The NCAA transfer portal is the new norm for college football, sending players all across the country multiple times a year and leaving coaches in a 365-day cycle of constant recruiting.
Some coaches, including Kansas’ Lance Leipold have called for more rules about when players can join and leave programs.
Lance Leipold Wants Guardrails on Transfer Portal Movement
Leipold criticized the portal, calling it unhealthy for players. And while he admitted the search for a perfect solution is constantly racing through his mind, for now, he’s calling for some regulations.
“We’re just looking for some more regulation and guardrails,” Leipold said. “We need to get some more consistency. You see it in other sports as well. I just don’t think where, we think in society, we it’s healthy for a young man to go to eight different schools in eight different years. I’m trying to figure that out.”
Leipold also addressed the question of coaches being able to move around schools at will, specifying guardrails — including buyouts required by programs acquiring a new coach.
“I know the quickest thing people talk about is coaches that move on,” Leipold said. “But there are stipulations for all of us. Whatever that sweet spot is, we can get there, and have consistent rosters to make this as competitive as possible.”
It’s no secret the Jayhawks have seen massive roster turnover. Twelve Kansas players left the program this offseason, with half of them not yet finding a landing spot. Of the other six, three landed at other power conferences and three took a step down the ladder.
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Leipold has welcomed 25 new players through the portal this offseason, giving his team a complete revamp heading into 2025. The Jayhawks are looking to bounce back from a 2024 season that saw them put up a disappointing 5-7 record.
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