College football's calendar is broken — here's how coaches want to fix it

The college football calendar is currently under scrutiny as coaches and stakeholders express frustration over its structure. Key issues include the overlap of player transfers, coaching changes, and the College Football Playoff (CFP) schedule, which extends into late January, impacting the sport's momentum. The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is discussing these matters during its convention in Charlotte, with a focus on potentially implementing changes by the next offseason.

The transfer portal has transitioned to a single window in January, which some coaches support for allowing focus on postseason games, but others criticize for complicating team preparations during the CFP. The timing creates challenges for players and coaches, prompting discussion about potentially moving the portal window to spring to avoid interference with the playing season.

The coaching carousel is also problematic, with coaches often balancing commitments to both current and new teams, driven by the urgency to secure recruiting classes amid early signing periods. This pressure could be reduced by adjusting the portal window and reconsidering the early signing period.

The CFP schedule