Brian Kelly Delivers Bold Defense of NIL and Transfer Portal Impact on College Football

· Yahoo Sports

Brian Kelly has watched college football from the studio this fall, and what he sees looks very different from the old days. Week 7 brought a double-overtime escape for Miami against Florida State, then Week 8 sent BYU to its first loss, also in double overtime to UCF. Now the former LSU coach has a clear view on why the sport feels so tight.

Brian Kelly explains why NIL and the transfer portal impact parity

CBS analyst Brian Kelly appeared on Inside College Football on Tuesday, and the discussion with Rick Neuheisel centered on how even the sport has become. Kelly, who coached Notre Dame and LSU before joining CBS, said the margin for victory is slim almost every Saturday.

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In his view, the transfer portal lets players find better fits, while NIL and revenue sharing help spread talent across more programs. As a result, rosters improve faster.

Jul 16, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly talks to the media during SEC Media Day at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

“College football now has become such that each and every week, the margin for victory is not great,” Kelly said. “But more importantly, the talent has evened out. There’s no longer a 55-7 game all of a sudden halfway through the season.”

He also said NIL and the portal have not hurt the game, although he admitted some problems still need to be cleaned up. Even so, his tone was upbeat about the product on the field.

“The talent level, NIL, transfer portal, all of those things have made a difference. And it hasn’t hurt the game. Now, there are things that we’ve got to clean up with it. But, man, football is really good right now.” Kelly added.

The results support his point. Five of the top seven teams in the AP Top 25 lost in Week 7, including Georgia, Notre Dame, Indiana and Texas. Two more Top 10 teams fell in Week 8. Heading into Week 9, only Miami, Utah and UCLA remain undefeated.

UCLA’s name on that short list tells its own story, and it is worth a closer look.

UCLA’s quick turnaround shows parity in action

Few teams show Kelly’s point better than the Bruins. UCLA went 3-9 last season, then hired Bob Chesney away from James Madison in December.

Under the first-year head coach, the Bruins remain undefeated and sit No. 7 in the AP Top 25. They also won at Oregon 17-15 as double-digit underdogs.

Kentucky is another example. The Wildcats are 7-1 under first-year coach Will Stein, and they are getting there without one of the bigger payrolls.

These runs match what Kelly described. Talent is no longer stuck at a few famous programs, so new coaches can build quickly. Few expected such a jump in one offseason.

Kelly’s message is clear: the sport is tighter this season. UCLA faces Nevada in Week 9, then visits Minnesota on Nov. 7 with its unbeaten run on the line. Miami and Utah will also try to stay perfect.

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