Ryan Day outlines how the NFL model can help guide changes in college football

Ryan Day recently sat down for an interview with FOX’s Joel Klatt as a part of his “Big Noon Conversations” series this offseason. The two tackled a number of topics during their nearly half-hour-long interview, including the number of changes going on around the sport.

Coming out of the COVID season in 2020, college football has been dramatically altered with the introduction of the transfer portal, NIL and other updates. In determining how the sport should best adjust, Day admitted the NFL model is “right there” and has a successful model that could be used to help guide the college game.

“I think people are hesitant to say that (the NFL is a blueprint) because we are collegiate, this college athletics. But those guys have been doing it for a long time and they know what they’re doing,” said Day. “They have collective bargaining agreements, they have player associations, they have a playoff system in place, they have so many things that we can grab onto. Not that it’s ever going to be the NFL. It’s not, but I think the more times we can look to them for how they’ve solved some of these issues is going to be important.”

One of those areas that was discussed included an overarching governing body over all of college football. Day admitted there’s a possibility that could happen down the road but understands the issues in place that must be navigated to get there.

“I think eventually there’s a great chance something like that can happen. When you look at structures that are out there that compete in these types of environments, that’s typically what happens,” Day explained. “I think we know what the challenges are. People come from different points of view, different parts of the country, and there are different rules in place.”

Here’s the conversation between Day and Klatt:

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.