Photo: AntMan
College football used to be about development, discipline, and commitment. Players committed to programs, coaches nurtured talent, and fans took pride in watching a player grow from freshman to senior. However, with the introduction of the NCAA transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals, the very foundation of the sport has changed.
On the Granger Smith Podcast, former NFL player Heath Evans spoke about how these changes have drastically altered college football, particularly in the SEC. "When you look at SEC football and the NIL, this transfer portal has kind of crippled what made the SEC so beautiful," he said. The transfer portal, which allows players to change schools without sitting out a year, has made roster continuity nearly impossible. Instead of building a program, many schools are now piecing together teams year by year.
This shift has also impacted recruiting. "It used to be that coaches would sit down with a kid and his family and try to figure out what kind of man he wanted to become—discipline, integrity, character. Now, it's all about the highest bidder," Evans explained. With NIL deals, players are making financial decisions rather than program-building ones. Rather than staying at a school to develop and contribute to a legacy, athletes now follow the money and opportunities wherever they arise.
These changes have led to an unintended consequence: a lack of selflessness in college football. Evans reminisced about his days playing under Bill Belichick, where team success came before individual gain. "We were all about putting the team first. Do your job. Work hard. Sacrifice. That’s why we won so much," he said. Now, in the new college football era, players are quick to transfer at the first sign of adversity rather than working through challenges and growing stronger as a result.
While NIL and the transfer portal have provided athletes with more opportunities and financial security, they’ve also created a transactional culture that prioritizes individual success over team loyalty. Will college football ever return to its roots? That remains to be seen.
For more insight on this changing landscape, listen to the full episode of the Granger Smith Podcast on the FREE iHeartRadio app or watch it on YouTube!