Joel Klatt backs Nick Saban's plea for change in college football due to Lane Kiffin situation

During ESPN's College GameDay, Alabama coach Nick Saban addressed the challenges of college football's scheduling, highlighting the issues faced by Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin amid rumors of him being courted by Florida and LSU. Saban criticized the current college football calendar for forcing coaches and players to make significant decisions while still competing, citing previous instances involving players like Penn State's Beau Pribula and SMU's Preston Stone entering the transfer portal during playoff contention.

Saban proposed aligning the college football calendar with the academic schedule and adopting an NFL-like model that restricts hiring windows and eliminates early signing day. He suggested moving recruiting cycles to spring and replacing spring practice with OTA-style summer sessions.

FOX Sports' Joel Klatt supported Saban's views, emphasizing that roster building should not coincide with the competitive season. Klatt suggested changes such as moving the College Football Playoff national championship game to New Year’s Day and reinstating the original National Signing Day in February, followed by opening the NCAA transfer