While college football can be a volatile sport over topics like conference realignment, coaching carousels, etc., the concept of the transfer portal can be a war zone for athletes and coaches.
NC State head coach Dave Doeren launched a wild challenge for Wolf Pack fans this offseason, asking 5,000 fans to donate $1,000 each so the team can “recruit, retain and grow.” He then called the gate opening “maybe the worst week in college football.”
While the transfer portal has quickly become one of the quickest ways to revamp an underperforming team in the offseason, the addition of NIL has completely changed the game. Many coaches have criticized the current transfer portal life cycle by comparing it to NFL free agency.
With the transfer portal becoming an increasingly important part of college athletics, coaches like Deion Sanders are able to make a splash by bringing in new players in a short amount of time. The downside of the portal, in the eyes of some coaches, is the number of NIL opportunities needed for middle-of-the-pack schools to compete and recruit with bigger brands in an unpredictable landscape.
While it’s hard to call the gate opening the “worst week in college football,” fans should expect to see some big names hitting the gate, sooner rather than later.
