The NCAA transfer portal has revolutionized college sports, giving athletes unprecedented freedom to move between programs. But as the debate over Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) intensifies, SEC officials warn that the academic toll of frequent transfers, especially among those chasing NIL deals, may be far greater than many realize.
Academic Fallout from SEC Transfer Portal Free Agency
Pete Nakos recently shared a pointed warning from SEC Associate Commissioner William King:
SEC’s William King on impact of transfer portal to lawmakers: “Right now, basically unlimited transfers. You can transfer as much as you want. The focus has entirely been on tampering and rebuilding rosters. Nobody talks much about what it does to education.
“… I fully expect…
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) June 12, 2025
King’s remarks highlight a growing concern: while the transfer portal and NIL have created a college sports free agency, the academic consequences are often overlooked. Research backs this up. A 2018 National Student Clearinghouse study found that 39% of undergraduates transfer at least once, and those who transfer multiple times face even steeper academic risks.
The numbers tell a stark story. Last year, over 31,000 student-athletes entered the NCAA transfer portal, with more than 25% of scholarship football players now making a move annually. While the portal offers athletes a legitimate escape from bad situations, such as a lack of playing time or coaching changes, the academic disruption is profound.
However, the impacts on academics are serious. Students often lose 60–70% of their credits when switching colleges, which can delay graduation for one to two years and may even lead to the repetition of core courses in their new schools.
JT Daniels, who had been a college quarterback, had to transfer four times in six years, and while he was doing so, most of his credits couldn’t be transferred, which is the same tragic story that most big-name athletes share.
The rise of NIL has dramatically enhanced this trend. Some athletes can greatly influence a university’s transfer process by using their move as a key part of their strategy. In this way, the transfer portal acts as the marketplace. For instance, Jordan Addison has been disclosed with NIL prospects, the sum of which was even over $3 million for his transfer.
In contrast, Zay Flowers was offered such a substantial amount of money that he said no to it and thus, stayed where he was. All of this is like an arms race, continually leading to the experience of a complete reshuffling of the teams’ rosters. Around 2,611 FBS football players had to go to the portal within one semester of the last year.
Unfortunately, while the programs desperately hunt for the best athletes to replace the lost ones on the team and keep the top talents from leaving, the service to the players is, more often than not, replaced by the educational mission.
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Changes in the SEC’s transfer records suggest a direct connection between losses in terms of depth and academic performance, as occurred with Ty’Son Williams from South Carolina, making the point about the flexible portal always leading to athletes’ success highly controversial.
