Athletes transferring

College players are transferring at an alarming rate. New transfer rules have made transferring to become like free agency. Players decide where they can get the best deal for themselves. If the grass appears to be greener on the other side there might be a reason for that.

Players enter into the Transfer Portal, which leaves college programs with big holes to fill. This brings up the concern over improprieties. Why are so many college football players transferring? In the past players were focusing on conferences or facilities. Now the biggest reason is playing time. Developing skills and competing is beginning to go by the wayside. Some players wait until they finish their undergraduate degree and transfer as a graduate student. Graduate students are eligible to play immediately.

In the past, if players wanted to get a good start to showcase their skills and improve their academics, they would go to a junior college. After two years, they would transfer to a four-year school. The negative to junior college participation is the risk of being injured and having no place to go.

Now NCAA D1-FCS, D2, and NAIA schools are beginning to serve the original junior college purpose. These institutions have full scholarships (FCS-63, D2-36, NAIA-24). A student-athlete can begin their career at a smaller level of a four-year institution college division. This allows an athlete to prove their skill set against four-year schools. Should they be outstanding players, then they might move up levels. They also might decide they are at a school they like and stay. This is more of a win-win situation.

Look at how the Transfer Portal has exploded in recent years. In the 2019 season, just 6.4% of FBS rosters were made up of transfers, according to data from SportSource Analytics. In 2023, that number grew to 20.5% of rosters. The transfer portal window opened on December 4th and the number of transfers this year is staggering.

How many times can a D1 athlete transfer? NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out a year. An additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver allowing the athlete to compete immediately. Without it, the athlete would have to sit out for a year at the new school.

Players need to be certain of wanting to transfer before they enter the Transfer Portal. The NCAA states student-athletes entering the transfer portal is at risk of losing their scholarship at their current institution. Their current institution has the ability to cancel or reduce their scholarship for the upcoming academic year, should the player end up not transferring. This means that a student-athlete may indeed lose their scholarship if they decide to enter the transfer portal. It is not a guarantee the player will find what they are looking for.

There is no guarantee when a player enters the Transfer Portal, they will receive a better deal. It would be better for players considering transferring the opportunity to reach out to other institutions. The NCAA rules though prohibit student-athletes to speak to other schools about transferring directly or indirectly through others (family members, scholastic or non-scholastic coach, advisor, former teammates, etc.).

Thought for the week,:“The grass might be greener on the other side because it sits on top of a cesspool.” Jack Welch

Dr. Jack Welch is an educator and college football coach. His doctorate is in educational administration, and he has been an educator, administrator, and football coach, mentoring young minds, for over 40 years. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching. He can be reached at jackwelch1975@gmail.com.