Jon Sumrall Has A 'Common Sense' Way To Fix College Football, Hopes To Replicate Ole Miss' NIL Strategy

There is an ongoing debate around college football centered around how to fix the sport, as it pertains to the calendar which coaches and players have to abide by. The two main topics seem to be the transfer portal, along with the timing of the CFP. 

As you have most certainly noticed over the past month, there have been numerous coaches who have taken other jobs while also participating in the playoff. None of these moves have garnered the attention of Lane Kiffin, who left Ole Miss for LSU right before the Rebels postseason run. 

But, lost in the shuffle of daily news simmering out of Baton Rouge are other coaches like Florida's Jon Sumrall, who coached two teams during a chaotic stretch which saw Tulane face Ole Miss in the first round of the college football playoff. 

The same could be said for Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein, who is the new head coach at Kentucky, while defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi accepted the Cal Bears head coaching position. 

Both of these assistants have stuck with Oregon during its CFP run and will be on the sideline Friday night when the Ducks face Indiana for a spot in the national championship. 

So, while making sure both of their new jobs are taken care of when it comes to roster management and setting up for future success, they are still helping Dan Lanning prepare for a rematch against the Hoosiers. 

College Football Calendar Can Be Fixed, Right?

But, as Gators head coach Jon Sumrall pointed out during an interview with OutKick's Hot Mic crew of Jonathan Hutton and Chad Withrow, all it takes is a little common sense to fix the calendar. 

This is obviously easier said than done, with the college football playoff still ongoing, and the transfer portal is only open for just over one more week. So, how do they fix it? 

"In the NFL, they've got this thing figured out where they do this thing called football season," Sumrall quipped. "At the end of football season, you can have coach movement and player movement, but nobody can leave until the season's over, unless someone is traded. Then, after the season is over, coaches and players can move …

"How can we change that in our world? Move the season up, start the playoffs earlier. End the playoffs earlier, closer to January 1, like we used to do. I think there is a way we can get the national championship game back closer to January 1st, and then everybody right now would be focused on just player movement." 

And while most of that sounds easy, I don't know how many leaders running college football think the same way. 

For Sumrall, it might be a little bit too easy. 

"I don't think it's that complicated. I do think it takes common sense, and I don't know how many people got that."

In a world in which players are paid six to seven figures to play football, there are still archaic rules around the sport, which make zero sense to a coach like Jon Sumrall. And, I imagine he's not alone in his thinking. 

"We give out Jordan Brand shoes here, because we're a Jumpman school," Sumrall noted. "So, that's like a cool, hip thing. And I've got all those Jordan's on my desk here, but we can't give them to the players after their careers are over because the monetary value is too great. It's called an extra-benefit. 

"I'm like, the shoes are worth a couple-hundred bucks, I don't know maybe a couple thousand bucks, I don't know how much they're worth. But, we're already paying these dudes. Why can't we give them these shoes?"

Yes, these are current dilemmas ongoing within college athletics. Don't give them shoes!!

Sumrall Credits Ole Miss For Putting Together Strong NIL Presence

The former Tulane coach is now doing his best to adjust to life within the SEC, but he does have a perspective on CFP semifinalist Ole Miss, who will battle Miami on Thursday night in the Fiesta Bowl. 

"They beat us 45-10 in Game 1, and 41-10 in Game2. They look a lot the same to me. They kicked our ass both times."

But, it's not only about what you see on the field with the Rebels. How Ole Miss has been able to retain players during this time period as the transfer portal runs wild is a testament to what Pete Golding has been able to do during chaotic times in Oxford. 

Trinidad Chambliss’ Ole Miss Future Hinges On NCAA Waiver — New NIL Deal Raises Stakes With Potential Lawsuit

If the Rebels coach did not have such a solid foundation built by athletic director Keith Carter, along with Walker Jones of the Grove Collective, they would not be retaining players like Kewan Lacy, along with Trinidad Chambliss pending his NCAA waiver. 

For that, Jon Sumrall is doing his best in Florida to replicate the structure built in Oxford, and build that same kind of foundation in Gainesville. 

"We talked about alignment, structure and organization within the portal. I think Ole Miss has had great success. Not to take away anything from Lane, but Keith Carter, Walker Jones, not taking anything away from Pete (Golding) either. But Ole Miss, they're doing this NIL, rev-share stuff, as good as anybody in America.

"They're paying dudes, and they are writing bigger checks. And, kudos to them. They've got a great plan that we all need to learn from and emulate. So, they're a really good football team. I didn’t see many weaknesses when we played them in Game 1 or 2."

Continue following OutKick and Trey Wallace for the latest news around college football, as we get you prepared for the CFP semifinals later this week!