Dick Vitale rails against transfer portal, cites 'chaos and cheating'

Legendary sportscaster Dick Vitale let it rip on Tuesday with a blistering review of what the NCAA transfer portal is doing to college sports. Dickie V tweeted about how the system is helping players develop traits that are detrimental in the “real world.”

“PATHETIC what the TRANSFER PORTAL is doing to college sports,” Vitale wrote. “How is this CHAOS &  CHEATING going on gr8  lessons for young ppl to DEVELOP values needed for the Game of Life . Quitting / lack of loyalty is what is happening traits that destroy ppl as they face the REAL WORLD.”

In the last 24 hours, Iowa State’s top point guard Tyrese Hunter entered the portal. Also, former top-30 hoops prospect Devin Askew entered the portal for a second time after an initial move from Kentucky to Texas last year.

Nick Saban speaks out on “unsustainable” model

Dickie V’s argument against the transfer portal isn’t a new one.

An open market for transfers and an NIL process that inadvertently helps teams get players for the highest price may not be sustainable for long, as Alabama head coach Nick Saban recently described.

“I don’t think what we’re doing right now is a sustainable model,” Saban said. “The concept of name, image and likeness was for players to be able to use their name, image and likeness to create opportunities for themselves. That’s what it was. So last year on our team, our guys probably made as much or more than anybody in the country.

“But that creates a situation where you can basically buy players. You can do it in recruiting. I mean, if that’s what we want college football to be, I don’t know. And you can also get players to get in the transfer portal to see if they can get more someplace else than they can get at your place.”

NCAA transfer portal process

Players can’t have contact with coaches at other programs before they enter the portal. However, there’s not much stopping them from using indirect means to find out whether a team could pick them up if they decide to leave.

The NCAA Transfer Portal, which covers every NCAA sport at the Division I, II and III levels, is a private database with names of student-athletes who wish to transfer. It is not accessible to the public.

The process of entering the portal goes through a school’s compliance office. Once a player provides written notification of an intent to transfer, the office enters the player’s name in the database. The compliance office has 48 hours to comply with the player’s request.

Once a player’s name shows up in the portal, other schools can contact the player. Players can change their minds at any point and withdraw from the portal. However, once a player enters the portal, the current scholarship is no longer valid. In other words, if a player enters the portal but decides to stay, the school does not have to reoffer a scholarship.