Photo By Logan Moyer, Sports Editor
By Marquis Frias
The transfer portal is impacting the fabric of collegiate sports.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which moderates the athletic programs of colleges and universities, has made recent policy changes that’ve affected the landscape and overall integrity of college sports.
Their new Name Image and Likeness (NIL) policies have compensated many student-athletes for their dedication to their institutions. Yet, another aspect of professional sports that has begun to make its way to the college stage is the ability to change teams.
In professional sports, this is called free agency, where a player’s current contract has expired or if another team trades assets for them, but for college athletics, this is known as the transfer portal.
Before the new transfer portal was introduced in October 2018, student-athletes would have to ask their coaches for permission to transfer to another institution. Even if the request was granted, the athlete would have to sit out a year at their new school. Now, anybody can enter the portal and freely go wherever they like without penalty.
The effect of the transfer portal has been massive, with the effect being more impactful for powerhouse programs. Now, not only are recruiters looking at the upcoming college freshman, but also the upcoming transfer pool. A recent effect of the transfer portal was shown in the past 2 Heisman Trophy ceremonies, where all three of the four finalists were transfers.
Division III schools like Susquehanna are affected as well.
SU football coach Tom Perkovich explained, “Sometimes we’ve used it, but not to a level similar to the higher-level college programs. When you enter the portal, most of the time you want to go to a higher level or transfer within the same level.”
Another possibility is a transfer going down levels, usually to seek more playing time. One of these players is Josh Ehrlich, starting quarterback for the football team. Ehrlich transferred to SU from Marist, a Division I school, in 2022. This year for the River Hawks, Ehrlich passed for 3,092 yards and 33 touchdowns, setting program records in both statistics.
“Oh yeah, I fell in love with the place when I visited,” Ehrlich told The Quill in October 2023. “Of course, I got here last spring, so I got to be acclimated with my teammates that spring and go through workouts with them and get comfortable. They made me feel welcome as soon as I got here.”
As previously mentioned, college athletics have been predominantly used as a funnel network to the professional level. However, new developments in this aspect have given athletes more options.
This is mostly evident in basketball, as top-rated high school recruits have new choices between the G-League Ignite, Overtime Elite, and various overseas basketball leagues. Although it applies to mostly one sport, the NCAA has felt the impact of this and chosen to attack it with their new rule changes.