Transfer portal is clearly ruining college sports

[jivecat]

Basketball has turned into a joke. Football is only slightly behind. We have created a culture of..."if you don't give me the job, I won't work hard and will move elsewhere" mentality for 19 year old kids. This is unreal. Don't be surprised when schools begin to drop football in 5 years because they can't afford to recruit kids for 6 years or pay them. Football was getting ridiculous but now we are at a point of absurdity. I barely know a player in college basketball these days. They best players may play for 1.5 years tops.....hard to follow.

 

[Rutherford21]

Agree.
I think I watched about a total of 3 minutes of the tournament this year.
The pandemic schedule certainly didnt help but the transfer rules are ludacris.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

The NCAA rules mandating rules to transfer has changed for the better. These players have every right to change schools if they wish......free country

 

[LeftCoastPanther]

The handlers are going to make out great. Two paydays now coming for a lot of them.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I posted this in a thread on the pay hoops board but it applies here too.

I don't know how to solve this. I think right now, this being shiny and new, it is a big thing that everyone is trying. I think you will see alot of kids pull back from the portal though, some of this is obvious a fishing expedition. And as they find out the grass isn't always greener, in subsequent years, there will be less and less kids in the portal. Or at least I hope.

But no doubt the coaches just leaving on dimes freely without penalty, and the sheer amount of money paid coaches and universities, and little going to the players, the players are using this as some way to wield and take some power back.

What I am also wondering, is now what kind of nefarious recruiting is being done of players on scholarship with teams. We saw the curious case of Oscar T at WVU. Man, there is some really dirty stuff going on.

 

[jivecat]

Agreed...it definitely opens up some dirty recruiting. Why not sign college athletes to contracts? We will give you 5 years education, room, and board but you are exclusive with this University.

 

[WeaverIsComing]

I posted this in a thread on the pay hoops board but it applies here too.

I don't know how to solve this. I think right now, this being shiny and new, it is a big thing that everyone is trying. I think you will see alot of kids pull back from the portal though, some of this is obvious a fishing expedition. And as they find out the grass isn't always greener, in subsequent years, there will be less and less kids in the portal. Or at least I hope.

But no doubt the coaches just leaving on dimes freely without penalty, and the sheer amount of money paid coaches and universities, and little going to the players, the players are using this as some way to wield and take some power back.

What I am also wondering, is now what kind of nefarious recruiting is being done of players on scholarship with teams. We saw the curious case of Oscar T at WVU. Man, there is some really dirty stuff going on.

Easy fix - make them pass a test to enter the portal.

 

[NCPitt]

Easy fix - make them pass a test to enter the portal.

...with a state-issued ID requirement.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

They should have to achieve and maintain elite level peloton athlete

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The NCAA rules mandating rules to transfer has changed for the better. These players have every right to change schools if they wish......free country

Yes, they have every right to transfer but they should have no right to play right away. Remember, these are STUDENT-athletes 😉. If a student-athlete finds another university's academic offerings superior, they should transfer and sit the year out to concentrate on academics. Its an extra free year of schooling. They dont lose the year of athletic eligibility so what's the harm? They can still practice with the team but have to sit out a season of games. Big deal.

College sports are already a joke. Creating free agency is incredibly bad for business. The good news is that football players aren't going to transfer at anywhere near the rate of basketball players for reasons I dont feel like getting into right now. Currently, about 25% of ALL college basketball players are in the transfer portal and that might increase to 30%-35%. Its insane. You cant be turning over rosters every year. There needs to be some semblance of team and you cant keep pissing off fans who continue to watch scores of players from their teams transfer. Fans pay the bills remember.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

So if a student transfers to another college they should sit out a year before taking classes? Last time I checked the US is still a free country!

Yes, they have every right to transfer but they should have no right to play right away. Remember, these are STUDENT-athletes 😉. If a student-athlete finds another university's academic offerings superior, they should transfer and sit the year out to concentrate on academics. Its an extra free year of schooling. They dont lose the year of athletic eligibility so what's the harm? They can still practice with the team but have to sit out a season of games. Big deal.

College sports are already a joke. Creating free agency is incredibly bad for business. The good news is that football players aren't going to transfer at anywhere near the rate of basketball players for reasons I dont feel like getting into right now. Currently, about 25% of ALL college basketball players are in the transfer portal and that might increase to 30%-35%. Its insane. You cant be turning over rosters every year. There needs to be some semblance of team and you cant keep pissing off fans who continue to watch scores of players from their teams transfer. Fans pay the bills remember.

 

[Macchiato]

Maybe finally Robert Foster will transfer to PITT

 

[jivecat]

So if a student transfers to another college they should sit out a year before taking classes? Last time I checked the US is still a free country!

All the more reason to have them sign an agreement...perhaps if they are so motivated to transfer, they will pay back the "former" university for the cost associated with their scholarship. The rest of us would have to pay back a loan if we left.

 

[PittMan 72]

Be interesting to see how many players that enter the Portal DO NOT find a new home; and then what effect that might have on the future if there are enough who end up getting burnt by this. Obviously there are lots of players who are in demand and will have no trouble finding the spot they want. But probably that won’t be the case for everyone.

A player can withdraw from the Portal. But his prior school doesn't have to put him back on scholarship.

“If student-athletes withdraw from the portal, the original school can return them to the roster and restore athletics aid if it chooses.”

”The schools put a lot of resources and hours into the recruiting process,” says Lisa Archbald, associate commissioner for compliance and governance and senior woman administrator of the Northeast Conference. “The membership wanted there to be some accountability for the student-athletes.”

https://www.ncaa.org/static/champion/what-the-ncaa-transfer-portal-is/

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Yes, they have every right to transfer but they should have no right to play right away. Remember, these are STUDENT-athletes 😉. If a student-athlete finds another university's academic offerings superior, they should transfer and sit the year out to concentrate on academics. Its an extra free year of schooling. They dont lose the year of athletic eligibility so what's the harm? They can still practice with the team but have to sit out a season of games. Big deal.

College sports are already a joke. Creating free agency is incredibly bad for business. The good news is that football players aren't going to transfer at anywhere near the rate of basketball players for reasons I dont feel like getting into right now. Currently, about 25% of ALL college basketball players are in the transfer portal and that might increase to 30%-35%. Its insane. You cant be turning over rosters every year. There needs to be some semblance of team and you cant keep pissing off fans who continue to watch scores of players from their teams transfer. Fans pay the bills remember.

Yeah. For once I kind of agree with you. But to be honest, college sports fans for the most part are stupider than pros. And there is more integrity in the little finger of pro sports than there is in the entire body of college sports.

How about......You can either have a 1 year or 4 year contract (scholarship) with a school. If you choose a 1 year, then you are not obligated to return the next year and you can transfer anywhere else. But the school is also not obligated to renew and can cut you. If you are a 4 year contract, you can still transfer, but it will require sitting out a year.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

So if a student transfers to another college they should sit out a year before taking classes? Last time I checked the US is still a free country!

Of course not. Math Department games aren't televised. CBS doesn't pay billions for a Math Tournament and there are no Math CFP games on ESPN. College basketball and football are essentially, minor league professional leagues. You CANNOT piss off the people paying its bills......or its millionaire coaches and bagmen who put a lot into getting these kids to campus.

 

[pittdan77]

Every time the system tips a little towards the athlete, there is a collective freak out.

Love the "make them sign a contract" group. There are so many reasons why that won't happen it's kind of funny that it keeps coming up. These kids are basically free paydays to the schools and never see anywhere close to the market value of their services. Allowing schools to stockpile talent based on whatever the coach promised isn't better for the kids. If the coaches don't like it, stop lying.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yeah. For once I kind of agree with you. But to be honest, college sports fans for the most part are stupider than pros. And there is more integrity in the little finger of pro sports than there is in the entire body of college sports.

How about......You can either have a 1 year or 4 year contract (scholarship) with a school. If you choose a 1 year, then you are not obligated to return the next year and you can transfer anywhere else. But the school is also not obligated to renew and can cut you. If you are a 4 year contract, you can still transfer, but it will require sitting out a year.

How bout just sit out and do school work if you transfer?

Only exceptions:

- true family reason (like the kid legitimately has to care for a legitimately gravely ill parent or grandparent). If the dad breaks his ankle, no that doesn't count. Still sit a year.

- HC leaves

To make it fair, I believe HC's should also sit games out for a year if they leave their team without being fired.

 

[Chem95]

Um, OK, who decides whether the 'exception' is real or imagined? What you describe is what we have right now. With the NCAA deciding who gets to play and who must sit out a year. It's B.S. There is no transparency or logic to most of the transfer eligibility rulings now...Oh, and the take forever in some cases.

While it may take some getting used to from the fans perspective (and I guess, from the players and coaches as well), this is BY FAR the most fair thing to have. Especially from the STUDENT-ATHLETES prospective

 

[pittdan77]

Um, OK, who decides whether the 'exception' is real or imagined? What you describe is what we have right now. With the NCAA deciding who gets to play and who must sit out a year. It's B.S. There is no transparency or logic to most of the transfer eligibility rulings now...Oh, and the take forever in some cases.

While it may take some getting used to from the fans perspective (and I guess, from the players and coaches as well), this is BY FAR the most fair thing to have. Especially from the STUDENT-ATHLETES prospective

As long as everyone is pretending that it's the "student-athlete" whose best interests should always be put first, this really is what is best. If they ever want to make athletes employees, then that relationship changes but the cost benefit isn't there. My guess is that it is much easier to dump a few extra bucks into the recruiting budget or change the rules that make recruiting transfers more cost effective.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Basketball has turned into a joke. Football is only slightly behind. We have created a culture of..."if you don't give me the job, I won't work hard and will move elsewhere" mentality for 19 year old kids. This is unreal. Don't be surprised when schools begin to drop football in 5 years because they can't afford to recruit kids for 6 years or pay them. Football was getting ridiculous but now we are at a point of absurdity. I barely know a player in college basketball these days. They best players may play for 1.5 years tops.....hard to follow.

Except for the transfers that came to Pitt
Those ones are okay

 

[voiceyouropinion]

Basketball has turned into a joke. Football is only slightly behind. We have created a culture of..."if you don't give me the job, I won't work hard and will move elsewhere" mentality for 19 year old kids. This is unreal. Don't be surprised when schools begin to drop football in 5 years because they can't afford to recruit kids for 6 years or pay them. Football was getting ridiculous but now we are at a point of absurdity. I barely know a player in college basketball these days. They best players may play for 1.5 years tops.....hard to follow.

We give that mentality to adults in this country what is the difference?

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

We give that mentality to adults in this country what is the difference?

None
Some weird fixation of the good old days of kids having no power for their labor I guess

 

[jivecat]

Except for the transfers that came to Pitt
Those ones are okay

No thanks. I’m not a retread fan.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

No thanks. I’m not a retread fan.

Gotcha
I assume no professional sports for you .
Likewise are consternated regarding the coaching staff carousels for decades

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Um, OK, who decides whether the 'exception' is real or imagined? What you describe is what we have right now. With the NCAA deciding who gets to play and who must sit out a year. It's B.S. There is no transparency or logic to most of the transfer eligibility rulings now...Oh, and the take forever in some cases.

While it may take some getting used to from the fans perspective (and I guess, from the players and coaches as well), this is BY FAR the most fair thing to have. Especially from the STUDENT-ATHLETES prospective

Easy. An NCAA doctor decides. They determine if the parent or grandparent need the assistance of the player to sustain life. A broken ankle doesn't suffice.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Easy. An NCAA doctor decides. They determine if the parent or grandparent need the assistance of the player to sustain life. A broken ankle doesn't suffice.

Wrong
Every student can transfer for any reason
Athletes are no exception
Only dopes keep on the wrong side of this issue

 

[pittiswhereiamfrom2]

Basketball has turned into a joke. Football is only slightly behind. We have created a culture of..."if you don't give me the job, I won't work hard and will move elsewhere" mentality for 19 year old kids. This is unreal. Don't be surprised when schools begin to drop football in 5 years because they can't afford to recruit kids for 6 years or pay them. Football was getting ridiculous but now we are at a point of absurdity. I barely know a player in college basketball these days. They best players may play for 1.5 years tops.....hard to follow.

I think many predicted this long ago. Logic would prove this by just exercising a small amount of it.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Wrong
Every student can transfer for any reason
Athletes are no exception
Only dopes keep on the wrong side of this issue

Yep. Nothing preventing a kid from transferring. A doctor can decide whether the kid should get a hardship waiver so he can play right away. If he doesn't get it, he will have even more time to devote to his hardship situation

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Yep. Nothing preventing a kid from transferring. A doctor can decide whether the kid should get a hardship waiver so he can play right away. If he doesn't get it, he will have even more time to devote to his hardship situation

Scholarships are 1 year at a time
The universities screwed their own pooch
Every other athlete and sport has been able to transfer without sitting out save for 3.
Those 3 hold outs will change
And players will get their likeness rights as well

it’s simple logic

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

I think many predicted this long ago. Logic would prove this by just exercising a small amount of it.

Logic proved the monopoly powers of some sports were always going to fail
I agree
Only those devoid of logic would fail to see this and would whine about it

 

[HailToPitt725]

Unpopular opinion, but I’m OK with the transfers. In fact, I’m in favor of even laxer rules. I believe they, the student athletes, have just as much a right to transfer to their school of choice as regular students do, regardless of the reason or frequency.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

Not a big fan of the indentured servant! Let freedom ring!

Unpopular opinion, but I’m OK with the transfers. In fact, I’m in favor of even laxer rules. I believe they, the student athletes, have just as much a right to transfer to their school of choice as regular students do, regardless of the reason or frequency.

 

[PittMan 72]

Unpopular opinion, but I’m OK with the transfers. In fact, I’m in favor of even laxer rules. I believe they, the student athletes, have just as much a right to transfer to their school of choice as regular students do, regardless of the reason or frequency.

Completely reasonable, noble and understandable position. But what’s going to happen if TV gets put off if things get less interesting and competitive? Or if fans and donors quit subsidizing? These are the sources that finance CFB and CBB.

These are somewhat uncharted waters for college athletics. It will be very interesting to observe what the effects of this free-for-all are. It may work? It certainly swings the pendulum in favor of the athletes in terms of freedom of movement. Could result in more excitement with the possibility of teams coming out of nowhere unexpectedly?

But what if it kills the host the athletes are living from? IDK what is going to happen? But it certainly will result in something very “different” from the system that has been around for a long time. Have to wait and see how it all works out. Hard to say what may result?

 

[HailToPitt725]

Completely reasonable, noble and understandable position. But what’s going to happen if TV gets put off if things get less interesting and competitive? Or if fans and donors quit subsidizing? These are the sources that finance CFB and CBB.

These are somewhat uncharted waters for college athletics. It will be very interesting to observe what the effects of this free-for-all are. It may work? It certainly swings the pendulum in favor of the athletes in terms of freedom of movement. Could result in more excitement with the possibility of teams coming out of nowhere unexpectedly?

But what if it kills the host the athletes are living from? IDK what is going to happen? But it certainly will result in something very “different” from the system that has been around for a long time. Have to wait and see how it all works out. Hard to say what may result?

All fair points. Here’s how I view it,

1. I’m not sure an increase in transfers would necessarily mean a loss of TV revenue or donor revenue. My evidence of this would be that transfer rules have already begun loosening over the past decade or so and the business of collegiate athletics has not seen a drop off. I think this will continue in large part because no matter what rules are in place, the “big boys” of each sport will continue navigating them to ensure they remain competitive. If they continue to win, I don’t see why revenue would decrease from either source. In fact, playing devil’s advocate, it may even entice donors to spend more towards facilities in hopes that their school would become the next “transfer destination.”
2. I get the uncertainly, but I actually see relaxed transfer rules as something holding collegiate athletics together, not tearing it apart. My theory behind this is that it, along with student athletes being able to profit off of their likeness, could be used as concessions to deter an actual nuclear scenario from happening: paying them. I personally don’t believe that student athletes should be paid, and I think that it would have huge, drastic ripple effects on the entire landscape of college sports (Title IX, smaller schools dropping out, etc). IMO it all depends on the current case being heard before the SCOTUS. I’m inclined to think that the NCAA will do everything to hold onto its current grip on collegiate athletics and would go as far as they need to, including loosened transfer rules, before allowing players to be paid. They could even spin it as amateur athletes having the same rights as any other college student, and so forth.

Like you mentioned, it’s a very fluid situation and certainly makes for good discussion. We shall see...

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I’m not sure an increase in transfers would necessarily mean a loss of TV revenue or donor revenue.

Well of course it won't.

I mean does anyone seriously think that if Pitt were to bring in a bunch of transfers (in either football or basketball) and those guys would help lead us to a championship (stop laughing, it's a hypothetical) that there would be Pitt fans would would stop donating money or stop watching on television because the star player and a couple of his teammates transferred from someplace else?

Really?

 

[HailToPitt725]

Well of course it won't.

I mean does anyone seriously think that if Pitt were to bring in a bunch of transfers (in either football or basketball) and those guys would help lead us to a championship (stop laughing, it's a hypothetical) that there would be Pitt fans would would stop donating money or stop watching on television because the star player and a couple of his teammates transferred from someplace else?

Really?

I don’t believe that was the argument that PittMan 72 was making, rather the other way around. I think he was trying to say that if student athletes from Alabama, Texas, etc. were to transfer to a school like Pitt and win national championships- AKA shift the balance of power in the college football/basketball landscape- then big money boosters from the “blue bloods” would pull money and less people would tune in, therefore losing television viewership. I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I believe his perspective is that our (Pitt’s) increase in viewership wouldn’t make up for their (SEC, etc.) loss.

With that being, I don’t believe that would be the case, that mass transfers would be the “straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I don’t believe that was the argument that PittMan 72 was making, rather the other way around. I think he was trying to say that if student athletes from Alabama, Texas, etc. were to transfer to a school like Pitt and win national championships- AKA shift the balance of power in the college football/basketball landscape- then big money boosters from the “blue bloods” would pull money and less people would tune in, therefore losing television viewership. I don’t want to put words into his mouth, but I believe his perspective is that our (Pitt’s) increase in viewership wouldn’t make up for their (SEC, etc.) loss.

With that being, I don’t believe that would be the case, that mass transfers would be the “straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

There are always going to be programs that win, and those programs will, over time, get more television viewers and more donor dollars. College football, or college sports in general, aren't going to fall apart over this. Which I think you agree with.

 

[YourPittDanceTeam]

...with a state-issued ID requirement.

...AND a valid Covid Passport.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

Completely reasonable, noble and understandable position. But what’s going to happen if TV gets put off if things get less interesting and competitive? Or if fans and donors quit subsidizing? These are the sources that finance CFB and CBB.

These are somewhat uncharted waters for college athletics. It will be very interesting to observe what the effects of this free-for-all are. It may work? It certainly swings the pendulum in favor of the athletes in terms of freedom of movement. Could result in more excitement with the possibility of teams coming out of nowhere unexpectedly?

But what if it kills the host the athletes are living from? IDK what is going to happen? But it certainly will result in something very “different” from the system that has been around for a long time. Have to wait and see how it all works out. Hard to say what may result?

Hopefully it means not for profit academic centers won’t make coaches multi millionaires