The Transfer Portal And The Effect On College Athletic Programs
March 24th, 12am, players enter their name into the transfer portal. The next 30 days are filled with campus visits, phone calls from prospective players and coaches, pressure from family and tempting deals student athletes can't turn down.
But what really is the transfer portal, and why has it become such an appealing opportunity for student athletes looking to enhance their collegiate careers.
Some love it, some hate it. It doesn't matter what side of the fence you fall under, it's still changing the landscape of college athletics.
The transfer portal was created to
"manage and facilitate the process for student athletes seeking to transfer between member institutions". While most of the media coverage falls under D-1 athletics, the transfer portal is used by all NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) divisions. The transfer portal brings a renewed sense of hope and opportunities to athletes struggling at their school, but it also brings controversies to the table.
The transfer portal was created in 2018. Initially, this was when student athletes just had to declare their intent to transfer and receive contact from other schools. This replaced the old system where athletes were required to get permission from their current school to make the transfer. Schools had a two business day deadline to enter the student's name into the transfer portal. This process aimed to increase transparency and streamline the transfer process for everyone.
Over time, the overall rules have changed. In 2021, the NCAA began implementing the rule "one time transfer" which allows the year long sit out period to be eliminated and granted immediate eligibility for first time transfers. In 2024, the rule removing the amount of time that a student was required to be sidelined was abolished, proving that this landscape is a rapidly changing opportunity for students.
The portal has created ample opportunities as well, as it has allowed for teams to continue to add players and fill gaps that might be on their roster. Since the primary reasons that athletes transfer are lack of playing time, exposure and not acclimating to their campus, the transfer portal provides an attractive alternative.
Another strong reason why students have been using the transfer portal is due to mental health struggles, specifically evident in 61% for women and 40 % for men. In addition, 56% of women cited coaching conflicts and 36% of men cited better playing opportunities as alternative reasons.
The movement of the transfer portal affects how coaches will build their programs moving forward, while also creating less opportunities for high school students.
Coaches cite issues with roster management and the rebuild that would have to happen. A NCAA survey reports that 25% of coaches in D-1, 18% in D-II and 12% in D-III, reported high levels of stress related to recruiting four year transfer athletes.
The recruitment process starts on day one; it's a high speed chase for those top athletes trying to find the best opportunity. As soon as a player's name goes in, it's legal for schools to begin communication. This can entail dozens of phone calls, text messages, dm's and campus invitations from coaches around the world. Who gets the first chance to secure their next big star? The competition is fierce to see which team gets the first chance to secure their next big star!
This process turns the coach into a persistent salesperson tasked with selling their school so that they can secure the next star. Included in the recruitment process is the showcasing of their facilities, promises of increased playing time, presence of support systems and even the ability to secure NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deals.
Potential teams will encourage their existing stars to solicit potential new recruits via social media platforms. It cannot be overstated how big of a tool social media becomes in the pursuit of a big recruit.
The transfer portal also provides positives for the players, as it shows how they are taking initiative in their prospective careers. However, it may also potentially cause the backlash that these students are getting paid significantly more money than other students or student employees working a job on any given campus. On a positive note, the transfer portal leads to players becoming more popular and gaining greater traction for those that are looking to go pro.
The portal also hurts small market teams, as they are constantly stuck in the rebuilding phase as their superstar players seek better opportunities with larger schools. There are also players who never find their way out of the transfer portal. In 2024, 1,882 mens basketball players entered the portal by May. By November of the same year, only about 1,317 had found new homes.
So far in 2025, 2,320 mens basketball players have entered into the transfer portal, which represents an
increase of 11% already from last year. A big conversation topic this year was the opening of the portal while the NCAA March Madness tournament was still going on. Coaches have had the challenge of multitasking between trying to recruit new players and preparing for games on the national stage. In an interview, Dawn Staley, Head Coach of USC Women's Basketball told reporters, "I think the timing is all screwed up."
While the future of the portal is still unclear, one thing for sure is that schools such as High Point, benefit greatly from the portal. Just this season, 12 players entered into the portal for the Panthers, which represents over 50 % of its roster. In return, the Panthers were able to gain 8 new transfers, with some coming from standout D1 schools such as Arizona, UConn, Virginia Tech and more.
Overall, the first 24 hours is chaos, but has March Madness become transfer portal madness? There are still things to find out as the transfer portal continues to evolve, but one thing for sure is that schools, like HPU, certainly aren't complaining!
