Paul Finebaum: College football is facing an existential threat to the future of the game

Amid a slew of changes in college football over the past few years, concerns about the longevity of the sport have persistently popped up. It’s a popular offseason talking point, if nothing else.

But ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum believes all the noise is more than just that. It’s a legitimate warning sign in the sport.

“100%. I think college football is at a tipping point, and I think what is going on now is an existential threat to the future of the game,” Finebaum said on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning radio program. “In a couple weeks, one thing we will all be saying is, ‘Just get me to that first Saturday. Get me to the last weekend in August and all this will go away.’ But all this will not go away. It’s still there.”

The changes to college football have been numerous. But in terms of order of magnitude, the transfer portal and NIL have been two of the biggest. Each presents its own set of challenges.

As college leadership moves to position itself for a new reality under the House settlement, everyone is grappling with the changes. Some are just ready for the never-ending offseason talk to end.

“A year ago, I really believed that the games on Saturday would cure the ills, and they were fantastic,” Finebaum said. “We all participate in them. But there is, slowly but surely, there is a disconnect. It’s the older fans first. And I know college administrators aren’t as concerned and television executives aren’t as concerned. But ultimately it will trickle down.”

The advent of a bigger playoff is another major change. After moving to 12 teams just last year, college football seems on the verge of an even bigger jump to 16 teams.

With that will come new qualifying measures, debates about automatic qualifying spots, and more. For Finebaum, though, the outlook of the playoff is less concerning than a problem coaches are already dealing with.

That’s equitable structures in the NIL era of college football. Easier said than done, as administrators lobbying in Congress are finding out.

“The fact that Kirby Smart had to say the other day when he’s at Regions that it’s not right for a freshman to be paid more than an upperclassman, I mean, there it is,” Finebaum explained. “It’s just a bizarre system and we don’t care that the players are making money, but ultimately,y the loyalty to the school is where the factor is. And it’s not so much the money, it’s not so much the talk of the playoffs.

“It’s the portal. It’s the fact that a player can leave at a moment’s notice with no commitment, no loyalty. I think (that) is disconnecting fans. It’s at a small rate right now, but it will expand.”

That’s a problem for college football, potentially. One that needs to be addressed in all forward-looking solutions.