College football players have enjoyed increased benefits from respective programs over the past decade including general improvement in facilities, apparel contracts and other program perks. But one freedom seems to bothering head coaches around the country; the transfer portal.
Washington Huskies head football coach Jimmy Lake expressed his frustration, calling the trend “very sad,” during a Seattle radio hit in January.
He believes a transfer is equivalent capitulation in competition. “We want to make sure we recruit guys that want to go through hard things and push through when they’re not the starter and fight that much harder to become the starter,” he said.
Lake hasn’t exactly felt the wrath of players transferring from UW. According to The Athletic, a study of transfers in the Petersen/Lake era found just 26 scholarship players who left UW directly for another four-year program since the end of the 2014 season — an average of three or four per year. So why would Lake be an active opponent of the practice?
One thought is that coaches invest time in recruiting certain players and feel dejected when they jump ship. Some might view a transfer as a player’s rejection of the team’s culture. But if a player really thinks they have a better chance at more playing time somewhere else, maybe culture doesn’t matter.
Either way, the topic encourages some pundits to advocate for player compensation. Perhaps if players are paid a flat salary they might stay with their original team. One thing is for sure, the transfer portal has been busy in 2021. It doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon.
