The Era of the Transfer

College athletics will always be a powerful part of American culture, as it draw at the heartstrings of alums, current students, families, and relatives across the country. One thing, that seems to bring a lot of people together in a multitude of ways, respect, pride, elation, dismay, disbelief among just a few adjectives that can affect a 21 year old college student or a 80 year old alum. Almost everyone has a team and a school.

But often forgotten is that while the fan is so keenly affected by the outcomes on the field, or court. The athletes competing are still 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 years old. They are also continuing to go to class, do homework, take exams, write papers while also trying to balance practice, games, lifting, socializing, and trying to still be a regular student.

Social media has made the day and age of the athlete all that much more, student athletes at premier schools for their sport have followings the sizes of professionals and often have an equal amount of pressure to preform if not more as many times they are looking for their professional life to continue in their athletic area of expertise and skill.

As a college athlete myself, albeit at a much smaller level school, even I have felt pressures from the late years of high school to now when it comes to my performance on the field and often more importantly so my actions and perception off of it.

College athletes have a lot going on in their busy lives and have a lot to weigh in ultimately every decision they make, but there seems to be one large topic at the top of almost every social media platform that follows college athletics these days. We have entered the era of the transfer.

Most people are aware that when a student athlete chooses to attend a university and continue their athletic endeavors they sign a National Letter of Intent, now what most don't know is what has gone into that moment in their life the work they have put in the sacrifices that they along with families have made and it is unique to every student athlete as no journey is ever the same. Motivations are always different, the factors in decisions are always different, the need for a new beginning or the need to stay close to home can change every other week depending on the student athlete.

Now the rule has always been that when a student athlete chooses to transfer, they must sit out a year at their new institution and they lose one year of eligibility but then they are free to compete for their new school. Recent months have made this become increasingly easier for student athletes as the NCAA has issued a new tool called the Transfer Portal, in which a student can choose to input their name and they are basically putting it out there that they are open to being contacted by other schools about the possibilities of joining a new program.

As more and more student athletes take advantage of this tool that is now at their disposal. I watch as fan bases, reporters, and yes even coaches mock this tool and the decisions of so many student athletes, but I ask how is it different from a young business man taking an interview with a different company I ask how is it different from a young doctor talking to multiple practices about which is the best fit for his professional setting. What ever the motivations may be, and while it looks to be that most transfers are looking for the opportunity to play the athletic competition they love I ask you to think deeply and realize that each of these student athletes is a human being trying to navigate and put themselves in the best position to succeed for the next stage of their life. No different than that of you and I. Yes, your alma mater may lose a talented young athlete but keep in mind that athlete is still a college student, and the job of a college student is to grow, mature, and ultimately head out into the work force, no matter what profession it may be, in the best position to be successful.

CBS Writer Dennis Dodd wrote a phenomenal article on the social media effect as well,
https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/social-media-shaming-is-helping-college-players-fight-unfair-transfer-rules-gain-eligibility/