College football is in crisis. And it’s not just a whisper—it’s a full-blown alarm. From the transfer portal chaos to the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) frenzy and a schedule that’s more confusing than a Rubik’s Cube, the sport is teetering on the edge. If you’ve been paying even the slightest attention, you’ve likely noticed the cracks. I’ve written about this before (check out my thoughts here: https://www.outkick.com/person/p/austin-perry), but the situation is only getting worse. And this is the part most people miss: What if the NFL—yes, the NFL—is the unlikely savior college football needs?
Enter Josh Pate, a college football commentator who dropped a bombshell on a recent episode of Josh Pate's College Football Show. Even he was stunned by his own words: ‘It has come to my attention… I failed to realize it may be the NFL that ends up saving college football,’ he admitted. ‘I never expected the combination of words to come out of my mouth.’ For someone who’s practically a poster child for the ‘college football is better than the NFL’ camp, this is a jaw-dropping statement. But here’s where it gets controversial: Could the NFL’s self-interest actually align with rescuing a sport it relies on so heavily?
The core issue? College football is leaderless. The NCAA seems more like a bystander than a governing body, leaving the sport to spiral into chaos. ‘Who’s going to step in and do something about this?’ Pate asks. ‘Who’s the face of leadership in college football?’ The answer, surprisingly, might lie in the NFL’s hands—but not out of goodwill. It’s about reciprocity.
The NFL owes a massive debt to college football. As Pate points out, ‘The NFL massively benefits from college football… they don’t have to have a minor league. College football does it for them.’ But if college football continues to crumble, the NFL’s talent pipeline could dry up. Imagine a world where undrafted players opt to return to college for another year, lured by seven-figure deals. ‘The undrafted free agent pool could very much be tampered with,’ Pate warns. That’s a scenario the NFL can’t afford.
While I’ve always cherished college football’s unique identity—far removed from the NFL’s corporate sheen—the pro model might hold the key to fixing eligibility issues and media rights mismanagement. ‘The NFL can help in matters of eligibility,’ Pate suggests. ‘They can teach college football how to pool their media rights. If collectively pooled, CFB media rights are worth three or four times as much. The NFL figured it out a long time ago.’
Here’s the hard truth: College football is too chaotic to govern itself. The NFL won’t step in because it’s the ‘right thing to do’—they’ll do it because their bottom line depends on it. And if that’s what it takes to save the sport, even die-hards like Pate and myself might have to swallow our pride and accept the help.
But here’s the real question: Is the NFL’s intervention a lifeline or a takeover? Would college football lose its soul in the process? Let’s debate this in the comments—I want to hear your take. Agree? Disagree? Let’s talk.
