College Football’s Free Agency Era: The Case for Reinstating Transfer Limits

In October 2018, the NCAA introduced the transfer portal, a system designed to streamline the process for student-athletes seeking to transfer from one school to another.[1] Initially, the portal was seen as a progressive step toward empowering players, offering them greater flexibility and control over their collegiate careers. However, what began as a well-intentioned tool has since evolved into a complex and controversial system, reshaping the landscape of college football in ways that have left fans, coaches, and programs grappling with unintended consequences. From inconsistent eligibility rulings to the advent of unlimited transfers, the transfer portal has become a double-edged sword, providing opportunities for players while creating significant challenges for the sport as a whole. The perfect solution to these problems is to return to a one-transfer and one-grad-transfer rule, retaining player freedom while restoring predictability and stability for everyone involved in the sport.

Since its inception, we have seen numerous rule changes surrounding eligibility, which left many confused about whether transferring players would be eligible to play the following season or not. Players who were initially ruled ineligible to play after transferring could apply for waivers, but the NCAA’s decisions on these waivers were often arbitrary, leaving many athletes in limbo.[2] This inconsistency led to frustration and even lawsuits, prompting the NCAA in April 2021 to grant all players one free transfer.[3] Just three years later, in April 2024, the NCAA took another drastic step, allowing unlimited transfers with no loss of eligibility.[4] The new rule gives players the freedom to transfer as many times as they want but comes at a great cost to everyone else involved in the sport.

Players having the unrestricted right to transfer has undoubtedly benefited them, but it has also created a host of challenges for coaches, programs, and fans. The unrestricted transfer market has eroded team stability, making it difficult for coaches to build long-term rosters and for fans to develop connections with players who may depart after a single season. Coaches now find themselves in a constant state of recruitment, not only targeting high school prospects and transfers but also working to retain their own players in the face of relentless poaching from other programs.[5] The transfer portal’s impact has been further amplified by the legalization of players benefitting from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals in June of 2021.[6] While NIL was intended to provide athletes with opportunities to monetize their personal brands, it has increasingly become a driving force behind player movement.

Coaches and schools are trying different methods to keep their players from prying eyes. One such method being used this spring, as publicized by Matt Rhule and Nebraska, is the cancelation of spring games to lessen player exposure to the outside world.[7] What began as a tool to give players opportunities to leave for a better fit has become a form of free agency, with many players going to the school offering them the most money through NIL. In 2022, we saw the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner leave ACC champion Pitt for USC and an NIL deal worth upwards of $2 million.[8] At the time, that seemed like an anomaly, but now it has become a trend, with players leveraging the transfer portal to maximize their earning potential. Of the 31 five-star rated quarterbacks from 2014 through 2023, 20 transferred at least once, and five transferred at least twice.[9] Over the past 2 seasons, 6 of the 8 Heisman finalists were transfers.[10] 

This shift has created a quasi-free agency system, where players are often motivated more by financial gain than by athletic or academic fit. The result is a competitive imbalance, with wealthier programs and collectives able to lure top talent away from smaller schools. Even the top programs are not immune, as they too have lost star players to the portal. Beyond the loss of marquee talent, many teams have struggled to maintain depth, particularly in the wake of coaching changes. For example, Colorado’s 2023 roster overhaul saw 56 players enter the transfer portal following the arrival of a new coaching staff, leaving the program in a state of flux.[11] 

The sheer number of players entering the portal each year is staggering and rising with each year. In 2020, 10 percent of all FBS and FCS players entered into the portal.[12] The next year, the percentage rose to 12 percent of all FCS players and 16 percent of FBS players.[13] This number pales in comparison to the over 11,000 NCAA football players across all divisions who entered the portal during the 2023-2024 window.[14] That record may again be broken this year, as December saw more FBS transfers than any year prior.[15] In addition to those players, many more could opt to transfer during the spring window, which saw over 1,200 transfers last year.[16] 

One of the most significant consequences of the transfer portal’s rise is its impact on high school recruiting. As programs increasingly turn to the portal to fill roster spots, opportunities for high school players are dwindling. Transfers offer several advantages over high school recruits: they are more physically mature, have college-level experience, and come with proven track records. This has led some programs to prioritize transfers over high school recruiting entirely. A prime example of this is Texas State in 2021, which decided to fill its entire recruiting class with transfers, not taking a single high school recruit.[17] 

The trend is further exacerbated by the NCAA’s recent decision to no longer count junior college experience against eligibility.[18] Junior college players now offer the same benefits as transfers— maturity and experience, without the drawback of limited eligibility, making them even more attractive to programs. Meanwhile, due to the increased competition for roster spots, high school recruits are potentially being pushed down a division or left without scholarship offers altogether. Some top-ranked high school players are even entering the portal before enrolling or transferring shortly after arriving on campus, creating a ripple effect that further crowds the market for roster spots.[19]

All of these factors are poised to decimate high school recruiting, pushing many players down a division from where they might have landed in the past. This domino effect will continue until some players are left without a home altogether. While the recent move to expand FBS rosters to 105 players will provide additional opportunities for some athletes, the elimination of walk-on programs threatens to shatter the dreams of many players who, in years past, would have earned a spot on an FBS roster through hard work and determination.[20] 

The best way to save high school recruiting and the dreams of players and their families is to eliminate the unlimited transfer rule while preserving walk-on opportunities. By limiting players to one transfer and one graduate transfer, the NCAA would significantly reduce the competition for roster spots, allowing schools to return to signing full high school recruiting classes. This change would give coaches the ability to plan their rosters more effectively and invest in the development of young talent. Additionally, retaining walk-on programs would provide a critical pathway for players willing to work their way up, ensuring that talented athletes don’t fall through the cracks.

The NCAA transfer portal was created with the goal of empowering student-athletes, but its unintended consequences have fundamentally altered the landscape of college football. While players have gained unprecedented freedom and financial opportunities, the sport has paid a steep price in the form of eroded team stability, diminished high school recruiting, and waning fan engagement. By reinstating transfer limits, prioritizing high school recruiting, and keeping walk-ons, the NCAA can at least partially restore balance to college football and ensure that the sport remains viable and vibrant for years to come. 

[1] Greg Johnson, What the NCAA Transfer Portal is... and What it isn’t, NCAA.org. (Oct. 8, 2019), https://www.ncaa.org/news/2023/2/8/media-center-what-the-ncaa-transfer-portal-is-and-what-it-isn-t.

[2] NCAA Dumps Requirement That Transfers Sit a Year, Sources Say, CNBC (Apr. 14, 2021), https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/14/ncaa-dumps-requirement-that-transfers-sit-a-year-sources-say.html?msockid=2afbd09d00a6623f0a7fc39e015763b9.

[3] Id.

[4] Meghan Durham Wright, Division I Council Approves Changes to Transfer Rules, NCAA.org (Apr. 17, 2024), https://www.ncaa.org/news/2024/4/17/media-center-division-i-council-approves-changes-to-transfer-rules.aspx.

[5] Pete Iacobelli & John Zenor, College Coaches Now Must Recruit, Retain Players with Transfer Rules, NBC4 Washington (Dec. 17, 2023), https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/ncaaf/college-coaches-now-must-retain-not-just-recruit-players-with-transfer-portal-rules/3496340/.

[6] NCSA College Recruiting, Name, Image, Likeness, ncsasports (Dec. 6, 2024), https://www.ncsasports.org/name-image-likeness#:~:text=In%20June%202021%2C%20the%20NCAA%20implemented%20an%20interim,its%20own%20NIL%20regulations%20you%20must%20adhere%20to.

[7] Eric Olson, Nebraska's Spring Game Likely Canceled as Transfer Portal Has Made It Detrimental, Rhule Says, AP News (Feb. 1, 2025), https://apnews.com/article/nebraska-spring-game-4ac083d40ed67d625cce23063c635de7.

[8] Christopher Hall, Biletnikoff Winner and Pitt Receiver Jordan Addison Enters the Transfer Portal, Sports Illustrated (May 3, 2022), https://www.si.com/college/westvirginia/football/biletnikoff-winner-and-pitt-receiver-jordan-addison-enters-the-transfer-portal.

[9] Antonio Morales, 5-star QBs on The Move: Charting the Winding Roads Taken by Top Prospects in Past Decade, The Athletic (Dec. 20, 2024), https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5970479/2024/12/20/5-star-quarterback-recruiting-transfers/.

[10] SK Desk, Complete List of Heisman Trophy Finalists Year by Year, Sportskeeda (Dec. 11, 2024), https://www.sportskeeda.com/college-football/list-of-heisman-trophy-finalists-year-by-year.

[11] Rudransh Atri, Historic College Football Program Loses 36 Players to Transfer Portal After Bowl Game Disaster, EssentiallySports (Jan. 31, 2025), https://www.essentiallysports.com/ncaa-college-football-news-historic-college-football-program-loses-thirty-six-players-to-transfer-portal-after-bowl-game-disaster-washington-state/.

[12] James Parks, Numbers Show Transfer Portal is Very Risky for College Football Players, College Football HQ (Apr. 25, 2022), https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/ncaa-football/college-football-transfer-portal-numbers-risky-move-for-athletes.

[13] Id.

[14] NBC Sports Staff, College Football 2025 Transfer Portal Tracker, NBC Sports (Jan. 7, 2025), https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/college-football-2025-transfer-portal-tracker.

[15] Chris Hummer, Transfer Portal FAQ: When College Football's Winter Window Closes, Who Can Still Enter?, 247 Sports (Dec. 27, 2024), https://247sports.com/article/transfer-portal-faq-when-college-footballs-winter-window-closes-who-can-still-enter-242917367/.

[16] Chris Hummer, College Football Transfer Portal: Winter Window Closed Dec. 28, but Exceptions Keep Player Movement Alive, CBSSports.com (Dec. 29, 2024), https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-transfer-portal-winter-window-closed-dec-28-but-exceptions-keep-player-movement-alive/.

[17] David Kenyon, Texas State Is Exploring the Limits of the Transfer Portal with Zero HS Signings, Bleacher Report (Feb. 10, 2021), https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2930680-texas-state-is-exploring-the-limits-of-the-transfer-portal-with-zero-hs-signings.

[18] Jacob Davis, Latest Ruling Could Kill High School Recruiting for Good, Sports Illustrated (Dec. 19, 2024), https://www.si.com/college/arkansas/football/latest-ruling-could-kill-high-school-recruiting-for-good.

[19] Ryan Clarke, Report: Oregon Quarterback Signee Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele to Enter Transfer Portal, Oregonlive (Jan. 3, 2025), https://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/2025/01/report-oregon-quarterback-signee-jaron-keawe-sagapolutele-to-enter-transfer-portal.html.

[20] Seth Emerson & Scott Dochterman, 105 is College Football’s New Key Number. What Will it and Other NCAA Roster Caps Change?, The Athletic (Jul. 30, 2024), https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5668459/2024/07/30/ncaa-roster-caps-house-settlement-scholarships/.