College Football Playoff Dates Make Dan Lanning’s Argument Hard to Ignore

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has made his feelings known on the College Football Playoff calendar and structure, calling for changes to shorten the time between games and end the season earlier.

In Lanning's ideal world, the CFP National Championship Game is played on Jan. 1, which would align much better with the academic calendars, transfer portal, and coaches who are looking to take a different job. Right now, the calendars all clash in a way that makes fans wonder when the coaches sleep.

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and players on the podium to receive the champions trophy following the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Lanning said during the 2025-26 season, he believes the problem is entirely fixable. Fast forward to the 2026-27 season and college football is moving in the wrong direction.

College Football Playoff Schedule for 2026-27

The CFP released its schedule for games and to the dismay of fans and analysts (and probably coaches too) - there is a 52 day gap between the conference championship weekend and the national championship game. Talk about a momentum buster.

For the 2026-27 season, conference championships are held on Dec. 5. For the Ducks, that would mean a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, should Oregon make to the the Big Ten title game.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches as Indiana scores as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Then comes the waiting game.

The CFP first round doesn't start for almost two weeks on Dec. 18 and Dec. 19. The second round follows more than 10 days later, on Dec. 30. The semifinal games are another two weeks later, on Jan. 14/15. When the national championship game is finally played on Jan. 25 , it will be nearly a month after the second round.

Tough to find any sort of rhythm with that amount of time between games. Last year's national championship game was on Jan. 19.

Dan Lanning's Fix For CFP Calendar

For Lanning, he sees a simple fix - which he detailed during Oregon's run in the CFP for the 2025-26 season.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Every playoff game should be played every single weekend until you finish the season," Lanning said. "Even if it means we start Week 0 or you eliminate a bye, the season ends Jan. 1, and then the portal opens, then coaches that have to move on to their next opportunities get to move to their next opportunities."

Lanning experienced the playoff juggle firsthand - as both of his coordinators accepted head coaching jobs and were doing double-duty during Oregon's CFP run to the Semifinal Round.

The current structure could make a big step forward if it stopped giving days away to the NFL.

"I've got a ton of respect for the NFL, but we're a prep league for the NFL," Lanning said. "We do a lot of favors for the NFL. We're the minor league in a lot of ways, but there's no money paid from the NFL to take care of college football.

"We've given up some of our days to the NFL. We said, 'Oh, you guys get to have this day, you get to have this day, you get to have this day.' Saturday should be sacred for college football, and every Saturday through the month of December should belong to college football."

Notably in 2026-27, there are no CFP games scheduled around Christmas Eve or Christmas: two dates the NFL is working hard to take over from the NBA.

CFP Changes On Horizon

There is growing frustration with the CFP calendar and could possibly have changes on the horizon. A new recommendation from the NCAA’s Football Oversight Committee backed a proposal to move the college football season to a standardized start before Labor Day weekend.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day shake hands after standing with the Leishman Trophy during a Rose Bowl press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning endorsed the idea to move the schedule up.

Then there is the the 24-team model for the College Football Playoff, which the Big Ten proposed last summer

Both Lanning and Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day backed the CFP expansion to 24 teams.

As for the CFP schedule and the long wait in between games... 52 days is a layover that is hard to ignore. In the current era of transfer portal, coaching movement and roster turnover, the postseason calendar makes everything more chaotic.

Here is the schedule:

Conference championship games: Dec. 5, 2026
College Football Playoff first round: Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, 2026
College Football Playoff second round: Dec. 30, 2026
College Football Playoff semifinals: Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, 2027
College Football Playoff national championship: Jan. 25, 2027

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google