Analyst Joel Klatt has delivered a stark critique of the NCAA’s governance, urging a significant shift in how the sport is managed.
In a recent video, Klatt didn’t mince words, highlighting the NCAA’s sluggish pace and outdated structure as a major stumbling block for the future of college football. His comments come at a time when the sport is grappling with ongoing controversies, making his call for change both timely and urgent.
Joel Klatt Says NCAA Is Moving Like a “Sloth”, Says CFB Should Pivot Away
Analyst Joel Klatt’s frustration with the NCAA’s governance is palpable.
“Your internet’s not slow. That’s just the NCAA moving around at a sloth’s pace,” he quipped, underscoring the organization’s painfully slow response to critical issues.
“It’s so painfully obvious that we need a singular overarching governing body over JUST football.”
More from @joelklatt on NCAA’s lack of governance ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/JdiwQ5zYsC
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) May 13, 2025
He argues that the core problem lies in the governance itself, which he describes as “so archaic and so flawed” that it jeopardizes the sport’s ability to address challenges effectively.
The ongoing saga involving Michigan’s sign-stealing scandal serves as a prime example. This controversy, which began to unfold in the middle of the 2023 season, has dragged on, with ramifications still being felt as we approach the 2025 season. Klatt points out the situation’s absurdity.
“You got Harbaugh’s suspension at the end of the twenty-three season, and yet here we are going into twenty twenty-five and we’re talking about Michigan trying to get out ahead of what the NCAA is still impending.” This delay, he suggests, is not just inefficient but detrimental to the sport’s integrity and competitiveness.
Klatt’s solution is straightforward: college football needs a dedicated, more agile governing body. “If we could have a more singular body that was governing college football and college football specifically, I think that they could be a lot more nimble,” he states.
This new entity would be better equipped to handle issues in real time than the current system, which Klatt compares to “the Titanic looking way backwards and being like we hit an iceberg way back there, and now we’re gonna try to deal with it.”
The idea is not just about speed but also about relevance.
The NCAA, as it stands, oversees a broad spectrum of sports, which can dilute its focus on football’s unique challenges. A football-specific body could prioritize the sport’s needs, from recruitment rules to competitive fairness, without the bureaucratic overhang that currently slows decision-making.
Klatt’s vision is one where “we can deal with things more in real time,” ensuring that controversies like the Michigan case don’t linger for seasons on end.
Klatt’s warning is a call to action for stakeholders in college football. However, the transition won’t be easy. Given the legal and financial complexities involved, it would require buy-in from major conferences, universities, and potentially even Congress.
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