College football has been slowly morphing into something that looks more and more like the NFL, and not always in a good way.
We’ve seen players sit out bowl games or even enter holdout-like situations over NIL deals and promises. Negotiations between athletes and schools are now routine. The chaos of the transfer portal often feels like free agency gone wild.
But if college football is going to adopt the ugly parts of the NFL, why not take a few of the good ones too? There are some practical, even game-enhancing, changes that the NFL has figured out—rules and structures that college football could desperately use right now. From playoff format changes to tech upgrades and centralized leadership, here are five NFL-style ideas that college football should absolutely consider adopting.
1. Only Champions Are Guaranteed a Playoff Spot
Let’s be real—college football’s postseason is headed for chaos without a clearer structure. While more playoff expansion sounds nice, it's far too much for the SEC and Big Ten to get in based on popularity or perception, rather than on-field results. The same can be said with giving the ACC or Big 12 automatic bids.
In the NFL, the rule is simple: if you win your division, you’re in. College football could do something similar by reinstating divisions within each conference and guaranteeing spots to each division champion—or just to the overall conference champion. From there, the rest of the playoff field could be selected based on standings and rankings, not brand name.
It would force teams to win when it matters, place real value on conference championships again, and remove some of the ambiguity that fans—and coaches—are already frustrated by.
2. Summer OTAs for Team Development
Organized Team Activities (OTAs) are a core part of NFL preparation. They’re voluntary in name, but essential in reality. College football has spring practice, but it’s inconsistent across the board and often more about evaluation than development.
What if the NCAA or the future college football commissioner (more on that in a second) put in place regulated OTAs during the offseason? Not just a few practices in April, but multiple structured phases throughout the offseason—giving teams and players a safe, consistent schedule to develop chemistry, install schemes, and build depth, if they so choose.
It could go a long way in improving player readiness, especially for freshmen or transfers who are expected to contribute immediately.
3. Laser Markers for First Downs
This one’s a no-brainer. The NFL is finally getting with the times this season and introducing laser systems to mark the first down line. That means no more chains dragged out by officials. No more guessing whether the ball “nicked” the stick.
College football is still out here using 10-yard chains and eyeballs in an era where the spot of the football can literally change the outcome of a game—or a season.
It's time for college football to modernize with this technology. The laser systems are more accurate, faster, and eliminate those agonizing delays while the officials try to figure out where to place the ball. In a world full of slow reviews and sketchy spots, this one upgrade could immediately improve the game.
4. A Real Commissioner With Actual Power
Right now, college football is like a town with six different mayors who refuse to talk to each other, or only use one another to push their own narrative. The SEC does its thing, the Big Ten has its own agenda, and the ACC and Big 12 are just trying to survive. Every conference has its own media rights, its own rules, and its own motivations.
That doesn't fly in the NFL. Roger Goodell may not be perfect, but the league has one commissioner who enforces rules, manages revenue distribution, negotiates media rights, and makes decisions that benefit the league as a whole.
College football desperately needs someone in that role—someone who could unify the sport, centralize TV deals into one bidding package like the NFL does, and put the good of the game ahead of individual conference power grabs.
With the expanded Playoff, NIL chaos, and conference realignment spinning out of control, this may be the single most important change the sport needs.
5. Fix the Pass-Interference Rule
On a little smaller scale, it's time to adjust the pass-interference rule. In the NCAA, all defensive pass interference penalties are 15 yards. In the NFL, it’s a spot foul—meaning if you interfere 40 yards downfield, that’s where the offense gets the ball.
It might seem like a small tweak, but this rule leads to constant underthrows, arm-grabbing, and deliberate DPI penalties on college defenses. Corners have little incentive to play the ball deep downfield when taking a 15-yard penalty is often better than giving up a 50-yard bomb.
If college football really wants to clean up deep passing and reward skill over sloppy defense, it needs to move to the NFL’s spot foul rule. It would eliminate the “just tackle the receiver” strategy and make the game more exciting for fans.