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This CFN writer gets it about Kiffin's decision

Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:18 pm
Posted by TigerCard
Cleveland, OH
Member since Nov 2009
981 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:18 pm
LINK

quote:

I’m going to lose my mind.

This isn’t about Lane Kiffin. It’s not about Ole Miss, or LSU, or any school looking for a head coach. It’s not even about players or logos, winning or losing.

It’s about a sport that schedules, arguably, its two most important “staffing” events - Early Signing Day (Dec. 3) and the Transfer Portal window (Jan. 2-16) - before its playoff.

I recognize this shiny product (playoff) is new, but this is basic professional calendar management. And looking deeper, it’s about too many cooks.

FIX ... the COLLEGE FOOTBALL ... CALENDAR.


quote:

First, the facts. Coaches are employees - CEOs if you want, but still employees - working inside a billion-dollar industry. And, like any employee in any industry, it’s in their best interest to secure their next job before their current one is technically over.

Even more so when missing key windows that determine their future success can set them back a full year - like the portal or signing day

So no, this isn't some morality play about loyalty. It’s a business. It always has been, it’s just now there’s more money/attention.

I don’t understand what you want from this employee. You want him to hide his intent to take a job he considers better and surreptitiously coach out his current job’s playoff run?

That means lying to the 17-year-old recruits and their families this Wednesday - you’re morally good with that?

You want him to tell everyone his intentions, but ask to coach the team? He did that. How’d that work?

It appears you want him to simply NOT take a job that he’s decided is better for his and his family’s future - maybe much better/secure - because you don’t think it is? Or, you think another one might come up in the future? Awfully mighty of you.
This post was edited on 12/2/25 at 1:22 pm
Posted by liquid rabbit
Boxtard BPB®© emeritus
Member since Mar 2006
64512 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:22 pm to
Exactly right.
Posted by BentonTiger7
Benton, LA
Member since Sep 2011
2485 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:23 pm to
Great article and it really is that simple. It’s crazy how stupid emotional people are. There is literally not a single way Lane could’ve handled this situation without major backlash except staying at Ole Miss.
Posted by Joe Mantegna
knoxville
Member since Oct 2007
9551 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:24 pm to
Mitchell went to LSU by the way
Posted by ShoeBang
Member since May 2012
21738 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:27 pm to
quote:

There is literally not a single way Lane could’ve handled this situation without major backlash except staying at Ole Miss.


And yet the national media is largely crucifying him over it. There always has to be a villain and LSU and the fans need to just embrace it.




Yes, There are exceptions to what I just said for all you “not all” figs.
Posted by Metaloctopus
Louisiana
Member since Nov 2018
6691 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:32 pm to
I've been waiting for the talking heads on national TV and radio to admit this, but they haven't. None I've heard, anyway.

I get that you're upset, if you're an Ole Miss fan. How are you not going to be upset over losing your successful head coach, at any time, let alone ahead of the playoffs. But as far as making Kiffin out to be some kind of monster for the timing of it shows a total lack of awareness. Coaches have always left for better jobs. It only SEEMS worse here, because of the timing, but that timing is completely out of Kiffin's control. He wanted the job, LSU was willing to wait, but Ole Miss was not, and could not. They had to get a decision so that they could move forward, and there's no way you let a coach with a conflict of interest coach your team in the playoffs.

So, what was Lane supposed to do? Just not take the job he's wanted for years? I don't see anyone in the media complaining about players bailing on their teams for "business reasons". This all could have been avoided by not having such a stupid schedule. We all knew this was going to be a problem, but somehow the NCAA had zero foresight, once again.
This post was edited on 12/2/25 at 1:34 pm
Posted by faraway
Member since Nov 2022
3550 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:33 pm to
quote:

And yet the national media is largely crucifying him over it. There always has to be a villain and LSU and the fans need to just embrace it.
your close. they need a story to sell. not about villains. $$$$$
Posted by ShoeBang
Member since May 2012
21738 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:33 pm to
quote:

not about villains. $$$$$


Implied in the post but yea
Posted by mcspufftiger7
Member since Oct 2020
3102 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:42 pm to
"Say hello to the bad guy. Be a long time before you see a bad guy like this again" - Tony Montano
Posted by Alt26
Member since Mar 2010
34019 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:42 pm to
Everyone is bitching about the calendar, but its set at the behest of the COACHES, not just arbitrarily by the NCAA.

The coaches pushed for an early signing day. They didn't want to have to spend two months after the season fighting off competitors for HS recruits who were committed before the end of the season. Just let those guys sign now instead of waiting until February. The NCAA gave the coaches what they wanted.

The coaches pushed to end the spring transfer portal window. They didn't want to be put into a position like Tennessee last season where a guy goes through spring practice, then uses the timing to try to leverage his current school for a bigger "contract" knowing the school won't have many options to replace him if he leaves. The coaches wanted their roster for the next season "set" (as much as possible) BEFORE winter workouts and spring football kicked into high gear. Thus, the spring portal was eliminated.

And easy fix would be to simply move NDS back to February...or at least late January. The transfer portal is more difficult because teh coaches want their new transfers enrolled and participating in winter/spring activities. Generally, the deadline to enroll in classes for the spring semester is early February. If a guy isn't enrolled in school, he can't participate in spring football activities.

Opening the portal in December isn't going to change anything. So do you push it back to February? If so, are the coaches going to be ok with not having some of their new players eligible to participate in winter/spring activities?

One fix, that the conferences won't agree to, would be to eliminate the conference championship games. They are an unnecessary money grab. OSU, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, and probably Alabama, don't want to have to play this weekend. However, those games are built into the TV contracts. The networks aren't letting them go without a discount their purchase price and the conferences won't give up the money. However, if they could reach some agreement, it would push the start of the CFP up 1-2 weeks. That way the championship games could be played on/around Jan. 1st. That would leave time for NSD and the portal to happen in January and allow coaches potential on the move to continue coaching their teams in the CFP without a huge need to make the move now.

But then you would run into the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, etc bitching that they didn't get their traditional Jan. 1 game
Posted by mcspufftiger7
Member since Oct 2020
3102 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 1:43 pm to
"say hello to the bad guy. be a long time before you see a bad guy like this again" - Tony Montano (Scarface)
Posted by Tifway419
Member since Sep 2022
1698 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 2:06 pm to
The main problem with the calendar is that it’s not easily fixable without forgoing $$$ (and you know that’s not happening). It’s clear the first thing that needs to happen is pushing the NCG up 2-3 weeks.

You could start the season earlier, but then you’re playing more games in 100+ degree weather. I personally don’t care about this, but other have said this is a big sticking point.

Or shorten the season so the NCG is around New Years but there goes revenue.
quote:

And easy fix would be to simply move NDS back to February...or at least late January.
Some schools start their spring semester earlier than the NCG (January 19th this year). You also need to give people time to move between NSD and the start of school.
Posted by delta_zulu
Middle TN
Member since Jul 2021
677 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 2:23 pm to
Love me some Russ Mitchell
Posted by IM_4_LSU
Savannah, GA
Member since Mar 2014
12501 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 3:20 pm to
100%%
Posted by TigerCard
Cleveland, OH
Member since Nov 2009
981 posts
Posted on 12/2/25 at 3:50 pm to
quote:

Everyone is bitching about the calendar, but its set at the behest of the COACHES, not just arbitrarily by the NCAA.

The coaches pushed for an early signing day. . . .

The coaches pushed to end the spring transfer portal window. . . .

And easy fix would be to simply move NDS back to February...or at least late January. The transfer portal is more difficult because teh coaches want their new transfers enrolled and participating in winter/spring activities. Generally, the deadline to enroll in classes for the spring semester is early February. If a guy isn't enrolled in school, he can't participate in spring football activities.


Everything you say here is correct. The early signing day and early portal window are designed to give coaches certainty before spring football and to allow players to be in class at the beginning of the Spring semester. As long as that is the case, the calendar isn't really fixable.

BUT........What if there was no Spring football?! What if it was replaced by early summer football, a two-week camp that occurred immediately after the Spring semester ends (late May-early June)? Players would not be in class and could spend two weeks (or however many days are allowed now for Spring practice) totally devoted to football. Then they would have the rest of the summer for voluntary or individual work before fall camp. (They would spend the Spring semester doing individual workouts, training, etc.)

This would solve all the problems with the present calendar. New coaches could be hired from mid-January through early Feb. (after the conclusion of their season) and be in place before signing day, which would move back to its former early February date. The portal could open in the late Spring (April?), allowing players to complete the last few weeks of Spring semester at their present school and then move to their new school for early summer camp. Coaches would have their complete team in place for that camp. Other than "tradition," I can't think of a reason that moving spring football to early summer wouldn't work. Is there something I'm overlooking?
This post was edited on 12/2/25 at 3:54 pm
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