College Football Coaches Challenge Leverage of Players in Spring Transfer Portal

After a chaotic spring transfer portal window, college football coaches are seeking control back from players.

Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While it’s become the norm for star college football players to seek higher NIL paydays in the transfer portal, most of that movement is expected to come in the December window.

This offseason, however, the chaos of the spring portal window exposed some cracks in the sport as name, image, and likeness continue to dominate the scene.

The defining storyline came from the Tennessee Volunteers when former quarterback Nico Iamaleava sought a pay raise on his $2.4 million NIL deal. During the negotiations, the team eventually dismissed Iamaleava, who then joined the UCLA Bruins.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel found his potential next starter in transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar, but he missed a critical portion of the offseason in spring practice, one that was designed around a quarterback no longer on the roster.

Will the Second College Football Transfer Portal Window Survive?

Pete Nakos with On3Sports (subscription required) spoke with a Power Four GM who believes none of the drama that resulted in divorce with Iamaleava would’ve transpired if not for the spring portal window — one that lasts a mere 10 days.

“Never happens,” the general manager said. “It absolutely never happens if the spring portal doesn’t exist. It never happens. Nico doesn’t even have the leverage to make it happen.”

It wasn’t just the Iamaleava situation in a vacuum, though Heupel was championed by many for not conceding to the NIL demands. It set off a ripple effect where multiple ACC, Big 12, and Big Ten quarterbacks re-entered negotiations to secure higher paydays at their schools.

The threat of departure in April can be catastrophic for teams looking to the College Football Playoff, and the continued uncertainty is something many are seeking to eliminate from the sport.

It’s unclear how coaches plan to seek that path forward; much, if not all, of the attention of universities is centered around the House settlement and impending revenue-sharing for players. None of those discussions or the settlement language contains anything on the transfer portal.

Some coaches believe that six weeks is ultimately not enough time for players to decide they fit or don’t fit somewhere, and those who decide to move aren’t committed to the program at all. Wouldn’t they prefer to cut those losses rather than keep around guys who don’t fit their culture?

There’s no perfect solution to what stands at present, and those in favor may appreciate an additional offseason to evaluate the pieces that came in the December window as well as their returners, with the opportunity to address those holes in spring.

That’s easier said than done when continuously thinking about their rosters being poached, and that comfort level may override any desire to add in a second window.

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