Texas Tech Coach Criticizes College Football Calendar After Playoff Loss

Joey McGuire says 'everything we do is backwards' due to long layoff between conference title games and playoff quarterfinals.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire criticized the current college football calendar, especially the long layoff between conference championship games and playoff quarterfinal games. McGuire led Texas Tech to its first Big 12 title and College Football Playoff appearance last season, but his team lost in the quarterfinals after a 25-day break. McGuire said the calendar needs to be "fixed" before other issues like the transfer portal can be addressed, noting that Indiana is the only team in the last two years to win its quarterfinal game after a long layoff.

Why it matters

McGuire's comments highlight growing frustration among coaches about the college football calendar, particularly the timing of the conference championship games and the long break before the playoff quarterfinals. This issue has impacted team preparation and performance, with most teams that received a first-round playoff bye losing in the quarterfinals over the past two seasons.

The details

McGuire joined a radio show to discuss his concerns with the college football calendar. He said the current schedule, which sees conference title games played on the first Saturday in December, is "backwards" and needs to be the "No. 1 priority" to fix before addressing other issues like the transfer portal. McGuire noted that teams with first-round playoff byes have struggled in the quarterfinals, going 1-7 over the past two seasons, with Indiana being the lone team to win after the long layoff.

  • The 2026 Quarterfinals will kick off on Wednesday, Dec. 30 with the Fiesta Bowl.
  • The Cotton Bowl, Peach Bowl, and Rose Bowl will be held two days later on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027.
  • The Semifinals will then follow two weeks after that, beginning with the Orange Bowl set for Thursday, Jan. 14 and the Sugar Bowl set for Friday, Jan. 15.
  • The 2027 CFP National Championship Game will follow 10 days later on Monday, Jan. 25 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The players

Joey McGuire

The head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team, who led the program to its first Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff appearance in 2025.

Curt Cignetti

The head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers football team, who led his team to the national championship in 2025 after winning their quarterfinal game following a first-round playoff bye.

Dan Lanning

The head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team, who reportedly held a mock game to help his team prepare for their quarterfinal game after a first-round playoff bye.

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What they’re saying

“We're still in the process with that because until we get the calendar fixed, and I don't know why that's not the No. 1 priority out of everybody. I keep hearing about NIL and eligibility. I keep hearing about maybe changing the Transfer Portal. Until we get the calendar fixed, everything we do is backwards to me. It's just putting band-aids over issues.”

— Joey McGuire, Head Coach, Texas Tech Red Raiders (on3.com)

“But, Indiana is the only team in the last two years that have been able to handle the 25-day layoff when the other team did not have a 25-day layoff. We're trying to dig into how can we practice different? I heard Dan Lanning had a mock game. Do we do something like that? Because, if you do win the conference again, there's a good chance you get a bye. You have a 25-day layoff, and that can't be the excuse. You've got to find a way to overcome that, and Coach (Curt) Cignetti's the only guy who's been able to do that so far.”

— Joey McGuire, Head Coach, Texas Tech Red Raiders (on3.com)

What’s next

The calendar will not change this season, as the College Football Playoff officially released the dates and bowl sites for the upcoming CFP in early February.

The takeaway

McGuire's criticisms highlight a growing issue in college football, where the current calendar structure is negatively impacting team preparation and performance in the playoff. Addressing the timing of conference championship games and the long layoff before quarterfinal games appears to be a top priority for coaches before other reforms can be effectively implemented.