Kirby Smart of Georgia Talks About What He Misses Most About Contemporary College Football
College football has changed dramatically in recent years. From Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights to the expanded College Football Playoff, the sport has undergone sweeping reforms, and many of the traditions that once defined college football seem to be evolving, sometimes rapidly and at other times in ways that are difficult for long-time fans, coaches, and players to fully embrace. Kirby Smart, head coach of the Georgia Bulldogs, has been at the forefront of college football for nearly two decades. As a player, assistant coach, and now as the head coach of one of the most dominant programs in college football, Smart has seen firsthand the evolution of the game.
While Georgia has benefitted immensely from some of the changes, there is also a sense that some aspects of the sport’s previous culture and style have been lost or diminished. In interviews and public statements, Smart has been candid about his thoughts on the changing landscape of college football and the things he misses most about the traditional aspects of the game.
From the competitive nature of recruiting to the nuances of building a program, Kirby Smart’s perspective on the evolution of college football is both reflective and forward-looking. He has witnessed how changes in rules, recruiting, and player compensation have altered the fabric of the sport. In this article, we’ll explore some of the key things Kirby Smart misses most about contemporary college football and why those elements were so crucial to both the sport and the broader culture of the game.
1. The Traditional Recruiting Model
One of the areas Smart has consistently spoken about, both publicly and privately, is the way recruiting has changed in college football. In many ways, recruiting is more national and more competitive than ever, thanks to the internet, social media, and scouting services that make it easier for players and programs to find one another. The upside of these changes is clear: more visibility for players, greater opportunities for programs to recruit talent, and more choices for high school athletes. However, Smart also misses some of the more traditional elements of recruiting, such as building relationships with high school coaches and the in-person nature of connecting with players and their families.
Old-School Recruiting Relationships
In the past, recruiting was much more about relationships with high school coaches, local communities, and players who had been raised in a culture of loyalty to their universities. Coaches would spend countless hours traveling to high schools, sitting down with players and their families, and building relationships that could last throughout a player’s career. Smart, who himself went through a very traditional recruiting process when he was an athlete at the University of Georgia, often reminisces about how it felt to get recruited and how much of that process was built on trust, connections, and genuine interest in a player’s growth both on and off the field.
Today, recruiting has become much more transactional. Players can communicate directly with coaches and programs through digital platforms and social media, bypassing the traditional personal relationships that once served as the cornerstone of the recruiting process. The introduction of NIL and the transfer portal has only increased the commercialization of recruiting. Smart, who is now one of the most successful recruiters in the country, understands that this is a part of the new world of college football. However, he has expressed nostalgia for the days when recruiting was more personal, more about developing trust over time, and more about what a player could grow into rather than just their immediate ability to contribute.
The Loyalty of In-State Recruits
Another aspect of recruiting Smart misses is the loyalty of in-state recruits. There was a time when Georgia had an easier job keeping homegrown talent in-state. While the rise of national recruiting has allowed programs like Georgia to recruit players from across the country, it has also led to more in-state players choosing to leave for other top programs. Smart has often mentioned how he and other coaches in his position used to rely heavily on homegrown talent—players who had grown up loving the team, the state, and the culture of college football. Now, with the transfer portal and the ability for players to receive NIL compensation, these players may decide to play elsewhere, sometimes even as early as after their first year.
Smart’s frustration with this shift comes from his desire to build a program with a strong identity and connection to its home state. For him, having Georgia players who grew up watching the Bulldogs play, who understand the program’s history, and who want to represent their state is something that not only elevates the program but builds something truly special.
2. The One-Program Focus of the College Athlete
As college football evolves, players are becoming more transient, with the transfer portal allowing athletes to change programs with fewer restrictions than in years past. While this has undoubtedly provided opportunities for many players to find better fits for their talents and circumstances, it’s also led to the dissolution of the traditional, long-term commitment to a single program. Kirby Smart has spoken about how the one-program mentality—where a player spends their entire career at one school, developing not just on the field but within the program culture—has been diluted by the advent of the portal.
In Smart’s eyes, the transfer portal, while creating opportunities for players, has eroded some of the key elements of team culture and sustained growth that define successful college football programs. When a player switches schools after a single year or two, it’s harder to build the deep-rooted camaraderie that has always been a hallmark of elite teams. Smart believes that when players come into a program with the intent of sticking around for the long haul, it fosters a stronger sense of responsibility and a deeper understanding of the team’s goals.
Additionally, this transient nature of college football can impact the continuity of a program’s recruiting efforts. When players leave unexpectedly, it often leaves coaches scrambling to make up for lost scholarships and roster spots, which can disrupt a program’s ability to build depth year over year. Although Smart understands the freedom of choice that players now have, he still believes in the value of having a program full of players who are willing to commit long-term to one school, one system, and one goal.
3. The Simplicity of the Game: Less Over-Coaching, More Playing
Kirby Smart has been very vocal about the complexity that has seeped into contemporary college football. While no one is suggesting that the game should return to its roots of simple football, Smart often talks about the “good old days” when the focus was more on playing the game rather than constantly adjusting to new rules, technologies, and systems. The coaching profession has grown more sophisticated over time, and while that’s not inherently bad, Smart laments that the game has become more about managing systems than coaching players.
In his early days as a coach, Smart often says, it was more about teaching players how to execute basic plays and making sure they were ready for the fundamentals of the game. Now, he believes the sport has become overly reliant on technology, analytics, and minute adjustments, leading to more complexity than many players can handle.
One of the things Smart misses is the pure football aspect of the game—where preparation and instinct were enough to succeed. Instead of focusing on individual execution, modern football often gets bogged down with metrics, film studies, and technology-driven decisions. While Smart acknowledges that these tools are necessary for success, he also recognizes that they have changed the nature of the sport in ways that affect how the game is taught, played, and experienced.
4. The Impact of NIL and the Commercialization of College Football
Since the introduction of NIL in 2021, college football has experienced a profound shift in how players are compensated and how programs recruit. While NIL has brought much-needed financial opportunities to players, Smart has expressed concerns over how the new system has affected the culture of the sport. NIL allows players to profit off their names, images, and likenesses, leading to new opportunities, but it has also made recruiting a much more business-oriented process.
Kirby Smart has discussed how the financial aspect of college football, particularly with the advent of NIL deals, can sometimes overshadow the core principles of the game. College football, in its purest form, has always been about amateurism and the love of the game. While NIL provides players with opportunities for financial gain, it also complicates recruiting, as players may be more interested in finding the school with the most lucrative deal rather than the one that best fits their athletic goals and development.
In some ways, Smart misses the days when recruiting and college football were more about football, not about who could secure the largest endorsement deal. He worries that NIL has created a system where money plays too large a role in a player’s decision-making process, taking away from the traditional allure of playing for a school that emphasizes team and development over compensation.
Embracing Change While Honoring Tradition
Kirby Smart’s reflections on the state of contemporary college football show that, while change is inevitable, it doesn’t always come without a sense of loss. Whether it’s the personal nature of recruiting, the commitment to one program, the simplicity of the game, or the introduction of NIL, Smart has expressed a sense of nostalgia for aspects of the game that once defined college football at its purest level.
However, as a coach who has embraced both the evolution of the sport and the need for adaptation, Smart understands that progress is essential. His Georgia Bulldogs are one of the most dominant programs in college football, and Smart’s leadership has been instrumental in bringing the team to the top. While he may miss
certain aspects of the game, Smart remains committed to leading Georgia into the future while honoring the rich traditions of the sport.
