Kenny Dillingham Gets Honest About State of College Football

The landscape of the sport has changed greatly in recent years, and the Sun Devils have become an unfortunate victim of the changes.

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham pose for photos before facing off in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. | Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- There's little doubt that the landscape of the college football world has undergone a wholesale change as this decade has progressed - there's also little doubt that these changes have impacted the Arizona State program in a myriad of ways.

One of the most glaring fallouts in the coming weeks is the potential departure of star quarterback Sam Leavitt, who is reportedly weighing options to potentially make a move elsewhere.

Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham unleashed some brutally honest opinions on the current state of the game in lieu of roster turnover that is seemingly inevitable in the coming weeks, in his appearance for Sun Bowl media introductions on Monday.

Nov 28, 2025; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils wide receiver Jordyn Tyson (0) with head coach Kenny Dillingham against the Arizona Wildcats during the 99th Territorial Cup at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Dillingham Gets Honest About Landscape of Sport

"I could give you an answer and it's going to be a wrong answer still, right? There is no right answer here. We've created a mess. Point blank, the whole industry is a mess, right? The only thing that's not a mess is the dollar signs. Those are still pointing up. Everything else is a mess. The dollar sign,
the business of it that's skyrocketing, everything else a mess. That's just being transparent and honest. There's not other than the ratings, the dollars, the money involved. It's a mess, yeah, so this is just another piece of the mess."

This statement can be broken down in a number of ways - from agents/inner camps of players treading the line of what is ethical or what isn't, the NCAA's lack of regulatory bodies to keep universities playing on a level playing field, or even factors such as coaching turnover at the tail end of the regular season.

The NCAA placed regulations on NIL that are being overseen by the College Sports Commission - there have been unconfirmed rumors that certain programs have been able to sidestep these roadblocks in place in conjunction with agents.

This is also compounded by the issue of coaching turnover, as Lane Kiffin is the latest in a lengthy line of coaches who have caused locker room distractions and have made off-the-field dealings as much of a spectacle as on the field.

Nov 23, 2024; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of an Arizona State Sun Devils helmet at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ultimately, many players in the NIL era operate as for-hire, as Dillingham stated, it's not their fault to take advantage of a system that has few checks and balances in place to keep competitive balance in a clearer frame. It's ultimately what has become from a development that should have happened much, much sooner, but has been pushed forward with little clarity.

Arizona State is set to close out their 2025 season on December 31 against the Duke Blue Devils.

Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and on why the bright future of the football program isn’t dimmed by the loss to Arizona here.

Please let us know your thoughts when you like our Facebook page when you click right here.

Please follow us on X when you click right here, as well as @khicks_21 for nonstop Arizona State coverage!