Brian Kelly, LSU embracing changes across college football

The college football landscape is forever changing, things that may have seemed impossible 10 or 20 years ago are now the new norm. And for those who believe they can drag their heels and oppose the changes, LSU head coach Brian Kelly has a message for them.

During a recent interview with a local news station, Kelly gave his thoughts on the ever-changing landscape of college football and detailed how he is embracing the challenges that come with them in year two with the Tigers.

“I think college football is ever-changing,” said Kelly. “I mean, we’ve gone through so many different changes over the last 10 years. I remember the days where you could win 17-14, 14-10… I don’t know if those games exist anymore.

“Look, the way things are set up right now; you’ve got to score points. So, the way you put together your roster, you’ve got to be explosive. And we haven’t even talked about the transfer portal and NIL; we haven’t talked about playoffs and things of that nature. The changes in spring ball, in terms of what you can and can’t do. Preseason camp, in terms of tackling and not tackling. There’s so many different things.”

Arguably the three biggest changes to college football would indeed be the evolution of the transfer portal, the College Football Playoff (which is also set to expand into a larger format), and Name, Image and Likeness, also known as NIL.

These three components have changed the way college football is currently set up. Not only has it increased competition on the field in the regular season but in the offseason as well, as coaches fight to keep players and recruit new ones from across the country. And if a coach can’t keep up, they will likely be on their way out.

“The bottom line is you’ve got to be able to adjust. And you’ve got to be able to keep your ear to the ground and see how those changes are going to affect your program. If you just say, hey, this is the way we do it, and we’ll never change it; you’re gonna get left behind. And so, I think college football is such that you better be ready to adapt, or you’re gonna get left behind.”

As Kelly pointed out, as a head coach, you’ve got to be able to adjust. Those who cannot adapt or are slow to it will be left behind and ultimately be left looking for employment elsewhere. And it appears from the Tigers’ head man’s comments that he will continue to adjust his thinking in order to keep his program as one of the best in college football.