Oregon State Coach Lanning on College Football and the NFL

Oregon State’s head football coach, Dan Lanning, might not be the type to shoo someone off his lawn, but he certainly feels strongly about NFL encroaching on college football’s territory.

The Ducks are gearing up for their inaugural appearance in the Orange Bowl, set to play against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the College Football Playoff. A win could lead them to face either Alabama or Indiana on January 9.

As the college football postseason becomes more complex with extended playoffs and longer seasons, Lanning has been vocal about the need to manage these changes. One of his key points is for the NFL to stay off Saturdays.

“We respect the NFL—we’re essentially a training ground for them,” Lanning shared. “But let’s be clear: we don’t receive funding from them to manage college football; we dedicate part of our time to the NFL.”

He continued, “In my view, Saturdays should be reserved for college football. Every Saturday in December should be dedicated to us.” This sentiment reflects a broader concern about the growing conflict between college football and the NFL, especially as the NFL has begun scheduling Saturday games during the college postseason.

Lanning has proposed that starting the college football season earlier could eliminate some scheduling conflicts with the NFL. He also stressed the importance of having playoff games spaced a week apart, a point echoed by Texas Tech’s head coach, Joey McGuire, not too long ago.

“This is not a natural arrangement. I feel the playoffs should occur every seven days,” McGuire remarked. “College football has no business dragging into the second semester or being played on January 19. If we need to adjust anything, we should tackle the calendar first.”

Examining the scheduling challenges, it’s noteworthy that Oregon State last played on December 20 against James Madison, having taken a lengthy three-week break since the regular season concluded while facing Washington.

By the time the Ducks hit the field against Texas Tech, they’ll have played just two games in a month. This situation doesn’t really lend itself well to keeping a playoff team sharp and focused as they prepare for a potential championship. One would think this matter will come up when the College Football Playoff committee meets later this month.