by Jaxon Sturgeon

College sports used to be about development, watching players grow through the program, build chemistry with teammates, and represent their school with pride. Now, with the rise of the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, that’s starting to change. What once felt like a unique part of college athletics is starting to look a lot more like professional free agency.

The transfer portal was originally meant to give athletes more freedom. Before it existed, players who wanted to transfer often had to sit out a year or go through a messy process. The new system made it easier and fairer for athletes to move if they weren’t happy. But when NIL money entered the picture, things took a sharp turn. Now, the best players aren’t transferring for playing time; instead, they’re transferring for the biggest paycheck. 

Top programs can now essentially “buy” players by offering them huge NIL deals. Big schools with massive fan bases and booster support have the money to make these offers. Small programs, on the other hand, can’t compete financially. A player might spend two years developing at a smaller school, then leave for a powerhouse program that can offer more exposure and a better NIL deal. It’s frustrating for coaches who invest time into developing talent, only to lose that talent once the player becomes valuable.

Because of this, college recruiting has started to feel more like pro free agency. Coaches aren’t just trying to recruit high school players anymore; they’re constantly re-recruiting their own athletes, hoping they won’t jump ship. Players, too, are learning to treat college as a business, weighing offers and sponsorships like professional athletes. While that might sound fair on the surface, after all, they deserve to profit from their talent, it also strips away some of what made college sports special: loyalty, team growth, and long term development. 

In the end, the combination of the transfer portal and NIL has made college sports more about money than development. While it’s great that athletes finally have more control over their careers, it’s hard not to feel like the spirit of college athletics is being lost along the way.

If things keep heading in this direction, it’s going to start feeling less like college sports and more like the pros.