The National Football Foundation has lowered the eligibility criteria for coaches to be considered for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame beginning in 2027.

Leach won 18 games against AP-ranked teams while his own team was unranked, the most since the AP Top 25 Poll began in 1936. "The NFF is committed to preserving the integrity and prestige of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame,

The National Football Foundation announced an adjustment to eligibility criteria, opening the door for Kirk Ferentz's Hall of Fame candidacy.