Curt Cignetti Criticizes College Football Playoff and Transfer Portal Timing

The college football landscape’s in a state of flux. The College Football Playoff (CFP) and the NCAA transfer portal now overlap, leaving coaches and teams scrambling.

This year’s playoff schedule has made things even tougher. Games are set for December 31 and January 1, and the transfer portal opens just hours later on January 2.

Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti has been pretty vocal about his frustration with this tight timeline. Honestly, he’s not alone—plenty of coaches feel the same way.

The Hoosiers are gearing up to face Alabama in the Rose Bowl, and the pressure isn’t just about winning. They’re also bracing for the chaos of the transfer portal right after the game.

The Tight Turnaround: A Scheduling Nightmare

The current college football calendar is, well, kind of a mess. With CFP quarterfinals on December 31 and January 1, and the portal opening January 2, coaches barely get a moment to breathe.

For teams still in the playoff, it’s especially rough. They have to prep for huge games while worrying about players jumping ship.

Impact on Coaches and Teams

Cignetti’s feeling the heat. As he gets ready for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff against Alabama, he knows the portal opens at midnight—no matter what happens in the game.

So, either Cignetti or Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer will be dealing with the sting of a loss and the scramble of the portal at the same time. That’s a lot to juggle.

Other coaches have their own headaches, too. For example:

• Lane Kiffin moved from Ole Miss to LSU before the playoff and shifted his focus right away.
• Jon Sumrall managed jobs at both Tulane and Florida at once.
• Bob Chesney balanced duties at James Madison and UCLA.

The Transfer Portal: A Double-Edged Sword

The NCAA transfer portal has changed the game, letting players move around more freely. But its timing can be pretty disruptive, especially when it kicks in right after big playoff games.

This year, the portal opens for 15 days, closing on January 16. That’s just three days before the national championship on January 19. If you’re in the title game, you get five extra days.

Recruiting Challenges

Coaches aren’t just prepping for games—they’re also hustling to recruit new talent and keep their current rosters intact. The overlap means they’re wearing too many hats at once.

It’s not easy to do both well, and sometimes, something’s got to give. The overlap can really mess with both team performance and player morale.

Cignetti and others have floated the idea of moving the regular season up by a week. That way, playoffs could start sooner, leaving more time for recruiting high schoolers and working the portal.

Calls for Change: A Unified Voice

Plenty of coaches—Cignetti included—think the calendar needs a serious overhaul. Right now, there’s no single governing body for college football, so changes are usually slow and piecemeal.

Potential Solutions

There are a few ideas out there:

• Move the Regular Season Up: Start a week earlier to get a little breathing room.
• Unified Governance: If one group called the shots, scheduling might actually make sense.
• Extended Recruiting Periods: Give coaches more time between the end of the season and the portal opening.

Looking Ahead: The Future of College Football

As things keep shifting in college football, it’s pretty obvious something’s gotta give. The current overlap between the CFP and the transfer portal just isn’t working—coaches and players are burning out, and the whole system feels stretched thin.

Hope for Progress

Cignetti isn’t the first coach to vent about the current schedule. Still, his comments add more fuel to the fire for change.

Maybe if the college football world actually sits down and hashes things out, things could improve. Who knows—maybe there’s a better way waiting to be found.

For more insights and updates, you can read the full article on Curt Cignetti’s frustrations with the college football calendar here.