The NCAA transfer portal has drawn mixed reviews since its launch in 2018, but it’s rapidly becoming an essential resource for college sports, particularly basketball.
With a staggering number of players already having entered the portal this offseason, broadcasting legend Dick Vitale believes it’s ruining the sport.
According to Matt Zenitz of On3.com, over 20% of Division I men’s college basketball scholarship players have entered the portal this offseason. This figure will inevitably rise before the transfer window closes on May 11.
On Thursday, Vitale, an outspoken critic of the evolving state of college sports, voiced his opposition to the portal once again and urged the NCAA to take action.
“There’s an epidemic going on, and I think the NCAA needs to act quickly,” the 83-year-old said in a video shared on Twitter. “It’s insanity. It’s wacky what’s going on.”
“The transfer portal, I keep harping on this because it’s absolutely destroying so many teams, especially the mid-majors….” Vitale continued. “…[mid-major stars] leave immediately, and I don’t blame them. They want to go play for the elite schools, and the elite schools aren’t doing anything illegal. But the transfer portal has really caused a nightmare. It’s an absolute mess.”
