Transfer Portal, NIL Should Be Fans Wake Up Call Not Get Invested In College Athletes, Just Your Favorite Team
If there is one thing fans of college athletics should stop doing right now, it's getting invested in the athletes that decide to play for your favorite school.
If you haven't learned over the past five years, these athletes do not care about the traditions of your favorite school, or how much the fans will get behind an athlete, just because they've enrolled at your school.
Those days are long gone.
If the transfer portal and NIL have taught us anything, it's that these athletes are rightfully pursuing money, along with playing time. There is no longer a sense of loyalty in college athletics, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can just enjoy watching your favorite team play on Saturdays.
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But, I also want to make something very clear. There are players that, when they get inside a program, will do everything it takes to fight for their teammates and coaching staff. I see comments across social media (which can be a cesspool) about how a certain athlete doesn't care about the program, so they need to go play somewhere else.
News flash, a majority of these athletes are not looking at the long-term picture of how a particular school can help them advance once their playing days are over. It's just not how college athletics operate any longer, and that's OK. While it's harder to find someone to cheer on, knowing their backstory or how much they actually care about the jersey they are wearing, and not the name on the back, the days of four or five-year players in a program are history.
How does that affect your fandom? That's up to you to decide.
But as we've seen over the last few years with NIL and the portal, these athletes are looking for a payday, rightfully so. And while this is the case, playing for the brand should still be a selling point in recruiting, even though it doesn't particularly matter any longer.
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I know it's hurting sports, with fan engagement taking a hit during this process. But, the sooner you look at this from a professional standpoint, the easier it will be for fans to embrace just the school, and not put all their eggs into one player's basket.
We are currently in an era of college athletics that has led to higher ticket prices, donations needing to be increased for season ticket holders, and the lack of storytelling that would have fans supporting certain players to the end of the earth.
Long gone are the days when you can sell a recruit on pageantry and tradition, along with a rabid fan base that will show up every week because a player has said the right things to rile up a fan base. Don't get me wrong, there are still some athletes that are attending a certain school because they are living out a lifelong dream.
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 28: A general view inside Bryant-Denny Stadium during the national anthem before the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
But, if you haven't noticed, we've got players transferring from one rival to the other, on a yearly basis. So save me with the "I want to be here because I love this school" mantra that athletes like to put out on social media to garner love from the fans.
This is a business that's only growing. Athletes choosing a school based off previous championships or how engaging the fans are is over. For the top-tier athletes, it mostly comes down to money.
If fans of college athletics could take on the mindset of professional sports fans, maybe you won't be as disappointed when your favorite player decides to bolt after one season for greener pastures, or a bigger paycheck.
There's one aspect of college athletics that has changed for the worse. I'd say fan engagement is right near the top. While it's unfortunate, it's the new reality.