Coaches created this college football calendar mess. It's on them to fix it

Coaches created this college football calendar mess. It's on them to fix itStory byMatt Hayes, USA TODAYTue, December 2, 2025 at 4:04 PM UTC·5 min read

Time for a brief history lesson on the dysfunctional college football calendar, the latest and now loudest worst thing ever about the sport.

Tighten up, everyone. We're going through this charade of an excuse from college football coaches one time, and one time only.

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There are three undeniable facts to combat all whining and from coaches about the calendar:

Coaches wanted national signing day in the first week of December.

Coaches wanted the single, two-week transfer portal window in the first two weeks of January.

These decisions weren't arbitrarily forced on them by from high above. They voted for it.

News media arrive before a press conference by LSU's new head coach Lane Kiffin at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.A sign is seen before a press conference by LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin is introduced at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.1 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

News media arrive before a press conference by LSU's new head coach Lane Kiffin at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.1 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

News media arrive before a press conference by LSU's new head coach Lane Kiffin at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.2 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

A sign is seen before a press conference by LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.3 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin is introduced at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.4 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.5 / 5

See Lane Kiffin's LSU introductory press conference in Baton Rouge

LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge on Dec. 1, 2025.

So when you continue to read or hear coaches complain about the calendar and how it presents so many logistical problems to the health of the sport, understand it’s a mess of their making. They voted for it as a group through the American Football Coaches Association, and forwarded their thoughts to their respective presidents, athletic directors and conference commissioners.

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The NCAA then did what was asked of them, and rubber-stamped the changes. Period.

Full stop. End of story.

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Now, let’s bring in Lane Kiffin, who as an excellent football coach, is one helluva salesman.

He’s not the most popular cat in the state of Mississippi right now, or any state not named Louisiana. Which is probably why he stood at his introductory news conference at LSU on Monday — mere hours after his separation from Ole Miss captured the sports world like few things ever have, even dwarfing the NFL — and tried to explain away why he wanted his cake, and wanted to eat it, too.

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Why he desperately wanted to coach Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, and simultaneously leave for LSU.

And but for that dumb college football calendar — that, you know, he voted for — he could’ve maybe pulled it off.

“Obviously, the last 48 hours, in a lot of ways, sucked,” Kiffin said. “There was no way to possibly do it, in my opinion, any better than we did from a timing standpoint, because it’s a bad scheduling system of how it’s set up.”

This, of course, is laughable.

Look, I’m all for coaches making as much money as they can. All for their free movement, with no limitations on when, where and how it happens.

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But they don't get two bites at the apple. They don't get free movement while limiting player movement to get better control of roster management.

They want players in their buildings when it's convenient for them, and that’s why they’re in this current predicament. That's why the dreaded calendar — I mean, a calendar — is the current "unsustainable" beast it is.

Sort of like NIL and free player movement was "unsustainable" when the flood gates opened in 2021. But enough of that, let's get back to the big, bad calendar.

Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas to be the Cowboys next head coach. Morris replaces longtime OSU coach Mike Gundy, who was fired earlier this season.Colorado State hired Jim Mora Jr. as its new head coach. Mora led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons and replaces Jay Norvell, who was fired midseason.Oregon State hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its head coach, replacing Trent Bray who was fired after an 0-7 start this season.1 / 4

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.1 / 4

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Virginia Tech hired James Franklin as its next head coach. Franklin was fired earlier this season at Penn State. He replaces Brent Pry, who was fired midseason by the Hokies.2 / 4

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris from North Texas to be the Cowboys next head coach. Morris replaces longtime OSU coach Mike Gundy, who was fired earlier this season.3 / 4

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Colorado State hired Jim Mora Jr. as its new head coach. Mora led UConn to back-to-back nine-win seasons and replaces Jay Norvell, who was fired midseason.4 / 4

These college football coaches are on the move. See who found new home

Oregon State hired Alabama co-offensive coordinator JaMarcus Shephard as its head coach, replacing Trent Bray who was fired after an 0-7 start this season.

Coaches will tell you if national signing day is in February like it once was, and the transfer portal has two openings (winter and spring) like it once did, well, all hell breaks loose in the sport. Players are coming and going, and nobody knows who’s staying or leaving, and that’s not how you build a team.

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So they lobbied for change, and now it’s biting them in the backside — preventing them from seamless transitions between jobs.

Long story short: Coaches want to control player movement as best they can, while simultaneously expanding their own movement. They want their cake, baby.

And they sure as all get out want to eat it, too.

The solve for this latest crisis is fairly simple: follow the NFL calendar, and NFL rules about coaching movement. You’ve already set up the financial framework that mimics the NFL with revenue sharing, why not go all the way?

• Coaches can only move between schools after a certain date, and only after the regular and postseason is complete to eliminate competitive advantages for any school.

• National signing day is the first Wednesday in February, but midterm enrollees are allowed to get an early start on their college careers (like the good ol' days). High school players can arrive on campus early, and help solidify an evolving roster.

• A single transfer portal opening is two weeks, beginning May 1. All OTA’s (organized team activities) must be completed by April 15, which gives coaches two weeks to evaluate their roster ― and players time to evaluate their process ― before the portal opens.

• No more spring practice. Helmets-only drills with OTAs, and no hitting.

• Mini-camp is the first week of June, with helmets-only drills and no hitting.

• Fall camp begins August 1.

But coaches don’t want that schedule for any number of reasons, beginning with limitations on their own movement. That schedule also prevents transfer portal signees from completing a full offseason with a new school, eliminating nearly four months with their new teammates.

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Similar ideas like these have been tossed around numerous times, but are always voted down by the AFCA because they give players more control over the movement process. And any time a player has more control, that’s a bad thing for coaches.

All you have to do is look at their AFCA voting record to see that. They agreed to this mess.

It’s on them to fix it — or stop complaining about it.

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: Coaches upset about college football calendar, they voted for it

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