Prepare For Another Round Of 'Free Agency:' Transfer Portal Opens Sunday And Donors Are Ready To Spend

Here we go again, the transfer portal is days away from opening and the NIL collectives are preparing for a bidding wars. If you're wondering how this period will play-out compared to previous openings, just expect players to come at a premium.

Long gone are the days of backdoor deals to sign a player to your roster. It's now so casual that it makes coaches uncomfortable. But what did you expect when the NCAA delivered NIL rules that were so easy to get around?

The current setup gives players an option of finding the right place to get on the field, while also cashing a check. Some coaches have called this 'Free Agency,' while others just call it the new norm in college athletics. There's certainly no way of getting around what you have to do to keep up with other programs.

I credit Matt Rhule for stating the obvious on Wednesday regarding how much money it costs to get a high-caliber quarterback from the portal.

College Football Boosters Changing Ways They Give Money

Most collectives have spent the last two years building a 'warchest' for this very moment. Still, there are some programs who are struggling to raise enough money to make them competitive in the market, which leads to pleas from their head coaches.

Recently, it was Colorado head coach Deion Sanders who told reporters that his school wouldn't be an ATM for players. He quickly changed his tune following the loss the Utah this past Saturday, urging donors to support the program by giving.

"We definitely need ‘giving.’ You know what I mean,” Deion Sanders said after the game. “It’s unfortunate to say this, but some kids cost… We can sit here and talk about great coaching and great this and great that all we want. But it’s going to be a credit card swipe with all these guys going to these playoffs. I understand that.”

But what does 'giving' to the program for NIL purposes actually look like in this era of college football?

"I've got the university reaching out to me for help with facilities, while at the same time the NIL group is looking for cash because of NIL," one Power-5 donor told OutKick. "I'm being pulled in different directions, where as in the past I would just donate to the athletic department. But we're in a different world now. We need the players to compete, so I've changed how I support the football program.

"I want to see my team winning on Saturday, so if that means donating to the collective to get a star player, that's how I choose to help the program now."

How Have Assistant Coaches Handled Portal 'Free Agency'?

This becomes a problem for some coaches, as they detest having to sit on the phone with a potential player and discuss financial terms. We are so far removed from the days of 'boosters' handling the transactions for players coming into the program. Now, being asked what type of NIL package the school can put together is most often the first question during a conversation with a portal or high school player.

The game has changed so much in the last few years that it's now legal for assistant coaches to be involved in the NIL process. What was once frowned upon is now encouraged by compliance officers on each campus. If you abide by the rules, which there really are none, then it's fair game.

But don't let coaches fool you when discussing the transfer portal and NIL, they know how the game works.

"I'm not doing my job if I don't know the market value of these players," one SEC assistant coach told OutKick. "If a player we like enters the portal, there's a good chance someone associated with our school has already make some type of contact. It's changed so much during my coaching career, where we used to spend so much time on high school recruiting. Now, I'm watching tape during the year of a player on an opposing team.

"All of this is because a player has made it known through back-channels that he might be looking around after the season. So when head coach's talk about how this has turned into NFL free agency, they aren't lying. I might not like it, but there are only so many jobs available at the NFL level right now, so I just go with the flow."

What Comes Next After Transfer Portal Opens?

I know you've most likely seen a number of players declare their intent to enter the transfer portal, but it technically doesn't open until Sunday. By letting it be known that a star player will be seeking a new home, it allows the backdoor conversations to begin.

If you've found yourself going down the 'tampering' rabbit-hole of the last two years, just know that it's the new reality. If you're not reaching out to potential players during the season, you're falling behind the other schools that have already contacted that athlete. The transfer portal is only open for a thirty day period, so the backchannel communications are just another part of the game.

So when you see reports that players are intending to enter the portal, this is either a negotiating tactic to get more money from the current school, or they're actually looking for more playing time somewhere else.

But, you can expect to see a number of names that might cause you to look twice. You might've thought a player wasn't going to leave your favorite school, but money goes a long way in a sport where the next play could be your last.

Just prepare yourself to see the market flooded and coaches getting on their soap-box about how college athletics has changed. While these coaches complain about having to deal with 'free agency,' they aren't throwing a fuss when that direct-deposit hits every two weeks.