College football must avoid NFL and run CFP like billion-dollar business

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College football must avoid NFL and run CFP like billion-dollar business

College football must avoid NFL and run CFP like billion-dollar business

Matt Hayes, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Feb 5, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Of all the change and disruption and uncertainty over the last five years of college football, nothing is more perplexing in the new NIL world .

Somehow, the sport's leaders can't even control the controllable.

This season, the NFL — a financial goldmine of success and popularity — will play 13 playoff games in 30 days, finishing the annual joy ride Sunday with Super Bowl LX .

Clean, neat, efficient.

Next season, College football — a financial whirlwind of the overwhelmed, stuck in a glass booth cash grab and frantically stabbing at anything that moves — will play 11 College Football Playoff games in 39 days.

Dirty, messy, inefficient.

To say nothing of completely wrecking the college football player procurement calendar, and putting undue stress on coaches and players, and recruitable high school players.

"It's not that difficult to figure out," Oregon coach Dan Lanning told me last month before the CFP quarterfinals. "Too many excuses, not enough action."

Yet there was the CFP earlier this week, announcing next year's quarterfinals would move off New Year's Eve to avoid a scheduling conflict with a regular season NFL game. That's the game plan, everyone: a malleable CFP, that works for all ― including the NFL.

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The questions is why? Why won't college football's leaders — apparently, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti, at the behest of their 34 university presidents — construct a playoff that begins the week after conference championship games and ends on New Year's Day?

A day later, the transfer portal opens for two weeks. Clean, neat, efficient.

You're not competing with the NFL for television eyes, you're not pushing the sport well into the second semester. This is your postseason, it will not change year to year. Period.

This is how you build a predictable and successful product that lasts and sustains, and grows year over year. You know, like the NFL.

It's only the most important piece to the future financial wellbeing of college football, so maybe we should focus on it. Whaddya say, everyone?

The postseason is everything in all sports. It determines champions, it delvers drama, it's what television craves. It earns big, big dollars.

Yet those in charge of college football can't stop mucking it up.

This has nothing to do with the number of teams in the CFP, it has everything to do with when the dang thing is played. That's the most important piece to this puzzle going largely ignored.

Why wouldn't the 34 presidents of the SEC and Big Ten simply move back the season one week — to the current Week Zero spot — and play championship week on Thanksgiving weekend? The first person who screeches "tradition!" gets flogged with a wet noodle.

Gimme a break. Tradition?

You've dissected the sport into unwieldy Power quarters, eaten your own in the process, opened the doors to unregulated free agency and all but ignored academics.

Tradition limped off the road a couple of exits back, bub.

The week after Thanksgiving is the first round of the CFP on campus. The second week of December — where bowl games can still be used and celebrated — is for the quarterfinals. The third week of December is the semifinals, and New Year's Day is your national championship game.

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Best of bowl season: Mascots, trophies, celebrations, Gatorade baths

Defensive back Tony-Louis Nkuba #21 of the Arizona State Sun Devils celebrates by jumping into an inflatable bowl of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes after intercepting a pass against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl game at Sun Bowl Stadium on December 31, 2025 in El Paso, Texas

(Sam Wasson, Getty Images)

Tony the Tiger stands on the field after the coin toss before a football game between Duke and Arizona State in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025.
(Gaby Velasquez/ El Paso Times)

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) greats the Pop-Tarts mascots before the Pop-Tarts Bowl against the BYU Cougars at Camping World Stadium.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Pop-Tarts mascots celebrate with BYU Cougars after beating Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Pop-Tarts Bowl at Camping World Stadium.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck, Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

The Cheez-It Citrus Bowl mascots perform on the field before a game between the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns at Camping World Stadium.
(Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images)

Louisville Cardinals players celebrate after defeating the Toledo Rockets in the Boca Raton Bowl at Flagler CU Stadium.
(Jeff Romance, Jeff Romance-Imagn Images)

Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch holds the LA Bowl championship belt presented by Rob Gronkowski after defeating the Boise State Broncos at SoFi Stadium.
(Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

Musical artist/rapper Snoop Dogg holds the championship trophy after the Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Miami (OH) RedHawks 18-3 to win the 2025 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Casino Del Sol Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Tucson, Arizona.
(Chris Coduto, Getty Images)

Actor Keegan-Michael Key receives the game coin prior to the 2025 Bush's Boca Raton Bowl of Beans game between the Louisville Cardinals and the Toledo Rockets at Flagler Credit Union Stadium on December 23, 2025 in Boca Raton, Florida.
(Leonardo Fernandez, Getty Images)

Comedians Theo Von, left, and Nate Bargatze watch from the sidelines during the first half of the ReliaQuest Bowl between Iowa Hawkeyes and Vanderbilt Commodores at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2025 in Tampa, Florida.
(Mike Carlson, Getty Images)

Head coach Jeff Traylor of the UTSA Roadrunners is doused with water by Jamel Hardy #13 during the fourth quarter against the FIU Panthers in the 2025 SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium on December 26, 2025 in Dallas, Texas.
(Sam Hodde, Getty Images)

Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Monken gets splashed with Powerade after Army beat UConn 41-16 in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl at Fenway Park.
(Danny Wild, Danny Wild-Imagn Images)

Interim head coach Drew Svoboda of the North Texas Mean Green is doused after his team defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 49-47 in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(Sam Wasson, Getty Images)

Northwestern Wildcats players dump Gatorade on head coach David Braun of the Northwestern Wildcats after defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas in the 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field on December 26, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.
(Getty Images)

Head coach John Hauser of the Ohio Bobcats is doused with water after winning the game against the UNLV Rebels at the Scooter's Coffee Frisco Bowl at Ford Center on December 23, 2025 in Frisco, Texas.
(Tim Heitman, Getty Images)

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Tony Elliott is doused with Gatorade after winning the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium Saturday December 27, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. Virginia defeated Missouri 13-7.
(Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union)

Fresno State Bulldogs head coach Matt Entz is doused with gatorade after defeating the Miami (OH) RedHawks during the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl at Casino Del Sol Stadium.
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)

Head coach Clay Helton of the Georgia Southern Eagles receives a Powerade dunk after winning the JLab Birmingham Bowl by beating the Appalachian State Mountaineers 29-10 at Protective Stadium on December 29, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.
(Jason Clark, Getty Images)

Interim Head Coach Terry M. Smith of the Penn State Nittany Lions lifts the championship trophy following the game against the Clemson Tigers during the 2025 Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on December 27, 2025 in New York City.
(Evan Bernstein, Getty Images)

BYU Cougars quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) and head coach Kalani Sitake are presented a large pop-tart to eat after they beat the against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Camping World Stadium.
(Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

Ken Seals #9 of the TCU Horned Frogs celebrates with teammates after defeating the USC Trojans in the game at the Alamodome on December 30, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas.
(Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images)

Head coach Willie Fritz of the Houston Cougars celebrates with the Texas Bowl Trophy after defeating the Louisiana State Tigers during the Kinder's Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
(Tim Warner, Getty Images)

Conner Weigman #1 of the Houston Cougars is named Texas Bowl MVP during the Kinder's Texas Bowl against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas.
(Tim Warner, Getty Images)

Maverick McIvor #7 of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers reacts as he recieves the MVP trophy after his team defeated the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles to win the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome on December 23, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
(Sean Gardner, Getty Images)

Old Dominion Monarchs hoist the Cure Bowl trophy after beating the South Florida Bulls at Camping World Stadium.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

Jacksonville State Gamecocks running back Khristian Lando (22) hoists the trophy as Troy Trojans take on Jacksonville State Gamecocks during the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Jacksonville State Gamecocks defeated Troy Trojans 17-13.
(Jake Crandall/ Advertiser)

Interim head coach Drew Svoboda of the North Texas Mean Green raises the championship trophy after his team defeated the San Diego State Aztecs 49-47 in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl at University Stadium on December 27, 2025 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
(Sam Wasson, Getty Images)

Micah Alejado #12 of the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors holds up the Hawai'i Bowl Championship trophy after winning the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl over the California Golden Bears at the Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex on December 24, 2025 in Honolulu, Hawai'i.
(Darryl Oumi, Getty Images)

NC State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren receives the trophy after beating Memphis Tigers in the Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium.
(Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

I think we can all agree the best place for the national championship game — on a day college football has owned forever — is the majestic Rose Bowl. Every single season, at 4 p.m. ET., with the sun setting on the picturesque San Gabriels at the start of the second half.

There's your nod to tradition. I'm getting goosebumps just writing it.

A 16-team field doesn't change this format, but a 24-team field would move the start of the season one week earlier. That's right, those poor, overworked coaches and players ― in the ridiculous 24-team scenario ― will have to start the season in the third week of August. And take their millions with them.

The postseason is now a multi-billion dollar business. Run it like one.

Build it, sustain its scheduling predictability, and protect its money-generating viability from the NFL's greedy paws.

The NFL gets free player development from college football, is given free access to coaches and game tape during the season to scout players, and still refuses to defer to college football with scheduling conflicts.

The NFL is in it for the NFL. It's time college football becomes all about college football.

Make a schedule, and stick to it. And make billions.

Control the controllable.

Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: CFP schedule should follow NFL to grow college football success

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