Key Dates in College Football for 2025
T’was the month after the Natty, and all was calm….
We are in full off-season mode now, signalling quieter times as athletic departments review rosters for next year. Amongst the relative quiet, I wanted to set out some key dates for 2025 that I am keeping an eye on.
Coaching Merry Go-Round
This time of year is notable for some movement at the coaching staff level and we watch carefully for who is leaving and what holes that may leave for their teams.
This year we have seen some high profile movements with changes at both participants of the National Championship. Chip Kelly has left Ohio State where he was OC for the same role with the Las Vegas Raiders in the NFL. Ohio State Star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith’s reaction said it all..
Luckily for Jeremiah his wide receiver coach Brian Hartline has been promoted as Offensive Coordiantor so a level of continuity has been maintained.
Similarly Al Golden left Notre Dame to be the new DC at the Cincinnati Bengals. He has been replaced with College Football veteran Chris Ash.
We will find out early on in the season if this disrupts the momentum Marcus Freeman has built at Notre Dame, which culminated in competing for the National Championship in January.
Way too Early for “Way too Early…”?
Monitoring these movements matters in the media as everyone looks ahead to make some early assessments of who looks in good shape for the new season. You may see references to “way too early rankings” online, an example of which is below.
Why do people go to the effort of building these rankings? Because it’s fun! One of the things that sets College football apart is the subject nature of the rankings which generates plenty of discussion. We get to analyse schedules and rosters and results. Hours of fun!
The rankings themselves will typically assess the additions made to rosters either via recruiting from high school or via the transfer portal from other universities. But it will also factor in the coaching changes and what they might mean for the strength of the programme.
Why should it matter who the OC or DC is? Surely all that matters is the Head Coach?
Well, not really. The respective OC and DC will play a key role in recruiting new players from high school, developing them whilst they are with the programme and ultimately getting the best out of them in their core position on the field. It must be remembered that a lot of freshmen won’t start for a college team and will need some nurturing before they are phased into a team.
Time Off
For the College Football Athletes it is an opportunity to focus on their studies (yes they still need to study!) and take some time away from the spotlight and glare of the intense season.
I was interested to find out what the timetable of a college football athlete is like and had a good conversation with a member of the Boise State Athletics department in this regard.
The contents of the discussion will be on the blog next week.
The Year Ahead
The Calendar for the rest of the year looks as follows:
February
24 Feb – 2 March – Athletes invited to the NFL scouting combine attend the week-long event. This is not really a college event as these players are aiming to head to the NFL, but interesting for us to see how some of our favourites from this season do.
March
Spring practice starts for most teams giving them an opportunity to see how their rosters shape up and start bedding new recruits into their systems.
April
16-25 – Spring transfer portal opens for intra-college transfers. Players need to proactively add themselves to the portal. It is normally good for a bit of entertainment (assuming your team does not lose key players). Think football transfer window in the English Premier League.
24-26th – NFL Draft – similarly not a college football event but interesting to see where this year’s hopefuls land.
July
8-9th – In July, College Football media days will commence where the media will get to grill the coaches and players on how their programme’s are shaping up. The Big 12 have announced their event for 8th-9th July. The other conferences will be around the same time.
August
23rd – Week 0 to open the season with a handful of games played. The pick of which will be the Air Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin in which Kansas State Wildcats play the Iowa State Cyclones
28th -30th – Week 1 – the season is in full swing!
November
25-28th – Rivalry week where traditional rival matches are all played. All the passion of a Manchester on London Premier league derby and more!
December/January 2026
8-13th – Week 16 or the final week of the regular season. Who will be trying to sneak a final place in the playoffs?
13th onwards – dates not yet announced but would expect a winder transfer portal window to open at the end of the season.
13th to 20 Jan – Bowl season starts
19-20th – First round of playoffs on campus
31st – 1 Jan – Playoff quarter finals arranged as follows: 31st Dec – Cotton Bowl; 1st Jan – Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowl
8-9th Jan – Playoff semi finals arranged as follows: 8th- Fiesta Bowl; 9th – Peach Bowl
19th Jan – College Football National Championship
Lots to Look Forward to
Out of the above, for me the transfer portal will be a key focus ahead of the season starting. I mentioned coaching changes and it may be some players see a favoured coach leave and do not quite fancy staying at their current teams.
There is already a NCAA rule where a transfer portal window opens up at a team if the Head Coach leaves but this does not hold for DCs and OCs.
I will write in more detail about the portal and NIL shortly as there is a great deal to cover there.
