Is An NCAA Rule Delaying Billy Napier’s Exit At Florida?

Following a 1-3 start to the season and football coach Billy Napier’s 20-22 record in Gainesville, many Florida fans are asking why he hasn’t been fired. 

Statistically, Napier ranks among the least successful coaches in program history, reaching losing milestones that no Florida coach has hit in 40 years. Yet there may be a key reason why athletic director Scott Stricklin hasn’t acted yet.

The NCAA enforces a rule for schools that fire a coach early in the season: If a school dismisses a coach before its team’s fifth game, athletes can redshirt the season and gain access to a 30-day transfer window. For Florida, this rule remains in effect until the Gators face Texas on Oct. 4. If Stricklin fired Napier before that matchup, every player on the roster could immediately redshirt and transfer — months before most athletes at other programs could do the same.

Why does that matter? Players could still transfer later in the season if Stricklin decides to fire Napier, but one key detail changes the situation. If Stricklin waits until after the Texas game, players must wait until the season ends to enter the portal. That delay creates a window — from the week after conference championships until the portal officially opens — during which Florida could hire a new coach and give him time to convince players to stay. Losing that opportunity would make an already difficult rebuild even more challenging.

Other programs already show the consequences of early-season firings. After Virginia Tech fired Brent Pry and UCLA dismissed DeShaun Foster, players from both schools entered the transfer portal. If Florida fired Napier before the Texas game, it would face a similar wave of departures.

Maybe Stricklin already plans to make a change. Maybe he doesn’t. But if he does, the redshirt rule may have a role in his decision-making process.

Category: College Football, Gators Football, SEC