The NCAA transfer portal was launched in 2018 to allow student athletes to register their interest in transferring to another school. Prior to its introduction any student athlete seeking a transfer would have to have that request approved by their current school, which could often take months to get signed off.
With the transfer portal’s introduction, student athletes can declare interest to transfer via the portal and then be contacted by other schools directly, without needing approval from the school they’re currently enrolled in.
Once the athlete declares their plan to enter the portal, their school has two working days to enter the athlete into the transfer portals database.
While the portal’s introduction made it easier for student athletes to move to another school, the number of transfers only increased by 10% in NCAA men’s basketball, and only around 5% in womens basketball during the 2018-2019 season.
Reasons for transferring
So what are some of the reasons a student athlete might want to enter the portal and head to a new school?
One of the main reasons is a coaching change within the program they currently belong to. A lot of student athletes accept scholarships with certain programs based on the relationship they have developed either with a head coach, position coach or somebody who spent a lot of time with the athlete during the recruiting process.
If that coach is then hired by another school or let go for any number of reasons from their current role, players who had built a strong connection with that individual can often declare an interest in transferring to follow the coach to another program.
This happens a lot, and one of the most recent examples is the hiring of Deion Sanders at Colorado. The former NFL legend had built a name for himself as a college football coach at Jackson State, an FCS school.
When he took the job at Colorado, at least six of his players from Jackson State transferred to Colorado to continue playing for Sanders.
Other key reasons for transferring include wanting to be closer to home. Oftentimes when a student moves across the country or far from home, they have a reason to want to head back to their home state to be closer to their family or loved ones.
The portal makes those decisions easier for the students, and transfers can go through a lot quicker than they used to before the implementation of the system.
How has the transfer portal evolved?
Each year, the number of students entering the transfer portal increases. In 2020, according to this report found on Sports Illustrated, the total number of students hoping to transfer was 896. In 2021, that number increased to 1,427.
While the opportunity to transfer is becoming easier than ever, it doesn’t guarantee that the student will be able to find a new school to start over with. Many students who declare their interest to enter the portal end up having to stay right where they are, which can be a frustrating situation for both the team and the athlete.
With the accessibility for student athletes to shop around for a new school comes competition. More names in the portal means less spots available, although the portal has become a key feature in the roster construction of sports rosters around the country.
One of the key ingredients to building a successful program in college football is how the head coach and his staff are able to utilize the transfer portal. Not only are they now recruiting high school graduates in the traditional sense, but also adding players of all kinds with varying levels of college football experience via the portal.
One key example of this was the transfer of quarterback Justin Fields from the University of Georgia to Ohio State. Fields was out of favor at Georgia and stuck behind quarterback Jake Fromm, and so transferred to a new school in the hopes of finding a new opportunity.
He ended up being a two year starter for the Buckeyes, and a first round draft pick.
Then there’s Joe Burrow, who got wedged down in the depth chart at Ohio State before making the decision to transfer to LSU, where the head coach Ed Orgeron believed he could run their system effectively, and handed him the keys.
Burrow went on to have one of the most successful seasons by any quarterback in college football history, helping to win the National Championship for LSU, and was drafted first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
How has the portal been affected by student athletes’ ability to sign NIL deals?
As of July 1st 2021, college athletes across D1, 2 and 3 became able to profit from their likeness by signing NIL deals, which stands for name, image and likeness deals. Prior to the agreement, players were unable to make any money off of their image before they turned into pro athletes.
That meant that the school wouldn’t sell jerseys or merchandise with players names or images on them because it was against the rules of the NCAA, but all of that has now changed. Many of the top college athletes now have lucrative NIL deals via sponsorships and brand partnerships, allowing them to make money while they’re still at school. One example here would be Archie Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, who are both Super Bowl winning quarterbacks with very successful careers.
Many believe that Archie has the opportunity to make millions of dollars off of his image while playing for the Texas Longhorns because of his bloodline, name recognition and potential to become a football star.
So how does it affect the portal?
Students may utilize the transfer portal to find a school where they believe they can earn more money from NIL deals. For example, an athlete may transfer to a school in a larger market or with a more lucrative endorsement deal to maximize their earning potential. However, it’s important to note that NIL deals are still subject to NCAA rules and regulations, and athletes are not allowed to receive payment in exchange for a promise to transfer to a specific school.
If a player who perhaps wasn’t recruited by the big market teams goes to a smaller school and has a wealth of success, he may then enter the transfer portal to move to a bigger team with more earning potential and exposure to potential NIL deals.
Wide receiver Jordan Addison is an example of this. He had a monstrous season at Pitt in 2021, and when his quarterback Kenny Pickett headed for the NFL at the end of the year, Addison headed for the NCAA college football transfer portal. He moved to USC, one of the biggest market teams in the country, and later signed an NIL deal with United Airlines.