Lane Kiffin
- Role(s) as quoted
- Person type
- Coaches
- Entries
- 5 (Jul 20, 2023 to Dec 2024)
- Topics
- Transfer portal (4) Scheduling & calendar (2) Pay, NIL & revenue sharing (1) Employment & unions (1) Governance & legislation (1) Playoff & bowls (1)
In the Ideas index
All entries (oldest first)
“Somehow it's got to get fixed because there's no system around it.”
In his SEC Media Days opening statement, Kiffin called the state of the sport 'a disaster.' He said NIL had become pay-for-play and the portal was free agency twice a year with no salary cap, and that huge roster overhauls aren't good for college football.
“I've always said, when asked, shorten the [transfer portal] windows, so at least we know what your roster is and not so many chances for players.”
Kiffin said he used to favor making players employees so teams could sign multi-year contracts, but now thinks employment would create more problems than it solves. His consistent fix is shorter transfer windows.
“Can you imagine in the NBA or NFL, free agency were to start in the playoffs? I mean, it would never happen.”
On an SEC coaches' teleconference, Kiffin said the portal windows are timed before the season is over, which invites tampering, and called the whole system reactive rather than thought out.
“The season's not over yet, and there's a free-agency window open.”
On a Gator Bowl coaches' Zoom call, Kiffin called the calendar 'a dumb system' because the portal opens while teams are still playing, and compared it to NFL free agency opening before the playoffs.
No verbatim quote recorded for this entry; summary of the source only.
Endorsed Nick Saban as a commissioner of college football while criticizing the CFP for leaving out three-loss SEC teams in favor of SMU and Indiana.
