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In less than four full seasons, Brent Key has become the Georgia Tech football program around. 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 game with BYU During the Pop-Tarts Bowl, Key took a moment to share his thoughts on the oft-maligned state of college football.
“I think the state of college football…college football is at its best level ever,” 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 strong audiences the sport frequently attracts.
“The fan experience, the viewership…college football is at an all-time high,” Key noted. “The amount of people that are watching games, watching playoff games, watching (ESPN’s) ‘College GameDay,’ it’s just that overall, college football is a way of life, and I think there’s an unprecedented level of interest in college football.”
While the current version of college football The schedule and format of the 12-team playoffs have been widely debated and criticized, with Key highlighting what he sees as 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 shifts in the sports landscape, he also recognized the ebbs and flows that college football has gone through every two decades or so.
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 November 22, 2025, in Atlanta. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“There was a time when we voted on who was the national champion. So, times are changing. Look at college football. Every 15 to 20 years there’s a major overhaul in college football. We’re going through one of those times right now,” Key said.
“Massive change doesn’t happen overnight. Ultimately, our job is to get players out of college, graduate and change their lives. We do that through football.”
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The Pop-Tarts Bowl begins Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
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