Transfer Portal is a disaster

[volfan102455]

And back to the original topic - yes the transfer portal is a disaster.

Most of us as Tennessee fans long for year after year top notch success. We are probably close to that no longer being attainable by any team. I wouldn't be surprised to teams have results that flow from few losses one year to just barely breaking even the next.

The teams that have a coaching staff that can deal with 75 to 80% turnover each year and also ensure they have adequate back up players in case or injuries are the only ones that will succeed. It will become harder to do that as the backup (Depth) players transfer to try to position into a starting role.

I see many teams have a great starting line up only to have the year tank because a key starter gets hurt, and they find themselves without an adequate backup because that backup transferred. It is the depth part of the equation that is being scarified.

I also see less and less players exiting college with any type of degree. That may be okay for those can be successful in the NFL, but for those that aren't, they've effectively wasted 3 to 4 years with nothing to show.

 

[BreatheUT]

I've already started to lose interest. I don't follow recruiting like I used to. If you get a transfer then you probably paid more than the other fella if it's a big name. There is a good chance if you didn't the player will transfer again and leave your program. I noticed a lot of empties during bowl season. This all is still new so we haven't seen the impact but if the wild west continues the average person will tune out eventually.

Like some others, I called this mess from the beginning.

 

[Butch s]

They're being OFFERED this scholarship and perks to come play football. It's not an academic scholarship.

Come play athletics, we'll give you the scholarship. You've repeatedly said, "The scholarship should be enough." Enough for what? Enough to get them to play sports.

Not making them play. They don’t have to agree

 

[volfan102455]

What does that word even mean anymore? People make a commitment to pay for a student loan, and we know how that is working out. Why should a choice of where to play football be any different?

Nah. college football is all about the money now. The loyalty to a team/university is gone, never to return. Frankly, I will be surprised if Nico is here the entire time until he goes pro.

My comment was that it is a choice. A person can choose to not attend college. They can choose to play football or not. All of it is a choice.

With the choice comes a commitment. This system is not teaching the players about commitment. It is teaching them greed. At some point the fact that one has worked everywhere there is to work leads to that person being unemployable. I've seen that happen with family members. It then takes time for employers to believe you are worth their time to hire.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Not making them play. They don’t have to agree

The players aren't making them pay.

It goes both ways. The player gets something and the school gets something.

It sounds like, what is that called..... it's on the tip of my tongue..... yes, it sounds like an employee and employer relationship. I think that's it.

I give my time and effort to your business and you give me money and perks.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

My comment was that it is a choice. A person can choose to not attend college. They can choose to play football or not. All of it is a choice.

With the choice comes a commitment. This system is not teaching the players about commitment. It is teaching them greed. At some point the fact that one has worked everywhere there is to work leads to that person being unemployable. I've seen that happen with family members. It then takes time for employers to believe you are worth their time to hire.

Where's the commitment when a player gets recruited over and asked to leave?

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

My comment was that it is a choice. A person can choose to not attend college. They can choose to play football or not. All of it is a choice.

With the choice comes a commitment. This system is not teaching the players about commitment. It is teaching them greed. At some point the fact that one has worked everywhere there is to work leads to that person being unemployable.

That is what I was getting at. They have no commitment any more. They can go where they want, when they want. to wit: Mincey. But then there are the guys that give you the feeling like hitting that one golf shot right on the screws: Bru McCoy. Granted that is a little different situation, but by and large going forward the majority of players won't care about the things we all do as fans.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

Where's the commitment when a player gets recruited over and asked to leave?

Now you are talking about a Saban tactic.

 

[CAVPUT]

We could sit down and have a really fun "discussion" about this.................

With some of today's youth complaining about actually going IN TO work and pulling a 9 to 5 work day, it would come as a complete shock to some of these athletes to deal with day to day expenses. Gotta feeling the IRS is takin' names and definitely makin' notes. Come tax day, it should be fun for more than a few.

 

[Voltopia]

Nah. college football is all about the money now. The loyalty to a team/university is gone, never to return. Frankly, I will be surprised if Nico is here the entire time until he goes pro.

Absolutely. Every single high impact player out there will be offered money to switch schools. If there's a guy out there making an All American impact on the game, especially if they're an underclassman, it'll be on the table. If Nico is the game changer some think he is, you can bet schools will come test the waters next year. People will shop their services and plenty of them will go to the highest bidder. Imagine Peyton jumping ship his senior year. Or Eric Berry going to Alabama after his freshman season. Heck, imagine Chris Lofton going back to Kentucky after a few years in Knoxville. People that are all about this pay-for-play-no-rules world better get used to that, because it'd be hypocritical to complain about it after being so gung-ho to rip up the system.

Oh man. Think how good that'll make people feel. Think how great it'll be, seeing "VFLs" hitting the door when a bag drops.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

With some of today's youth complaining about actually going IN TO work and pulling a 9 to 5 work day, it would come as a complete shock to some of these athletes to deal with day to day expenses. Gotta feeling the IRS is takin' names and definitely makin' notes. Come tax day, it should be fun for more than a few.

I'm sure the Vol club and Spyre will bail them out when that day comes as well.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Now you are talking about a Saban tactic.

All major schools (and major corporations) point out to folks, "Some people just aren't made to excel with us and benefit from making a career change."

It's amazing to me how fans see and want the school to treat the program like a business and always do what's best for the program and replace inferior talent then recoil when the school/athlete relationship is seen as a business relationship.

 

[Voltopia]

It's amazing to me how fans see and want the school to treat the program like a business and always do what's best for the program and replace inferior talent then recoil when the school/athlete relationship is seen as a business relationship.

Not all of us wanted to see that, for the record. To say nothing of all the other money-grubbing decisions that have come down the pike.

 

[SpaceCoastVol]

All major schools (and major corporations) point out to folks, "Some people just aren't made to excel with us and benefit from making a career change."

It's amazing to me how fans see and want the school to treat the program like a business and always do what's best for the program and replace inferior talent then recoil when the school/athlete relationship is seen as a business relationship.

We might be close on what we are saying except I think there is a difference between recruiting 'competition' and recruiting 'replacement'. Saban recruits replacements as does Notre Dame. Maybe placeholder is a better word. But both of those schools have had the luxury to do so. (Un?)fortunately, we haven't for some time. Regardless, I am starting to not care anymore. It is now a business, so that's the way it is. Get the best players you can and use them however you see fit. If they don't like it (Mincey) they can leave.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

Not all of us wanted to see that, for the record. To say nothing of all the other money-grubbing decisions that have come down the pike.

There are discussions ALL OVER VN about how we need to upgrade our secondary, how guys were probably encouraged to transfer because they can't cut it here, we need to get a better O Line, and we need to upgrade our coaches.

All of those things are true, BTW.

I'll not say you're in those discussions, but that's been the way of football since I laced up cleats years ago: perform and play, don't perform and find somewhere else to play.

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

We might be close on what we are saying except I think there is a difference between recruiting 'competition' and recruiting 'replacement'. Saban recruits replacements as does Notre Dame. Maybe placeholder is a better word. But both of those schools have had the luxury to do so. (Un?)fortunately, we haven't for some time. Regardless, I am starting to not care anymore. It is now a business, so that's the way it is. Get the best players you can and use them however you see fit. If they don't like it (Mincey) they can leave.

Exactly, but people act absolutely shocked that guys won't sit the bench when they can transfer now without penalty.

It used to be the player was stuck if they were recruited over. They'd lose a year if they transferred. Now that has changed and suddenly people accuse the players of being mercenary and having no commitment.

What the heck were the schools when they recruited over a guy after telling him he'd play? Committed to that player? No. Mercenary.

 

[BreatheUT]

What's worse than big name's is when you are a smaller program that develops your players then as soon as the guy has NFL talent he bolts for a bigger program maybe even because of some of that tampering some of you are referring to. This stuff is across the board impacting G5 and 1AA.

 

[BreatheUT]

That is what I was getting at. They have no commitment any more. They can go where they want, when they want. to wit: Mincey. But then there are the guys that give you the feeling like hitting that one golf shot right on the screws: Bru McCoy. Granted that is a little different situation, but by and large going forward the majority of players won't care about the things we all do as fans.

It's really what's taken place in society in general. The only commitment is to a fast buck. The train is off the tracks.

 

[BreatheUT]

With some of today's youth complaining about actually going IN TO work and pulling a 9 to 5 work day, it would come as a complete shock to some of these athletes to deal with day to day expenses. Gotta feeling the IRS is takin' names and definitely makin' notes. Come tax day, it should be fun for more than a few.

I hope they are getting counseling on this from the schools. Will some not listen? I'm sure.

 

[Butch s]

Absolutely. Every single high impact player out there will be offered money to switch schools. If there's a guy out there making an All American impact on the game, especially if they're an underclassman, it'll be on the table. If Nico is the game changer some think he is, you can bet schools will come test the waters next year. People will shop their services and plenty of them will go to the highest bidder. Imagine Peyton jumping ship his senior year. Or Eric Berry going to Alabama after his freshman season. Heck, imagine Chris Lofton going back to Kentucky after a few years in Knoxville. People that are all about this pay-fo- play-no-rules world better get used to that, because it'd be hypocritical to complain about it after being so gung-ho to rip up the system.

Oh man. Think how good that'll make people feel. Think how great it'll be, seeing "VFLs" hitting the door when a bag drops.

Some of these goofballs don’t and won’t understand this

 

[BreatheUT]

Exactly, but people act absolutely shocked that guys won't sit the bench when they can transfer now without penalty.

It used to be the player was stuck if they were recruited over. They'd lose a year if they transferred. Now that has changed and suddenly people accuse the players of being mercenary and having no commitment.

What the heck were the schools when they recruited over a guy after telling him he'd play? Committed to that player? No. Mercenary.

I didn't want to say it and clearly another perspective is nice but you have some weak arguments. If you have two players at the same position one is going to win. Both players know that when the sign the scholarship. If schools were worried about losing the guy that didn't start then they would start the year in fear that they really only have 22 "committed" players to the team. The rest might be mad they aren't starting and want to transfer each year. That is the wild west. There had to be rules.

 

[sami]

But it’s what everyone said we should do - pay the players. And everyone said we should let them transfer whenever they want for any reason they want and not have to sit out. Well, now we have the consequences of the masses getting what they wanted and it’s a giant mess and it’s ruining the sport

Exactly, and something has to be done to reign in the madness before the sport does implode. One easy suggestion (I say easy before a dozen lawsuits prevent it from being enacted) is a one free transfer rule unless there is a coaching change. This way, a player who might have made a mistake the first time has to think long and hard before school-hopping.

Listen, the genie was let out of the bottle when the NCAA failed to get in front of this issue a decade ago, as is their wont. It's here now and it ain't going away, but hopefully sane minds will prevail at some point to at least put some guardrails up. I'm not holding my breath.

 

[The Original Fade]

Exactly, and something has to be done to reign in the madness before the sport does implode. One easy suggestion (I say easy before a dozen lawsuits prevent it from being enacted) is a one free transfer rule unless there is a coaching change. This way, a player who might have made a mistake the first time has to think long and hard before school-hopping.

Listen, the genie was let out of the bottle when the NCAA failed to get in front of this issue a decade ago, as is their wont. It's here now and it ain't going away, but hopefully sane minds will prevail at some point to at least put some guardrails up. I'm not holding my breath.

Agree, I would like to see a change of 1 transfer with immediate eligibility and any transfer after that they have to sit a year.

And to add to that, do away with the current NIL system and go to revenue sharing for all student athletes - go ahead and make them employees, etc. This will also cut down on transfers because players won’t be swayed by a NIL deal to transfer because the money won’t be much different in revenue sharing from school to school

 

[Butch s]

Maybe just have ai football. Just have to pay the computer programmers. All be the same in a couple of years anyway. Just be pulling for a jersey and a helmet with an unknown kids head inside it

 

[SayUWantAreVOLution]

I didn't want to say it and clearly another perspective is nice but you have some weak arguments. If you have two players at the same position one is going to win. Both players know that when the sign the scholarship. If schools were worried about losing the guy that didn't start then they would start the year in fear that they really only have 22 "committed" players to the team. The rest might be mad they aren't starting and want to transfer each year. That is the wild west. There had to be rules.

I agree that Gaston Moore guys need to be on the team and know they'll never be a starter. There's value in having those guys around who are okay being scout team guys, etc.

The problem is when you have someone who is right near that line with another guy who just transferred in or you recruited. Let's take Bailey and Maurer, both pretty highly recruited and MANY thought Bailey was going to save us after JG, some wished even before JG was done. Toss in Shrout, who was mostly hurt when at UT, and you've got a lot of QBs to keep.

What happened? Pruitt reached out to HH, Heupel reached out to Joe, and do you think Bailey and Maurer should've lost a year because of that? Do you think the school did fine by them? Do you think the NCAA would have done well to make them sit a year?

We can't overlook what schools do and have done for years. I see a "good for the goose, good for the gander" situation.