College Football Has A Transfer Portal Problem
The spring transfer portal window has come to a close. As of 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, all applicants had to submit their paperwork to their compliance office saying they wanted to enter the transfer portal.
The spring cycle has been a crazy one in college football. In fact, this cycle set a record for most entrants ever.
247Sports reported there are currently 3,843 names in the transfer portal, which smashed the previous record of 3,502 set in last year’s cycle. More than 1,200 of those names were entered during this spring’s cycle. Some may look at it as it’s a good thing, but really that’s what is hurting college football the most.
A lot of people think NIL is hurting college football, and maybe it is to an extent, but in reality, paying players isn’t anything new. It’s just legal now. Some players are going to go to the highest bidder and that’s just how it is. But being able to get up and transfer whenever you want to wherever you want is what’s hurting the sport.
It’s hard for fans to connect with a guy when they don’t know if he’ll be on the team next year. It’s also hard on coaches because they must re-recruit their guys every year to stay on the team.
© SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK
There are some positives about it. It helps coaches flip their roster in one season if they want to. They can also get rid of bad apples who don’t fit their future plans. It’s also good for some of the players because it gives them a fresh start. Also, if coaches can leave whenever they want, why can’t the players?
But when coaches leave, there is still a penalty. There is still a buyout that has to take place because they are under contract. For players, that doesn’t exist.
Contracts need to come to the sport because, ultimately, that could keep more players at their schools in the long run. What player wants to play a chunk of their NIL earnings to leave? If the school he’s going to pays it, that also helps out the school he’s leaving.
All in all, while the transfer portal has some good qualities, it needs some tweaking because right now, it is too much of a fiasco that fans are tired of.