NIL, transfer portal, out of control

For decades, college athletes were not paid. Their compensation was in the form of a scholarship that provided them a free education. How things have changed. The adoption of Name, Image and Likeness rules gives college athletes the opportunity to earn big money. Likewise, the adoption of the transfer portal, allowing student athletes to enroll at other schools without having to sit out a year is having a negative effect on college sports. Some students transfer to a new school, then leave that school without ever playing for the previous one. Few athletes stay at one school for their four years of eligibility, and at some point, it seems, we’ll see athletes transferring in season. The transfer portal, along with NIL, suddenly has given student athletes all the power. It has become a bidding war to land the services of today’s student athlete. Wisconsin basketball star A.J. Storr announced he is leaving the program, and will basically enroll with the highest bidder. He says he wants one million dollars to play for a new school. And someone will probably give it to him. This has gotten out of hand. Perhaps the old rules were a bit strict, but these new rules have turned college sports into an arms race, and that is not sustainable.