College sports have changed forever. Students now have the ability to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) as of 2021, where previously the schools gained the profits from the image of the athletes. In addition, college athletes, beginning in 2023, are able to transfer as many times as they want and face no penalties, according to ESPN. These have changed college sports as we know it.
Student athletes now have too much freedom to pursue profits rather than team loyalty and commitment and academics. The overall team dynamic is also significantly affected by the transfer portal, when players come and go over the course of their college career. Smaller schools with fewer resources are also negatively impacted by the pursuit of NIL through the transfer portal.
The schools with greater opportunities tend to be larger schools with bigger athlete programs, leaving smaller Division I universities with fewer top players.
During the NCAA Division I tournament March Madness, fans get excited to see “Cinderella runs,” which refers to underdog teams that are usually a lower seed in the tournament that most people do not expect to go far, but end up going deeper into the tournament. Cinderella runs are typically made by smaller schools with less resources. However, this year in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, there was a clear lack of Cinderella runs, as by the Sweet 16, the only teams left came from the Power Four conferences. Stephen A. Smith, an ESPN commentator and producer, blames NIL and the transfer portal for this and says “if this continues, it will be the death of college basketball” and that there will be no allure to the tournament. People love underdogs, but with the transfer portal and NIL deals many talented players are choosing big name universities, leaving smaller schools to suffer.
Not only does NIL cause problems between university teams, but it can harm teams themselves. With teams with high-profile and top-earning players, other players may feel overshadowed and less valued. This makes a team and team achievements become profitable for an individual.
However, good things can come out of NIL deals. Student athletes are able to pursue opportunities that they otherwise would not be able to before NIL eligibility. Star player for Louisiana State University women’s basketball team, Flau’jae Johnson was able to sign a record deal with an entertainment agency. In addition, especially for women’s sports, athletes are able to earn a significantly higher earnings from NIL compared to their professional salaries. When women’s basketball player Angel Reese entered the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), her rookie salary was $73,439, which is significantly less than her earnings from NIL. Reese has said that her salary in the WNBA is a “bonus” to her money earned through NIL deals.
NIL can do tremendous things for college athletes, and it has changed college sports forever. However, if NIL and the transfer portal continue to coexist with little regulation, we will continue to see the negative effects it has on college athletics. Smaller programs with fewer resources will suffer and team dynamics will forever be shifted.
In order for the transfer portal and NIL to positively coexist, the transfer portal needs more regulation. The transfer portal cannot be eliminated completely, as it is necessary for athletes to have certain freedoms in finding the best fit for themselves athletically and academically. However, in order to support their academics, student athletes cannot be allowed to transfer as much as they want with no consequences. Athletes that transfer often lose 60-70% of their college credits. A coach for the University of Oregon, Dan Lenning, told ESPN he “think[s] it’s going to make it harder and harder if guys become multiyear transfer guys for them to actually have a college degree.”
It is clear that the transfer portal, in addition to NIL deals, has completely changed the landscape of college sports, and in the years to come, college sports fans will continue to see the impact of them.
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