026; 24-team playoff)
- College Sports Only's 80-team proposal: eight 10-team conferences whose title games feed a playoff (via OutKick) (Proposal: College Sports Only (X account); article: Ian Miller (OutKick), Dec 12, 2025; conference title games as the first round of a 16-team playoff)
10. Fixed title-game site at the Rose Bowl
- Supporters: Desmond Howard (2025, says Herbstreit agrees).
- Related Rose Bowl attachment: Jim Delany (2011–12).
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fixing College Football (SID Sports series), Parts 1-2: regional 10-team conferences and a 24-team playoff (Griffin Olah (SID Sports), Mar 30, 2026; national championship fixed at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1)
- College Sports Only's 80-team proposal: eight 10-team conferences whose title games feed a playoff (via OutKick) (Proposal: College Sports Only (X account); article: Ian Miller (OutKick), Dec 12, 2025; national championship at the Rose Bowl)
11. Calendar reform: shorter season, sacred Saturdays
- Ross Bjork (2026): end the season by the second Monday in January.
- Dan Lanning (2026): "Saturday should be sacred," keep December Saturdays for college.
- Ted Cruz (2025): criticized NFL encroachment on Black Friday and Saturdays.
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fix College Football: 144 teams, 16 geographic conferences and a 32-team on-field playoff (Anonymous / Fix College Football (fixcollegefootball.com), Undated; fixed calendar ending Dec 22-28; no August or January games)
12. Scheduling: standardize schedules, reward tough non-conference games
- Curt Cignetti (2025): standardize schedules.
- Tony Petitti (2025): the playoff shouldn't discourage tough non-conference games.
- Brian Kelly (2025): LSU wants Big Ten opponents.
- Greg Sankey (2025): stay out, facilitate or mandate SEC–Big Ten games.
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fix College Football: 144 teams, 16 geographic conferences and a 32-team on-field playoff (Anonymous / Fix College Football (fixcollegefootball.com), Undated; standardized 8-3-1 schedule; regional games matched by prior-year finish)
- Fixing College Football (SID Sports series), Parts 1-2: regional 10-team conferences and a 24-team playoff (Griffin Olah (SID Sports), Mar 30, 2026; nine-game round-robin conference schedules)
- College Sports Only's 80-team proposal: eight 10-team conferences whose title games feed a playoff (via OutKick) (Proposal: College Sports Only (X account); article: Ian Miller (OutKick), Dec 12, 2025; uniform nine-game conference schedules)
13. Preserve rivalries; geography-based conferences via pooled media rights
- Cody Campbell (2025, pooled rights to allow regional realignment); Maria Cantwell (2026, amend the Sports Broadcasting Act).
- Lyle Larson, Mike Sherman and Mack Brown (2011, keep Texas–A&M); Bill Byrne (2012).
- Jack Swarbrick (2023): realignment decisions "lost [their] way."
- Skeptic of pooling: Greg Sankey (2026) questioned voluntary pooling.
Outside proposals
Full reform plans from fans, writers and advocacy sites, not insiders. Kept separate from the sourced insider entries above.
- Fix College Football: 144 teams, 16 geographic conferences and a 32-team on-field playoff (Anonymous / Fix College Football (fixcollegefootball.com), Undated; geographic conferences that keep rivalries)
- Fixing College Football (SID Sports series), Parts 1-2: regional 10-team conferences and a 24-team playoff (Griffin Olah (SID Sports), Mar 30, 2026; regional conferences built on historical rivalries)
- College Sports Only's 80-team proposal: eight 10-team conferences whose title games feed a playoff (via OutKick) (Proposal: College Sports Only (X account); article: Ian Miller (OutKick), Dec 12, 2025; regional conferences)
14. An NFL-funded developmental or minor league
- For an NFL developmental league: Roger Goodell (2010).
- College already serves as the NFL's farm system: Mike Vrabel and Phil Savage (2018).
- NFL should stay out unless invited: Goodell (2026).
- Gap: no verified source was found of a major figure proposing an NFL-funded minor league specifically as an alternative to college football.
15. Enforce the rules and remove donors
- Urban Meyer (2025–26): "enforce the rules," "Get the donors out of it."
- Mark Emmert (2021): warned against pay-for-play inducements.
16. Health, medical and scholarship protections
- Ramogi Huma (2014); Michael Bennett (2015, medical care); the #WeAreUnited players (2020: Valentino Daltoso, Dallas Hobbs); the CFBPA (2026, independent medical care); Saban (2026, don't discard injured players); Swinney and Klieman (2021, game count).
- Bowl opt-outs to protect draft value: Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey (2016), backed by Mitch Trubisky. Ezekiel Elliott was initially critical.
17. Tie benefits to education
- Swinney (2014, post-graduation annuity); Saban (2026, "nobody talks about" education); David Pollack (2026, fifth-year transfer bonus for graduates).
18. Regulate agents
- Greg Sankey (2026, oversight of agents); Brett Yormark (2026, says agents charge excessive fees and push athletes into the portal).
- Rodney Hill's account (2026) of an agent impersonating him.
Recurring themes, common proposals and disagreements
Recurring themes - "Nobody is in charge." Coaches and pundits have said this for years: Ferentz in 2022 and 2023, Swinney's "adults have left the room," Dillingham's "we've created a mess," Frost's "broken," and Saban's "messed up." Proposed answers split three ways: a single commissioner, federal law (the SCORE Act and the Protect College Sports Act), or conference self-governance, the SEC/Big Ten "Plan B." - Movement is now seen as a bigger problem than money. Many who accept paying players (Saban, Cam Newton, Kirby Smart, Archie Manning, Desmond Howard, Deion Sanders) now focus on free transfers and tampering. Remedies on the table: portal windows outside the season (Kiffin, Smart, Lanning), one free transfer (Pollack, the PCSA), and multi-year lock-ins or contracts (Clay Travis, Cam Newton). - The amateurism defense collapsed. Brand (2006–08), Emmert (2011, 2019), Larry Scott (2014), Gene Smith (2019) and Tebow (2019) defended the old model. By 2026 Gordon Gee was telling the Senate that the NCAA and conferences "lost in the courts because we failed to allow student athletes to... monetize their talents." - Players found a collective voice. The line runs from Kain Colter's 2014 union push, through #WeAreUnited and #WeWantToPlay in 2020 (Daltoso, Hobbs, Lawrence, Fields, Rencher), the Johnson, Alston and House suits, Athletes.org, and the CFBPA platform, to a current player (Holtzclaw) testifying to the Senate in 2026. - Playoff creep, predicted and delivered. In 2008–12 Delany, Tranghese and Gee warned of a "slippery slope." The 4-team CFP came in 2014, 12 teams in 2024, and by 2026 16- and 24-team models were being debated. - Realignment has cost rivalries and regional identity. Examples: Texas–Texas A&M (2011), the Pac-16 attempt (2010), Bowlsby's accusation against ESPN (2021), and the Pac-12 collapse (2023). Cody Campbell proposes pooled media rights so that conferences can regroup geographically.
Most common proposals 1. A commissioner or central authority for college football. 2. A federal NIL framework with limited antitrust protection. 3. A salary or revenue cap that is actually enforced. 4. Transfer limits and a portal calendar that doesn't overlap the season. 5. A bigger playoff (16 or 24) or, alternatively, a shorter calendar. 6. A separate top tier or super league. 7. Employment and collective bargaining as the stabilizer (the players' side) versus a statutory ban on employee status (the administrators' side).
Notable disagreements - Commissioner. For: Saban, Deion Sanders, Elko, Franklin, and Kiffin (who backs Saban for the job). Skeptics: Kirby Smart ("nice in theory") and Urban Meyer ("you don't need more people, you need to enforce the rules"). - Employee status. For, or sympathetic: Colter, Huma, Chase Griffin, Trey Johnson, the Dartmouth players, Cavale, the CFBPA, and Archie Griffin. Against: Brand, Emmert, Larry Scott, Gene Smith, Kliavkoff ("existential threat"), Pernetti ("99 out of a hundred don't want to be employees"), and Swinney (2014). - Playoff size. Bigger: Riley, RG3, Yormark (24), Petitti and the Big Ten, Brian Kelly, and Leach (64). Caution or opposition: Sankey, Swinney ("less important season," player toll), Klieman (health), Warren (2021), Phillips (2022), and the BCS-era presidents. - Pay model. Free market: Travis Hunter and Burrow's advice to recruits. Cap: Deion Sanders, Riley, Cuban, Swinney, and Trump's equal-pay idea. Soft cap only: House plaintiffs' lawyer Berman. - Super league. Inevitable or desirable: Swinney, Herbstreit, and Mack Brown's "separate divisions." Against: Bevacqua ("horrible mistake"), Campbell ("gilded monopoly"), and Cruz, who warns of 30–50 teams. The SEC and Big Ten deny super-league plans but acknowledge conference-rules contingency talk. - Federal legislation. For: Saban, Gee, Bevacqua, Gould, Cantwell, Cruz, Jimbo Fisher, and Holtzclaw. Against: Rand Paul. SEC not committed: Sankey (June 2026).