Utah Coach Whittingham Proposes College Football Overhaul Amid Transfer Portal Challenges

Utah football head coach Kyle Whittingham is advocating for significant changes in college football, expressing concerns that the current transfer portal system and NIL-related revenue sharing have created an unsustainable environment. He envisions the sport evolving into a 'minor league NFL' model with multi-year contracts and possibly a players' union to bring more stability and sanity to roster management. Whittingham also suggested the introduction of college preseason games that do not count toward official records, similar to the NFL, to allow teams to better prepare without pressure. As Utah prepares for their season opener against UCLA, Whittingham noted that half of his roster consists of new players, highlighting the challenges and unknowns of facing a team with many new faces and staff changes. Despite preferring to open against a less challenging opponent to identify team strengths early, Whittingham acknowledged the benefits of starting the season with a high-profile Power Four matchup that commands players' attention. Overall, he emphasized the need for major reforms in college football's structure to address the rapid changes and escalating costs associated with player movement and compensation.