The transfer portal and NIL have rapidly transformed college athletics. While SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt is pleased that players are finally receiving more compensation, he remains concerned about the unregulated nature of these changes. Some argue that the portal and NIL are destroying March Madness and damaging college athletics. However, the contrary is evident; we just witnessed the most-watched NCAA Tournament opening weekend in decades, and college football’s popularity is at an all-time high. Yet, the NCAA is thriving despite its own shortcomings, as displayed by the illogical timing of the college basketball transfer portal’s opening during the NCAA Tournament.
Universal agreement exists that such a situation makes no sense. On Tuesday night’s SportsCenter, broadcast live from the TGL final, Van Pelt elaborated on the portal, addressing how every college player effectively acts as a free agent every year. This follows Tom Izzo’s passionate critique when questioned about it post-Michigan State’s Sweet 16 advancement.
The portal opening while the tourney is still going makes zero sense. pic.twitter.com/QQChzZ9nzT
— Stanford Steve (@StanfordSteve82) March 26, 2025
Van Pelt stated, “Whenever this topic arises, people assume I’m anti-player making any money. But that’s not true; I oppose the idea of every player on every team being a free agent yearly. Such a situation doesn’t occur in professional sports, yet it does in college football and basketball, which are deeply passionate arenas. The legal avenues for boosters to support players have turned it into an unmatched arms race devoid of regulations.” He questioned the massive number of players entering the portal, remarking, “It’s substantial, yet nearly inconsequential because it has become the norm. They’ll re-enter the portal next March. How can this possibly make sense?”
Scott Van Pelt is widely appreciated for his ability to navigate complex issues and find common ground, often lost in extreme views. Most sports fans likely agree that players deserve better compensation but feel uneasy about the overwhelming fluidity within the transfer portal. A viral graphic highlights the bewildering reality that the players on Sweet 16 teams rarely match where they began their college careers.
Where every Sweet 16 Team’s Starting-5 began playing college basketball.
(Try to figure out which teams are which) pic.twitter.com/MPomf1dyuT— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) March 25, 2025
While players should indeed have the freedom to move, paralleling coaches and others, the current state of the transfer portal resembles the Wild West, with nearly everyone functioning as a free agent annually. If the NCAA struggles with basic scheduling, the prospect of tackling significant issues like revenue sharing and establishing a manageable system for player compensation and reasonable transfers appears grim. A better path forward exists, but envisioning its swift implementation feels like optimistic wishful thinking.
