John Wildhack calls for reform to college football in ESPN article
Syracuse Athletic Director John Wildhack's desired reforms include changing the calendar and consolidating TV rights. Joe Zhao | Senior Staff Photographer
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Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack called for changes to college football in an ESPN article published Friday. Wildhack’s desired reforms include changing the calendar, negotiating collective bargaining agreements with athletes and consolidating TV rights.
Wildhack believes it’s vital the NCAA acts now to address growing issues like the transfer portal, in-season coaching departures, player eligibility and revenue gaps that have accelerated following the House v. NCAA settlement in June 2025 and the ongoing ability for athletes to profit off their name, image and likeness, he said.
“We have a tendency to look at things as a one-off, and we need to look at the sport holistically,” Wildhack told ESPN. “When you’re in a moment when you have that popularity and the support from the fans, you have to build on it and make it better.”
Wildhack’s desires feature collective bargaining for athletes to ensure schools aren’t “flagrantly disregarding” the College Sports Commission’s guidelines, he told ESPN. The CSC is an independent body created by the NCAA’s four largest conferences in June 2025 to oversee regulations stemming from the House v. NCAA settlement regarding NIL deals and athlete compensation.
“There needs to be collective bargaining,” Wildhack told ESPN. “The players should be getting paid, no question about that. But with collective bargaining there’s rules that have been bargained for. It’s a legal document that everybody has obligations they’re required to uphold. That’s where we need to go.”
SU’s director of athletics also called for an overhaul of college football’s calendar. The movement of coaches and players to new schools while their previous school’s season is still ongoing has sparked heated debate recently. The most notable example was former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin departing for LSU on Nov. 30, 2025, amid the Rebels’ playoff run, after protracted, public speculation. Ole Miss reached the 2026 College Football Playoff Semifinals despite Kiffin’s exit.
Wildhack’s last point of contention was revenue generation, recommending unified television deals. He told ESPN the $20.5 million in new revenue sharing as a result of the House settlement has forced schools to scramble to cover rising costs, while widening the financial gap between power programs and smaller schools.
However, he said recent strong ratings for bowl games and the CFP show the sport is leaving money on the table by not negotiating television rights as a united group. Wildhack added the Atlantic Coast Conference’s new success initiatives and brand distribution model could protect top programs financially, arguing college football would benefit from pursuing national TV revenue growth rather than conference-by-conference deals.
“There’s no 100% approval rating, but let’s take what we have now and make it better,” Wildhack said. “The time is right and there’s so much opportunity here that’s being left on the table. If we address the key issues and can begin to make progress, we make it better for everybody, and the sport will thrive. There’s no question.”
Since taking over as SU’s director of athletics in 2016, Wildhack has been active in response to the evolving collegiate sports landscape. He most recently oversaw the strengthening of the school’s NIL fundraising efforts, renovations to the John A. Lally Athletics Complex and the opening of a new football performance center.
