From the New Orleans locker room during Super Bowl week, Roger Goodell was steadfast. Despite the change in presidential administration and the political voices weighing in loudly on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the NFL would not change.
“We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League,” the NFL commissioner said, “and we're going to continue those efforts because we've not only convinced ourselves, I think we've proven ourselves that it does make the NFL better …
“We see how it's benefited the National Football League, and so I think we'll continue those efforts.”
On at least one front, they are not.
The NFL has canceled the coach accelerator program it had scheduled for May 20 and 21 in conjunction with league meetings in Minneapolis, a league spokeswoman confirmed.
The accelerator plan remained up on the official league calendar as of Tuesday afternoon. But the program, including its May coaching track and December front-office track, will not take place in 2025.
“We have decided to hold the next iteration of the Accelerator in May 2026,” NFL executive vice president and chief administrative officer Dasha Smith said in a statement. “This will allow us to reimagine the program, reflecting on the feedback and engaging with stakeholders so we can ensure a successful program in the future.”
Smith did not mention political currents in her statement, instead attributing the cancellation to the league’s annual offseason review of its programs effectiveness and “ways to make them more impactful.”
The league is interested in combining coaching and front-office programs to intermingle candidates — an iteration that multiple diverse coaching and front-office candidates have told Yahoo Sports they would prefer.
“We’re steadfast in our commitment to strengthen our talent pipeline and create an environment that reflects the diversity of our fan base,” Smith said in her statement. “The NFL strives to be a unifying force, and we are confident the next evolution of our efforts will take us one step closer to that goal.”
Whether related to political tides or not, the timing of the cancellation will raise eyebrows.
The cancellation news broke during the league’s highly publicized schedule release rollout. It broke just one week before the accelerator was scheduled to begin. A May 1 email inquiry from Yahoo Sports about the acceleration program went without response until now.
The NFL held six accelerator programs for coaches and/or front-office manager from May 2022 to December 2024.
The NFL women’s forum at the scouting combine continued in February. The general manager forum and quarterback coaching summit, which last year was held in partnership with the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is expected to again be held this summer.
Goodell said the NFL would not change diversity policies to appease corporate partners.
“We don't make policies for our sponsors or any of the corporations or networks or partners that we deal with,” he said.
Just in: NFL statement on league canceling the May 2025 coaching accelerator for diverse candidates with commitment to hold the next one in May 2026.
Statement from NFL EVP /Chief administrative officer Dasha Smith below. Full story coming shortly on @yahoosports. https://t.co/qDyyGTtTjgpic.twitter.com/iYSZjIzDKV
The league continued to implement the Rooney Rule this hiring season, requiring minority candidates to be interviewed for openings at head coach, general manager, coordinator and quarterback coach.
Goodell spoke in support of the Rooney Rule then, noting that widening the talent pool is “a very strong hiring practice” and not the league’s only effort.
“The Rooney Rule is a part of that process and an important part of that process,” Goodell said. “There's more to it. It's only one aspect of our policies.”
With the cancellation of the 2025 accelerator programs, the league will implement one fewer policy toward diversity efforts this year.
Goodell said the election would not impact that.
“We've talked to the diversity committee several times in the last six months or so, and we are incredibly confident of that,” Goodell said. “But we also believe that we're doing the right thing for the NFL.
“Our policies are consistent with the current administration as well as the last administration.”
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