Georgia Tech coach Brent Key defends state of college football amid widespread criticism
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In less than four full seasons, Brent Key has turned around the Georgia Tech football program. He guided the Yellow Jackets to a 9-3 record in 2025 and was recently rewarded with a contract extension that ties him to his alma mater through 2029.
As Key and Georgia Tech put the finishing touches on preparations for Saturday’s showdown against BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Key took a moment to share his thoughts on the often-maligned state of college football.
“I think the state of college football … college football is in the best place it’s ever been,” Key told reporters Friday.
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Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key celebrates after the 2024 Aer Lingus College Football Classic game between Florida State and Georgia Tech at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
Key cited the fan experience and the large audience the sport often attracts.
“The fan experience, the viewership… college football is at an all-time high,” Key said. “The amount of people watching games, watching playoff games, watching (ESPN’s) ‘College GameDay’, it’s just that, in general, college football is a way of life, and I think college football, the interest in it is at an all-time high.”
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While the current version of the college football schedule and 12-team playoff format have been widely debated and criticized, Key highlighted what he believes are the sport’s strengths.
A detailed view of a University of Virginia helmet sticker on a Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets helmet during a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium on November 19, 2022, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
The advent of name, image and likeness (NIL) rules and increased player mobility through the transfer portal have had massive effects on college football. While Key is well aware of the seismic changes in the sports landscape, he also acknowledged the ebbs and flows that college football has gone through roughly every two decades.
Key credited the positive progress he has seen over the years.
The College Football Playoff national championship trophy on the sidelines during a game between the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the Pittsburgh Panthers in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field on Nov. 22, 2025 in Atlanta. (Brett Davis/Image Images)
“There was a time when they voted on who was the national champion. Then times change. If you look at college football, every 15 or 20 years, there’s a major overhaul in college football. We’re going through one of those times right now,” Key said.
“Massive changes don’t happen overnight. At the end of the day, our job is to graduate players from college, get their degree and change their lives. We do it through football.”
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The Pop-Tarts Bowl begins Saturday at 3:30 pm ET at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for News Digital.