On Monday, March 24th, the transfer portal opens for the basketball offseason in the NCAA. Over the 2024-25 season, players like Bennett Stirtz have put themselves on the map to become top transfer targets. However, you may be wondering the same thing that many people do: why does the transfer portal open before the season is officially over? That is a great question. No matter what the real answer is, it doesn’t make sense. Should free agency in professional leagues start before the championships? That wouldn’t be fair! Well, the same problem happens in college basketball. Say what you want about the transfer portal and its positive and negative impacts: it’s going to stay. So let’s talk about a fix that needs to happen immediately.
The Transfer Portal Should Open After NCAA Tournament
It’s Unfair for Successful Teams
Duke, Florida, Auburn, Houston, and others are all moving onto the Sweet Sixteen. St. John’s, UConn, and Wisconsin are major programs that fell short during the Round of 32. While the former group is focusing on a national title, the latter group gets to recruit transfer portal targets when it opens on Monday. Duke staff is focused on winning a national championship now, not next year’s roster. It’s weird to say that the teams vying for a national championship are at a disadvantage, but they are. The winner would take the national championship every time. But only one team will win the championship, while the other 15 are left with no championship and a portal disadvantage.
Imagine if free agency began in the NBA before the Conference Finals. Teams that lost one round prior would be able to go after players all across the NBA while the other teams tried to focus on winning now. Advancing further would mean fewer players to target for the next season. That would never happen because it’s unfair. If it shouldn’t happen in pro sports, it shouldn’t happen in college sports. This is especially true now that NIL allows players to make money (albeit much less) just like the NBA players.
It’s Unfair for Players on Successful Teams
Some players are talented enough to wait because most teams want them. But some role players on good teams won’t have that same luxury. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that it could be costing them money. Players on teams like St. John’s can go to other teams right when the transfer portal opens to hear offers. However, a Michigan player who is upset about minutes would be a bad teammate if they left during a potential championship. Besides, most players would want to stay on a team with championship hopes, but it could cost them in the long run.
I’ll go back to the NBA analogy. Imagine a key role player on a team that made it to the Conference Finals. They won’t receive a maximum contract, but they could potentially get a mid-level exception in the right circumstances. However, that player can’t leave because they have a role on an active team. So players who have been eliminated can sign that mid-level exception and leave a contract closer to the minimum for that role player. That’s unfair to them, and it’s unfair to these student-athletes.
The Last Word
The NCAA could solve these problems by moving the transfer portal open date to the week after the tournament. Every team would be on a level playing field and every player would get an equal opportunity. The transfer portal is out of control and needs some kind of change. However, the start date is the first priority. Other changes need debate. This one needs almost no debate. Free agency comes after the season in every league in the world. Why not make it that way for college athletics?
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