The NCAA Transfer Portal is a tool that connects student-athletes with coaches and institutions that could be interested in recruiting them while they consider their transfer alternatives. The rule was revised in 2018 to provide student-athletes greater discretion over their college careers and to increase transparency in the transfer process. However, since its inception, the NCAA Transfer Portal has been a contentious issue. Many contend that it has brought chaos in college sports and given some teams unfair advantages. In this paper, I will examine the problems with the Transfer Portal and talk about solutions.
College athletics have been significantly impacted by the NCAA Transfer Portal. Transfers have significantly increased in Division
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First, it provides student-athletes with an opportunity to pursue their academic and athletic interests in an environment that better suits their needs. “One of the biggest advantages of allowing student-athletes to transfer from one program to another is that they get the best chance of playing during their football careers” (Sportskeeda 2023). This demonstrates that it does benefit the student's academic performance and the areas where they have the highest possibility of pursuing a college athletic career. Second, it makes a wider range of talent available to coaches and programs, which can help to up the level of competition and the standard of play. Despite all of this, I still think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages because some people will take advantage of the system and make college sports appear unfair.
Given the challenges created by the Transfer Portal, more restrictions are needed. One possible solution is to limit the number of transfers that a team can accept each year. This would help to reduce the concentration of talent at certain schools and would help to level the playing field for smaller programs. In addition, it would help to ensure that student-athletes are not constantly searching for the next best