Why Mike Gundy's idea to curb chaos surrounding the transfer portal won't happen anytime soon

Oklahoma State is among the programs impacted the most by the transfer portal this offseason — negatively and positively. 

The Cowboys have seen 16 players depart the team since December, including their top cornerback, their starting tailback, a trio of productive starting receivers, veteran quarterback Spencer Sanders and All-Big 12 linebacker Mason Cobb. 

To counteract all the movement, Oklahoma State welcomed 12 transfers to the roster, highlighted by Michigan tailback Elijah Collins, Washington State wideout De’Zhaun Stribling and Division-III All-American receiver Leon Johnson. 

It’s a lot of roster churn, especially when you add in the fact that Oklahoma State saw 15 other players enter the transfer portal before the 2022 season. 

So how do you combat the constant chaos? One Big 12 head coach who never shies away from giving opinions has an idea.

MIKE GUNDY’S ‘CONTRACTUAL SCHOLARSHIPS’ PROPOSAL

In a media scrum earlier this week, Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy became the latest head coach to sound off on the transfer portal, but unlike many of his colleagues, Gundy actually offered up a proposed solution. 

“Well, you got several issues there,” Gundy said in response to a question about the transfer portal needing modifications. 

“One, you have federal lawmakers making decisions, not the NCAA, and you know as well as I do, well I don’t know if you do, I read a lot of politics, but lobbyists and things happen for a reason. And that’s just the way it is. You’re not going to control them. They’re going to control you. 

“And until we get contractual scholarships in high school recruiting the portal is never going to settle down. For example, young men should be able to sign a one-, two-, three- or four-year scholarship. That’s their choice. Whatever they sign, that’s what they’re committed to. That’s what we’re going to now. That’s the only way that we are going to have a chance to manage rosters.”

There are details to be nitpicked here, but the overall idea is interesting at least, especially when Mike Gundy expounded on his proposal and how he believes it would benefit both coaches and prospective players. 

“So, let’s just say that at the end of this year I’ve got 19 guys whose contracts are up. They may be a senior or a freshman. So, if you’re a 5-star guy, like you’re a heavily recruited guy, you might just sign a one-year deal and then say, ‘Well, I’m good enough to sign another one-year deal, or I can leave if I want.’ So, until they do that, we don’t really know who’s in and out for that upcoming year. So, it’s hard for us to balance our numbers,” he said.

“So, I’ve suggested it. I don’t know if anybody’s listened or cares, but high school kids ought to have an opportunity. So, you want a four-year deal? Sign a four-year deal, but you’re bound to that four-year contract unless your head coach says he’ll sign off and let you go. And then that puts more pressure on the head coach, but at least it gives a young man a chance to leave if he comes in and says, ‘Coach, I’m not good enough to play here. I want to go to this school.’ I sign off and let him go. Or whatever reason. But that’s the only way they’re gonna be able to manage numbers in my opinion. That would slow the portal down.”

In Gundy’s plan, high school prospects would have a much clearer idea on much a program values them as a player — and visa versa. If a school and player are both willing to commit to a four-year deal, that would speak volumes about both sides’ commitment.

Same for a one-year contract. 

Mike Gundy also believes his proposal is another way to curve a current loophole in the transfer portal, too — that the one-time transfer rule is in name only. Many players have transferred multiple times during their undergraduate careers using waivers and threats of lawsuits. Gundy’s plan would eliminate the portal’s grey area. 

“There’s over 14,000 unread lawsuits right now sitting on the NCAA’s desk in San Francisco,” Mike Gundy said. So, every time you try to corral a young man, they’re gonna file a lawsuit, and they’re gonna give them a waiver and they’re out of here. That’s just the way it is. And they’re not gonna fight that battle. So, we’ve got several players that are playing this year in the NCAA that are at their third or fourth school. How does that work? They just file a waiver. So, you can’t control it. Unless it becomes a contractual situation, you’re never going to be able to control the portal.”

Gundy’s not wrong, and yet, his idea to fix a broken system are the contracts themselves. 

At some point in the future, players will probably become employees of either the schools or the conferences. Legalizing NIL was simply the first domino to fall, but with more and more money flooding the sport, the ultimate conclusion for college football is a superpower conference (likely split from the NCAA) with players signing contacts.

That means giving them a piece of the money pie, though and neither party wants to do that. 

We’re no where near that point right now anyways, as the NCAA sure seems like it will fight to the death to make sure that student-athletes are never classified as employees. 

During this week’s congressional hearings on NIL, the NCAA offered up witnesses making this very case. 

FSU softball player Kaley Mudge speaks out against college athletes being deemed employees.

"It would significant threaten this current dynamic."

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) March 29, 2023

So while Gundy’s proposal has some real sensibility to it, it will never happen unless the NCAA does a complete 180 on contracts or the schools leave the governing body and create their own league.