It’s no secret the college football calendar is broken.
Right now, the season stretches deep into January, with the playoff overlapping almost directly with the opening of the transfer portal. The result? Players are forced to make major career decisions while their teams are still chasing championships.
Now, coaches across the country, including Fran Brown, are starting to push back.
Their message to the NCAA is simple: fix the timeline.
More than 20 coaches are backing a proposal to shift the entire season into a compact 20-week window, beginning in early August—around what is currently considered “Week 0.” The goal is structure.
Under that model, the transfer portal would no longer cut through the postseason. Instead, it would move to a defined two-week window immediately after the season ends.
But the proposal doesn’t stop there.
It also suggests moving away from conference championship games altogether — another sign of how much the expanded playoff is already reshaping the sport.
At its core, this isn’t just about scheduling.
It’s about control.
College football has evolved faster than its structure. NIL, the transfer portal, and a longer playoff have all changed the game, but the calendar hasn’t kept up. And right now, everyone is feeling the strain.
So this push from coaches isn’t random.
It’s overdue.
