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How NCAA’s transfer portal proposal could impact Arkansas football

NCAA’s proposed transfer portal change could reshape college football. Here’s how it might impact the Razorbacks' roster decisions and future moves.
Taylor Hodges|
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Madden Iamaleava during spring practice drills inside Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Madden Iamaleava during spring practice drills inside Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

The college football landscape was just put on notice about one major change that may be forthcoming. And then another, even larger shockwave has been sent.

It would prevent some drama like the Iamaleava brothers that affected Arkansas right along with Tennessee back in the spring.

Four days after a group of current and former college athletes filed a class action lawsuit against the NCAA challenging the redshirt rules, the NCAA made an even bigger announcement.

It would change things like the Razorbacks had with quarterback Madden Iamaleava going all the way through spring practice this year, then bailing for UCLA. His brother, Nico, played the entire season at Tennessee and jumped at the end, joining his brother.

Ross Dellenger, of Yahoo! Sports reported Thursday, and was later confirmed with the NCAA’s official announcement, that the “NCAA FB Oversight Committee voted today to support a single transfer portal in January…The administrative Committee still needs to formally adopt the change later. The 10-day window is expected to open Jan. 2.”

That announcement will likely draw a celebration from those who are unhappy with the current state of college sports.

But will the changes actually be good?

As far as changing the start of the transfer portal window to January 2 instead of having the portal open right after the season, that’s a great change. That will benefit everyone.

Forcing every FBS team to start recruiting and retaining players as soon as the regular season ends was a crazy decision. Emotions are riding at their highest and that’s not a good mindset to make any life-changing decisions about.

Eliminating the spring transfer portal may also be a good thing.

Teams will go into spring practices knowing this is the crop of players they’ll go into the season with, minus any high school recruits that join in the summer and preseason.

But what if it ends up being a bad thing?

As an example, what if Taylen Green did what the Iamaleava brothers did? Madden left the Hogs with another backup, but the starter would be a different story altogether.

The bright expectations many Razorback fans have for this team now would be dimmed considerable if Green had decided to leave after spring practice.

A talented quarterback wants more money and makes a demand just days before the team’s spring game. Then the school, coach, general manager, or whoever says no.

There’s no spring transfer portal for the quarterback to enter, so they’re stuck at that school.

It’s an absolute certainty a portion of the fan base would take the “shut up and play” mantra and cheer the decision not give the quarterback what he wants.

But would that quarterback’s displeasure about the situation carry over onto the field or, even worse, into the locker room?

Or would they take a play from the NFL players’ contract dispute playbook and do a hold in during preseason practices?

Or would the school, hoping to avoid its most important player from being a hinderance to the team’s success, find a way to give the quarterback what he wants?

Or, since the quarterback knows he only has one opportunity to enter the portal, would he enter the portal before the team even knows he wants a new deal?

Imagine if Iamaleava entered the transfer portal after the Volunteers’ playoff loss?

Maybe Tennessee is able to bring him back, at a much higher price.

Or maybe Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss or Alabama offers him a deal he accepts?

The same can be said about Green and Arkansas. We may not know how that would’ve happened but be certain that we’ll find out a how similar situation plays out soon enough. It’s inevitable.

Arkansas fans should just hope that player isn’t Antonio Jordan in the future.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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