Fox Sports announcer Joel Klatt walks across the field prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Analyst suggests brilliant solution for college football tampering

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/9/22

The time-honored tradition of tampering in college football may be worsening, but analyst Joel Klatt has the perfect solution - hitting head coaches where it hurts most, their wallets.

"You want to clean up tampering in college football? Klatt said. "Million-dollar fine for the head football coach. Boom, cleaned up right away."

"You want to clean up tampering in college football? Million dollar fine for the Head Football Coach."@joelklatt has a solution for programs/coaches tampering with other teams players ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/yX1G0e2EvP
— The Joel Klatt Show: A CFB Pod (@JoelKlattShow) December 9, 2022

Klatt said tampering should "never happen," yet it "happens all the time," and if a stricter penalty, with no wiggle room, were in place, things might change.

"If you get caught tampering -- your program gets caught tampering -- it's a million dollar fine for the head coach, period, blanket fine," Klatt said. "And not just like, 'hey, a booster can pay it.' No, no, no, take it out of your paycheck. It gets taken directly out of your paycheck."

Several head coaches have weighed in on tampering and how it relates to the transfer portal.

Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher said, "there is a lot of tampering that goes on within the portal" during an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show (h/t 24/7 Sports) back in April.

"It's funny," Fisher said," when a guy gets in the portal, he already knows where he's going."

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney also voiced his displeasure with tampering in college football earlier this year in an interview with 24/7 Sports. However, Swinney also offered a possible solution - moving the transfer period before the start of the season.

"For me personally, I wish it was earlier," Swinney said. "I wish it was August 1 or August 15 and then they have one in February."

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