Every offseason there are always conversations about how college football can improve. A lot of the conversations in recent years have surrounded the College Football Playoff and how to adjust it to make the sport better.
Those conversations have not ended, and there’s a chance some major changes could be coming to the CFP in 2026. But there are many other ideas that are floating around that people think could make the sport better. And one person who has had their own ideas is former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray.
“If I was commissioner, I would move up the season (to start in mid-August) to get three weeks without the NFL... Get rid of conference championship weekend and get right into the playoffs.”
Moving up the season to mid-August makes sense.
— The Bulldawg Report (@ReportBulldawg) February 16, 2025
However, keep the Conference Championships. Don't take those away from the players and coaches who see them as a HUGE deal. Instead, adjust the CFP criteria. pic.twitter.com/m9vLVCu2TE
These changes would be bad
As much as Georgia fans probably want to agree with former players when they voice their opinions, it’s impossible to do that with Murray. In fact, every point made by Murray makes no sense.
For starters, starting the season three weeks sooner would be terrible for environments at everyone’s stadium across the country. Why would college football start before students are on campus? Students make both tailgating and the game itself a lot more fun, so why would we hurt the the atmosphere which is one of the best parts about college football games?
Also, there’s no need to adjust college football’s schedule in an attempt to compete with the NFL. College football will never pass the NFL from a viewership standpoint, but when you think about it they really don’t compete for eyeballs as it is. College football is on Saturday and the NFL is on Sunday, so it’s possible for everyone to watch both leagues without having to pick one over the other.
Lastly, getting rid of the conference championship weekend would be bad as well. Sure leagues like the SEC could crown a champion based on regular season results, but where’s the fun in that? The SEC Championship game, along with every other conference championship game, is a celebration for the season both teams who qualify just had. It also makes for a way more exciting way to crown a champion than just deciding it off regular season results.
There are many changes that could be made to improve college football as a viewing product, but these suggestions from Murray just don’t make much sense. So hopefully these changes aren’t made in the future so we all can enjoy Georgia football just as much as we have been.