Oregon’s Dan Lanning doubles down on solutions to fix College Football Playoff

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is once again pushing for sweeping changes to the College Football Playoff structure, doubling down on his belief that the season’s extended calendar is creating unnecessary chaos for players, coaches, and programs alike.

Speaking ahead of Oregon’s CFP quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Capital One Orange Bowl, Lanning outlined what he believes is the clearest solution to several growing problems across the sport. His core stance remains unchanged that the college football season should conclude on New Year’s Day.

“Ultimately in my mind the vision is that every playoff game should be played every single weekend until you finish the season,” Lanning said during the press conference. “Even if it means we start Week zero or you eliminate a bye, the season ends Jan. 1, and then the portal opens, then coaches that have to move on to their next opportunities get to move to their next opportunities.”

Lanning explained that the current setup places playoff teams in difficult positions, particularly when assistant coaches accept head coaching jobs before the postseason ends. With the national championship now stretching into mid-January, staffs are often forced to split focus between chasing a title and building an entirely new program elsewhere.

“But, I think the first really clear indicator of a place that we can make this better is to wrap the season up, our national championship game this year is Jan. 19, and that’s really hard to envision as a coach that’s going out and trying to join a new program and start a staff,” Lanning said. “It’s hard for players to understand what continuity looks like and where they’re going to be at and to manage that with visits, the portal, everything else that exists. The clear way to do that is to bump the season up and make sure these playoff games happen a lot faster.”

Oregon is currently living that reality. Offensive coordinator Will Stein has accepted the head coaching job at Kentucky, while defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is set to take over at California.

Both assistants are expected to finish the season with the Ducks, even as they prepare staffs and navigate recruiting at their new schools. The challenge becomes even steeper with the transfer portal opening Jan. 2, before the CFP concludes.

Lanning also pointed to competitive concerns. Last season, Oregon entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed but suffered a lopsided quarterfinal loss after a lengthy layoff.

Notably, every team with a first-round bye last year was eliminated in the quarterfinals. As Oregon prepares to face Texas Tech on Jan. 1 at noon ET, Lanning’s proposal remains firmly in focus.