On this Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, a day when we traditionally reflect on justice and equality, I feel compelled to address an evolving issue in college athletics that is impacting young athletes nationwide.
Dr. King’s legacy teaches us the importance of standing up for the marginalized, and today, we must shine a light on the challenges facing high school student-athletes due to the NCAA’s evolving rules and the growth of the NCAA Transfer Portal.
In recent times, we’ve seen a surge in the use of the NCAA transfer portal by college student-athletes. The rapid and consistent growth of the NCAA Transfer Portal is alarming. While it offers flexibility to college athletes, it has also shifted recruiting focus away from high school players. Now, colleges are not only recruiting transfers, but even bringing in former professional players, as we’ve seen with Baylor University signing an athlete from the NBA G League. This blurs the lines between amateur and professional sports and leaves fewer and fewer spots for young high school athletes to step into the collegiate ranks.
The consequences are real. Many high school athletes, often young African-Americans who rely on sports as a pathway to education, among many others, are being sidelined. They find themselves overlooked in favor of older transfers, sometimes ending up in junior colleges rather than four-year programs. Each year, the portal grows, and each year, more student-athletes are left without a college home, which only exacerbates the problem.
In addition, the NCAA’s reluctance to enforce stricter rules, perhaps to avoid legal battles, has created a sense of ambiguity. This lack of clarity has allowed the bending of rules, further complicating the landscape and making it even harder for high school and junior college athletes to find opportunities.
I don’t claim to have all the answers. But it’s clear that the NCAA must focus on ensuring that high school athletes have equal opportunities to continue both their athletic and academic careers. We need thoughtful rule changes that keep the door open for the next generation. If we don’t, we risk not only limiting their futures but also deepening inequalities and reducing the positive impact that sports can have on our communities.
Let’s continue to strive for a fairer playing field for all student-athletes.
The increasing desire by college programs to win, resulting in much more pressure on college coaching staffs to deliver winning teams, is resulting in many more losses in our communities, as less athletes annually are given the opportunities to become student-athletes. Basketball and sports can give life to a community, but it is not the solution. Academics are the solution. But for many, the opportunity to become a student comes through the opportunity given by sports. If channeled correctly, sports can give a student-athlete the foundation needed to be successful in life, and especially in Corporate America. Without the opportunity to play sports and further their academic careers, we are giving rise to a much bigger problem for our nation's future. Our youth needs hope for the future, but this hope continues to diminish through the lack of focus by the NCAA on rules that continue to support winning in their academic institutions, while many are losing in our communities.
There needs to be a change.
