The NCAA transfer portal was introduced on October 15, 2018. The transfer portal was initially created to help with a smooth transfer process and allow athletes to publicise their transfer decisions. The transfer portal has brought a huge change to college sports and continues to change everyday. People have many different opinions on whether or not the transfer portal is helping or hurting college sports. 

I believe the transfer portal is both a positive and a negative for college sports. I believe that it is positive because the transfer portal provides college athletes with more control and flexibility over their careers. One example is Former Michigan Point Guard Tre Donaldson. Donaldson started his career playing two years at Auburn. He then transferred to Michigan for one season, then re-entered the transfer portal. Another positive from the transfer portal is the increased competition and level of play as players develop and break out. One notable example of this is Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow started his career at Ohio State, later transferring and leading Louisiana State University to a national championship. Although I believe that the transfer portal has positives, I know it has its negatives as well. 

In 2021, the NCAA passed the NIL rule, allowing college athletes to accept NIL deals. An NIL deal is a deal that allows athletes to profit off of their own personal brand. With NIL money being introduced into the NCAA, some colleges are able to pay more money for a player than other colleges would be able to, ultimately leading players to choose the school for the money instead of loyalty to the school. One example of a college student being paid more to flip schools or transfer is five-star Belleville High School Quarterback, Bryce Underwood. Underwood was initially committed to Louisiana State University, later flipping his commitment to the University of Michigan for an estimated total of $10.6 million dollars over the four years. This brought up lots of controversy and criticism for the transfer portal and left many college football fans mad with the decision of Underwood.

Another downside of the transfer portal includes potential instability for teams, as players are frequently transferring, ultimately disrupting the teams chemistry and continuity. This can bring up many challenges for coaches as well to build a winning culture and program with players just leaving after one season. One example of this happening is this year’s Indiana Hoosiers. The Hoosiers have no scholarship players returning due to the draft and the transfer portal.

Ultimately, love or hate the transfer portal, it is here to stay. I’m excited to see what the future holds for the transfer portal cand college sports.