College Football Commissioner Mock Draft: Picking the best or funniest options for a potential shift in the sport
College Football doesn’t need a commissioner, but if they had one, these guys would be awesome.
The state of college football is in a good place, or bad, depending on who you ask and how old they are. Of course, a lot of the old heads who keep up with the sport think it’s failing. The Transfer portal and NIL are ruining everything!
On the other hand, Indiana (!!!) just won a National Championship because of the era we are in. There is more parity than ever. Now, the NCAA does need to make some adjustments to make the product even better. But, at the same time, it doesn’t need a commissioner, at least not right now. Can we be honest for a second? The reason CFB is as exciting as it is, and is as crazy as it is, is because of the chaos. Making someone a commissioner would kind of ruin some of these entertaining storylines we often get as an audience.
However, if it ever did go that direction, there should be a committee to select the commissioner, since there seems to be a committee for everything else. Some of the A to Z Sports College Football staff have provided you with some great names. However, Rob Gregson, Adam Holt, and I have changed it up a bit, giving it to you in a format that seems popular these days—a mock draft.
College Football Commissioner Mock Snake Draft
Round 1, Pick 1: Nick Saban
There will be others in this mock draft (including picks of my own), but if these were actual NFL Draft prospects, Nick Saban would be a perfect 10 on the grading scale. Should college football ever decide to elect a commissioner, the conversation starts and ends with former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Forget the fact that he’s won more championships than any other coach or that he’s coached the most first-round NFL Draft picks in the history of the sport.
Coach Saban knows how to read a room. He can motivate a rock to move, and he would govern the sport the way he did his teams: through discipline, integrity, and pride. He knows what’s best for college football because he’s won at every level. There will never be another Coach Saban, and that alone should have him as the top man for the job. – Rob Gregson
Round 1, Pick 2: Andrew Luck
I mean, the guy went to Stanford. Let’s be real, Luck is one of the smartest players the game has seen. This isn’t just any former player we are submitting as a potential candidate for the commissioner of college football—this is a guy who’s currently the GM of Stanford football in the NIL era. Luck also played in the NFL for the Indianapolis Colts, a league that has a commissioner. His father, Oliver Luck, may actually be a candidate for this job if it ever becomes a real thing. But, wouldn’t it be so much cooler to get Andrew Luck in front of microphones talking about the state of college football? – Justin Churchill
Round 1, Pick 3: Chris Fowler
Fowler is one of the brightest minds and hardest workers in college football announcing. He already shares connections with a plethora of programs and coaches. He would be a strong, yet underrated, candidate. – Adam Holt
Round 2, Pick 4: David Shaw
David Shaw has been around football for quite some time. Still just 53 years old, he coached Stanford for over a decade and helped that program see some of its greatest success. Shaw has been an assistant in the NFL for a handful of teams and also served as Senior personnel executive for the Denver Broncos in 2024. – Adam Holt
Round 2, Pick 5: Mack Brown
When it comes to being the commissioner of one of the biggest sports leagues in the world, you have to be at least a little political. Brown does give off the vibes that he could handle that side of things. Now, would he be able to handle the TV deals and related matters? Maybe not. But he’s the commissioner, so he can hire someone else for that. Brown is respected by most, so this pick is a no-doubter in my mind. – Justin Churchill
Round 2, Pick 6: Josh Pate
Josh Pate may elicit some mixed feelings, but you don’t become the voice of college football without knowing the sport, and more importantly for this exercise, being authentic. Pate is a person who puts on a clown nose and plays music when he has a take or prediction that blows up in his face. He’s not afraid to go out on a limb as long as his opinion is backed up with data points. He’s also not afraid to admit when those date points were wrong.
The college football commissioner doesn’t have to be perfect. He or she just needs to have a genuine passion for the sport and must hold themselves and the people around them accountable. Pate checks those boxes and then some. – Rob Gregson
Round 3, Pick 7: Kirk Herbstreit
If Nick Saban were to turn down the job, the search committee should turn its attention to none other than the face of the sport for decades, Kirk Herbstreit. It’s hard to create a candidate with a better resume than Herbstresit. Not only was he the quarterback for one of the most blue-blooded programs in the sport via the Ohio State Buckeyes, but the popularity of college football doesn’t happen without Herbstreit.
Alongside Lee Corso, Herbstreit helped turn College GameDay into must-watch television every Saturday. He helped shine a light on the pageantry and tradition of college football. His analysis during games has quite literally changed programs. It was his speech during a Miami Hurricanes blowout at the beginning of the decade that spawned the change in Coral Gables that would bring the U back. Herbstreit has dedicated much of his life to the sport, and being a part of the oversight feels appropriate for someone as emotionally invested. – Rob Gregson
Round 3, Pick 8: Bob Stoops
Doesn’t everyone love them some Bob Stoops? A former National Champion with the Oklahoma Sooners, he’s recently retired from coaching in the UFL. So, he’s got some time on his hands now, and if you’ve ever heard some of his radio hits as of late, he knows what he’s talking about and what’s going on in the new world of college football. Stoops has seen what it takes to succeed in a competitive environment; he’s developed players, sent them to the league from two different leagues, and experimented with different types of football with different rules, like those in the UFL. He’s not against change, and he’s pretty hilarious. – Justin Churchill
Round 3, Pick 9: Chris Petersen
Chris Petersen has been one of the most well-respected coaches of this generation in CFB. He’s level-headed but also deeply passionate about leading young athletes and building culture. His name has been floated as a candidate in this discussion since its inception, and I think his demeanor and personality fit this role in the sport. Petersen is also the winningest coach in Boise State history. – Adam Holt
Ohio State Buckeyes News
Josh Pate is very high on the Ohio State Buckeyes in his college football program rankings, and it’s hard to argue
The Buckeyes have built one of the very best football programs there are.
