Miami’s Mario Cristobal Says the Heisman Trophy Should Be Awarded After the Playoffs

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal believes college football’s most prestigious individual honor is being handed out too soon — and he wants that to change.

During an appearance on the Pardon My Take podcast on Wednesday, Oct. 8, Cristobal voiced his frustration with the timing of the Heisman Trophy presentation, arguing that the award should take into account postseason performances, not just regular-season play.

“The only thing I’d wish about the Heisman Trophy is it was awarded when all the games are done,” Cristobal said. “That whole (giving out the) award before the postseason games are played is absolutely bizarre to me. Like I can’t comprehend it and never will.”

It’s a perspective that challenges decades of college football tradition — and one that’s gaining traction in an era when playoff performance can define a player’s legacy as much as any stat line from September or November.

A Call for Change in the Heisman Process

Since its inception in 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been awarded annually to the player deemed most outstanding in college football, as voted on by sports journalists, previous winners, and a collective fan vote. The ceremony has long been held in early to mid-December, after conference championships but before bowl games and the College Football Playoff.

Cristobal’s issue isn’t with who wins the trophy — but when. He believes the sport’s most meaningful games, played in late December and January, often showcase players at their best and reveal traits that should factor into the decision.

“You’ve got guys who elevate their play in the postseason, who carry their teams when everything’s on the line,” Cristobal explained. “And yet, those performances don’t even count toward the biggest award in the sport. It just doesn’t make sense.”

In Cristobal’s view, the current structure penalizes players on teams that reach the playoff or major bowls — since those defining moments happen after the voting is complete.

Why Cristobal’s Argument Makes Sense

The Heisman has always been tied to regular-season storylines. Voters submit their ballots after conference title games, which means the award reflects a player’s performance over roughly 12 to 13 games, ignoring what happens next.

But in modern college football, the postseason — particularly the College Football Playoff (CFP) — has become the sport’s ultimate proving ground. In 2025, the CFP expands to 12 teams, meaning elite players could potentially appear in up to 16 or 17 games, adding several high-pressure opportunities for Heisman-worthy performances.

Cristobal’s point is simple: if the Heisman is meant to recognize the best player in the nation, then why stop evaluating before the most important games are played?

Recent history strengthens his argument:

• 2019: LSU’s Joe Burrow won the Heisman easily — and then cemented his legendary season in the CFP, throwing for 956 yards and 12 touchdowns in two games. Those performances didn’t affect his Heisman campaign, but they ultimately defined his legacy.
• 2020: Alabama’s DeVonta Smith captured the Heisman before leading the Crimson Tide to a national title, including a 215-yard, three-touchdown performance in the championship game — which voters couldn’t consider.
• 2023: USC’s Caleb Williams won the award despite not appearing in the playoff, while several playoff stars, including C.J. Stroud and Stetson Bennett, continued to shine on the national stage afterward.

Under Cristobal’s proposal, postseason brilliance could either confirm a winner’s dominance or allow other players to rise in contention.

Tradition vs. Modern Reality

There’s also the question of tradition. The Heisman ceremony, broadcast live from New York City each December, is a staple of the college football calendar. It serves as both a capstone to the regular season and a promotional spectacle before the bowl games begin.

Changing its timing would be a logistical challenge — the ceremony’s TV rights, sponsor activations, and media commitments are all tied to that pre-bowl weekend. The Heisman Trust, which oversees the award, has historically defended its timing as a way to honor the regular season specifically.

However, as Cristobal and others see it, the sport itself has evolved beyond those boundaries.

“The landscape has changed,” Cristobal said. “The playoff is the centerpiece of college football now. Everything builds toward it. So why wouldn’t the Heisman reflect that too?”

Indeed, the college football calendar is no longer as segmented as it once was. Recruiting, transfer portals, NIL deals, and expanded playoffs have blurred the lines between the regular season and postseason — making Cristobal’s argument feel not just reasonable, but almost inevitable.

Coaches, Players, and Fans Weigh In

Cristobal isn’t the first coach to float the idea of shifting the Heisman’s timing, but his comments come at a moment when fans and analysts are questioning what the trophy truly represents.

Some agree with him, saying the current system often rewards statistics and hype over resilience and leadership under pressure. Others argue that extending the voting window could complicate logistics and introduce bias toward playoff teams, since not every contender gets the same postseason exposure.

A former Heisman voter and ESPN analyst, Desmond Howard, once noted that the award is designed to celebrate “the best of the regular season,” not the postseason. But even he admitted the line is becoming harder to justify.

“When the games that matter most happen after the ballots are in, you’re always going to have that disconnect,” Howard said in a past interview.

Cristobal, meanwhile, doesn’t see it as an attack on tradition — just a call to evolve.

“I love what the Heisman stands for,” he said. “It’s an incredible honor. I just think it should reflect the entire season — from Week 1 to the last snap of the national championship.”

A Broader Conversation About Fairness

Cristobal’s comments also touch on a deeper issue in college football: the tension between individual recognition and team success. Players on teams that miss the playoff often finish their seasons weeks earlier, while those on championship-caliber rosters continue playing high-stakes football — unseen by voters.

By moving the Heisman vote until after the playoffs, Cristobal argues, the sport would ensure that every player’s full body of work is considered equally.

Still, the logistics of such a change would be complicated. The Heisman Trust would have to delay voting, coordinate travel for finalists around playoff games, and risk overlapping with NFL Draft declarations and bowl cancellations.

Yet Cristobal’s message resonates: college football’s postseason defines greatness, and the sport’s most celebrated award should adapt accordingly.

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