By Mark Blaudschun
FWAA Columnist
"You had better start swimming or you will sink like a stone."
The Times They Are A Changing--Bob Dylan
College football just finished one of its most historic seasons, but it was only transitional.
What is coming at warp (Google it) speed will be even more historic in changing the face of the sport for decades.
The question which should jump out to everyone is: Is CFB ready or, even more importantly, able to deal with it.
Make no mistake, college football is quickly morphing into an NFL-lite version in almost every aspect from scheduling to configuration to salary cap (NIL) and of course, free agency.
A college football season which begins in August and does not end until almost February is on the horizon.
The 2027 national championship game is scheduled to be played in Las Vegas on January 27th.
Next season will include a multi-million dollar revenue sharing program among the Power conference schools who will be required to pay back more than 20 million each year to their employees (players).
College athletic departments are trying to make the adjustment by creating the job of General Managers who will create player personnel departments and deal with the distribution of payouts to the players through the ever changing Names, Image and Licensing issues.
Schools such as Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, USC, Cal, Stanford and North Carolina have all added GM's to their staff, primarily to deal with football issues, but college basketball is not far behind.
One problem CFB is dealing with is not new.
Who's in charge of administering all of these new changes?
Obviously, the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference have the most clout. They also have veto power over ANY major changes which are made.
But what about this chatter of having a CFB commissioner, who will dictate the direction?
A wide variety of names from Condoleeza Rice to Nick Saban have been mentioned.
And college football more than any other sport needs one final voice which says this is the way it is going to be done whether you like it or not.
I'm not sure if that can happen, which would mean more chaos.
But for the sake of the game it has to be done.
College football has one more year to fine tune its package before the new billion dollar contract arrives at the start of the 2026 season.
It is likely to be a 16-game playoff system with no byes, although 14 teams with several guaranteed spots for each of the Power four leagues is being discussed.
The transfer portal dates will have to be tightened and probably changed and the money distribution will have to be carefully watched and tweaked.
It all adds up to a tumultuous season of college football and a steady march towards an NFL farm system called "college'' football at the highest levels.
If you want old fashioned Saturday afternoon CFB, head to the Ivy Leagues and Division II and III, but if you want Prime Time shows, CFB is coming at you. .
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