College basketball's 'lawless, cesspool' transfer portal must be fixed
On Thursday, we got wind of the latest batch of transfer portal news in what has become a never-ending cycle.
Memphis star and All-American guard PJ Haggerty entered the portal. Auburn big man Dain Dainja — who has to apply for a waiver for an extra year of eligibility in a process that's unpredictable to begin with — was reportedly going to enter, but that rumor was quickly squashed after he posted on social media saying that he was "not going anywhere."
One of the best mid-major players in the country, Mid-American Conference Player of the Year and former Akron star Nate Johnson joined the 2,000-plus names in the portal as well. Combine that chaos with the April 22 deadline to enter the portal — you can expect some at-the-buzzer drama with what the going rate is for even decent talent right now — and the state of college basketball this offseason is utter chaos. An absolute mess.
Players shouldn't be blamed at all. If you could maximize your value and cash in at this age, wouldn't you try to get every dollar you could? That's smart business.
But this is not pro sports where there are structured contracts across the board that get honored by both parties. Auburn standout Chad Baker-Mazara entered the portal on Thursday, yet he had signed a contract with the Tigers that said he would owe back a percentage of the money given to him for a deal that included his return for the 2025-26 season — the last of his NCAA career. This is a kid who has already been to three different schools, including San Diego State and JUCO Northwest Florida State College. Coming back to Auburn for a third year and making seven figures while cementing himself as a Tigers great is certainly a nice route, but in this marketplace, dollar amounts are constantly rising. Baker-Mazara wants more money, but what about that contract?
If Auburn fights him on it, is it really worth the potential harm the school could do to a player? Couldn't that hurt Auburn in recruiting, or is there something to be said about proving a point with a 25-year-old and getting him and his people to honor the contract?
These are all questions that I'm sure are being pondered right now for a program that just reached the sport's biggest stage and should be feeling about as good as anybody, shy of national champion Florida, right now. Instead, Auburn is in the same fight that everybody is in — bidding wars that continue to rise.
We've gone from Nijel Pack leaving Kansas State for Miami (Fla.) on a deal worth $800,000 for two years to multiple programs having budgets that reach into the eight-figure mark.
"This is an absolute cesspool," said one high-major coach, who has solid NIL money. "It's birthed by the far-too-long original sin of NCAA greed. The adults in the room gave NIL with no guidelines. No guidance. No rules. Imagine the NBA with annual unrestricted free agency, and no salary cap. And now imagine asking a team full of players earning six figures to go to class."
[MORE: Ranking the best players available in the college basketball transfer portal]
As the NCAA looks to complete a settlement that will force the association to pay $2.8 billion in back damages to athletes who played sports from 2016 to 2024 and were not entitled to the same rights that current athletes have in the NIL space, conferences and schools are hopeful that the ability to directly pay athletes with an annual budget starting at roughly $20 million will get passed by Judge Claudia Wilken. While roster-cap limits are being discussed right now by both sets of representatives — with Wilken wanting to gradually shift to the cap of 105 football players and 15 basketball players, among a variety of limits to make walk-ons and others happy for now instead of opening a new can of worms — things are still tracking for a July 1 implementation of this new policy. Wilken has even already granted preliminary approval of the settlement.
While a budget of $20 million or so will mainly be dedicated to football and any outside money would have to go through a separate "approval process," let's not act like under-the-table funding for players — something that used to happen — wouldn't continue. So, even with this settlement, there are still loopholes.
"This is a Grade-A f------ goat rodeo," said another mid-major coach with some of the best funding in his league. "I need to pray the rosary to get through the offseason."
"It's terrible to watch because — as a guy who played four years at my school and was a part of championships — the team pride on the men's side is dead," a former player and national champion told me.
"It's lawless," one assistant at one of the best programs in America told FOX Sports. "I am all for players getting paid, but we need a governing body, a players association, salary cap, rules and formal and enforceable contracts (on both sides). And we need the portal — a.k.a. free agency — starting at the conclusion of the season, just like it does in pro sports."
That may be the thing that sums up the dysfunction of this sport right now more than anything. The transfer portal formally opens the day following the conclusion of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Why? Why is the offseason starting while the season is still going on? This year, we saw players on tournament teams that were heading to the Sweet 16 — minor ones, but still! — enter the portal while their current program was marching on in the Big Dance.
We don't talk about roster management and what's next for a program nationally during any other postseason in sports, because we instead focus on who's left for a Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the World Series and so on. But while the best period is happening in college sports, social media is filled with announcements from players thanking their fan base, saying they're a Bulldog or Wildcat for life and that, after much thought and deliberation, they're moving on.
Can't that wait? There's a lot that has to be answered, but the portal opening during the season — albeit with just 16 teams left — is pure stupidity. It's also not healthy for anybody employed in the sport. Dead period? Forget it.
"I see a lot of people saying the market for men's and women's college basketball players is broken, but the only thing they point to is that the players are getting paid a lot," sports lawyer Mit Winter said. "That doesn't mean the market is broken. It just means the current market values are high."
So, what would it take for collective bargaining? For some of this chaos to be dialed down? For players to have an offer of $600,000, agree in principle, then get the bid for $1.1 million from a more desperate place and the open-season chaos just continue? I'm not blaming a player for seeking the value, but the structure of that is like the rainbow pinwheel of death on a Mac laptop. It's a hamster wheel structurally.
"There would obviously have to be pretty big concessions from the school and conference sides, ones that are financial but others that provide benefits and protection," Winter told FOX Sports last year when asked about the potential of collective bargaining, which would still be a long way from actualizing unless conversations really shift. "There would have to be pretty big trade-offs to get athletes to agree to limit their freedom of movement, but professionals do it all the time, so I don't think it's something that would not happen, but it would have to be the right deal for athletes to agree to that."
[MORE: College basketball is in a state of chaos, but it's not beyond fixing ]
One high-major head coach who's not in the top-half of his league in terms of budget shared this with FOX Sports on the condition of anonymity: "It's challenging, but it's still an amazing sport. I hate when coaches complain because we chose this life, but there are obvious changes that need to happen to grow our game and increase its popularity outside of March Madness. Hopefully the NCAA, conferences and the powers that be can move swiftly to improve the overall product from NIL to some rule changes (less video review, quarters, etc.) that I believe would help."
For those saying college basketball is dying, the national championship game between a pair of non-blue bloods (Florida and Houston) delivered 18.1 million viewers and peaked at 21.1 million viewers, capping the sport's most-watched Final Four weekend since 2017. The tournament as a whole was up 3% in viewership from a year ago even with Cinderellas not being a theme this time around. We have seen some big-time returns in college hoops, with Purdue guard Braden Smith coming back for his senior season in West Lafayette being the headliner right now, as he's a lead national player of the year candidate.
This sport has fought through the one-and-done rule, the period where one could go straight from high school to the pros, the G League trying to take players from the college ranks and much more.
College basketball will never be the same, and a pathway to regulation has to happen, but for that to occur, the current leadership has to acknowledge the fact that the student-athlete model is gone.
These are employees, with the caveat to still make "college" part of the contract: you do go to class. That degree isn't so bad either, but there has to be a middle ground at some point for everybody involved, and it starts with accepting the reality that what's happening isn't productive for anybody and that the current "system" truly isn't one.
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta .
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily !
recommended
Get more from College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Detroit Tigers won't abandon 'pitching chaos' strategy. Here's why
TAMPA, FL — Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch isn't going to dump the "pitching chaos" strategy. The Tigers have been using a reliever as an opener followed by a starter as a bulk reliever roughly twice every five or six days recently. Advertisement Hinch believes in the approach. "The strategy is sound," Hinch said Sunday, June 22, before the Tigers' series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. "I think the opener part is a little bit misconstrued as to, it's good when it works and it's bad when it doesn't." BEST 2B IN AL: How Gleyber Torres became an All-Star Game lock again with Tigers Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch walks off the field after a pitching change during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Monday, May 19, 2025 in St Louis. The goal of the strategy is to limit how many times the primary pitcher faces the top hitters in the opposing lineup. In 2025, the Tigers have used Brant Hurter, Tyler Holton, Beau Brieske and Sean Guenther as openers, with starters Keider Montero and Sawyer Gipson-Long serving as bulk relievers. Advertisement The Tigers don't apply the strategy on days that Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize start. "It impacts things that you don't necessarily see all the time," Hinch said. "It'll affect lineup construction. It'll impact how they space their hitters, which can impact decisions later in the game." The data proves the opener-bulk strategy is effective — but it's not perfect. In 2024, openers had a 2.05 ERA in 30⅔ innings and bulk relievers had a 3.65 ERA in 103⅔ innings. In 2025, openers have a 4.50 ERA in 14 innings and bulk relievers have a 4.89 ERA in 38⅔ innings. This year, is the strategy the problem? Advertisement Or just poor performance? "When you don't execute, it's hard," Hinch said. [ MUST LISTEN: Make "Days of Roar" your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ] Don't be surprised if the Tigers use the opener-bulk strategy again as soon as Thursday, June 26, against the Athletics — starting with a lefty reliever like Hurter or Holton to face left-handed hitters Lawrence Butler, Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom and JJ Bleday, who typically occupy the top seven spots in the lineup, before handing the bulk of the innings to Gipson-Long. Advertisement Or the Tigers could give Gipson-Long a traditional start. Or the Tigers could promote left-hander Dietrich Enns from Triple-A Toledo. Unpredictability is another benefit of the "pitching chaos" strategy — from not knowing who will start to not knowing how long the "starter" will pitch. The uncertainty makes opposing managers uncomfortable as they try to prepare for games against the Tigers. "It's not perfect, but it is a strategy," Hinch said, "and it's been effective for a while now. There's no reason to really abandon it." Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@ or follow him @EvanPetzold. Advertisement Listen to our weekly Tigers show "Days of Roar" every Monday afternoon on demand at Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at Order your copy of 'Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!' by the Free Press at This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers won't abandon 'pitching chaos' despite 2025 struggles
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Live Updates: LSU baseball faces Coastal Carolina in Game 2 of College World Series final
LSU baseball is nine innings away from winning the College World Series and its second national title in three years. The Tigers beat Coastal Carolina in Game 1 on Saturday night with ace Kade Anderson tossing a complete game shutout. LSU could only muster one run -- a Steven Milam RBI single -- but it was enough. For Coastal Carolina, Saturday marked the Chanticleers' first loss in 26 games. Coastal Carolina starter Cameron Flukey turned in a gem of his own, but he was outdueled by Anderson. We could be in for another pitchers' duel on Sunday. LSU's Anthony Eyanson will face Coastal Carolina's Jacob Morrison. Both have been among the best pitchers in the country this year. Eyanson, a UC San Diego transfer, has posted a 2.92 ERA in 101.2 innings. Eyanson's one of the top strikeout pitchers in the country, sitting No. 3 nationally with 143 K's. Morrison, a big righty, has posted video game numbers in 2025. In 104 innings, Morrison has a 2.08 ERA and a sub-1.000 WHIP. LSU Wire will have live coverage of LSU baseball vs. Coastal Carolina throughout the afternoon. What channel is LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina on today? TV Channel: ABC Livestream: Fubo (free trial) or ESPN+ (subscriber only) LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina will be broadcast nationally on ESPN in the 2025 College World Series final. Streaming options for the game include FUBO, which offers a free trial to new subscribers. Watch LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina live on Fubo (free trial) What time is the LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina College World Series Final game today? The LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina game starts at 1:30 p.m. CT from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. LSU baseball vs Coastal Carolina prediction LSU baseball 6, Coastal Carolina 3: A day after Kade Anderson pitched a complete game shutout, I think Anthony Eyanson delivers a similar performance. Eyanson goes seven innings before handing it off to a rested LSU bullpen. The Tigers find enough clutch hits to win the game and take home the national title. Omaha weather report Rain won't play a factor but its another hot one in Omaha. Per The Weather Channel, temperatures will reach 97 degrees and feel like 103. It's windy again, too. Expect 25 mile per hour wins moving to the south.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oregon football offers brother of 5-star OT Immanuel Iheanacho
The Oregon Ducks are hosting 5-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho on an essential official visit this weekend, hoping to get him on board and in the 2026 recruiting class before he leaves town at the end of the weekend. It appears that they are going the extra mile to do so, as well. On Sunday morning, it came out that the Ducks extended an offer to Michael Iheanacho, the younger brother of Immanuel. Michael is a member of the 2028 class, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound offensive tackle who is currently unrated by 247Sports. Advertisement Meanwhile, Immanuel stands as one of the most significant players on Oregon's recruiting board in the 2026 class, rated as the No. 8 overall player in the class while standing at 6-foot-6, 345 pounds. He is considering Oregon alongside the Penn State Nittany Lions, LSU Tigers, and Auburn Tigers. Iheanacho has set a commitment date for August 5, but there is some speculation that he could end up announcing his commitment as soon as Sunday before his visit is over. If offering his younger brother — someone who could ultimately be a highly-touted recruit in the 2028 class — is something that will help push that decision along, then the Ducks made the right call in doing so. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions. This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon football offers brother of 5-star recruit in latest move
