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Mark Pope chimes in on how to fix the transfer portal in college basketball
Jan 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope paces the sideline against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Over the last handful of years, college athletics have changed a ton as we are now in the world of the transfer portal and NIL. It feels like every season, all of the top college basketball teams have brand new rosters. Some fans love this, and some fans aren't too fond of the changes.

In college basketball, the transfer portal is quite interesting because it opens up before the NCAA Tournament has even ended. For example, Kentucky landed Kam Williams the day that the Wildcats took on Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

This is tough on coaches because they have to focus on trying to go on a run in the tournament while also keeping up with recruiting in the portal.

Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coach Pope joined Matt Norlander last week on the Eye On College Basketball Podcast, and the transfer portal came up as one of the talking points.

Mark Pope's thoughts on the college basketball transfer portal

Here is how Coach Pope would handle the transfer portal: "If I could change it, I would probably move it to the day after the national championship game and make it a really tight window, make it a five-day window. That way, everyone's had time to evaluate, everyone's had time to see, and just make it a shorter window so we could get through the process. The process is already crazy-fast. But I say that also acknowledging that that answer raises a lot of issues, too. There's no perfect answer. The main thing should still be the main thing, and the main thing is giving these kids an unfettered opportunity to go be a champion, and I still believe that's where these kids get the greatest experience of their life that they'll never forget, is pursuing a championship with their whole hearts."

Coach Pope is right that it seems like there is no correct answer to managing the transfer portal, but making it open after the NCAA Tournament ends seems to make a lot of sense.

During his time at Kentucky, Coach Pope has done a great job of utilizing the transfer portal to reload each year, and he will continue to do this over the years.

College basketball is changing, and as the saying goes adapt or die. Coach Pope seems to be doing a great job of handling these changes in college athletics which is why the Wildcats will be one of the best teams in college hoops this season.

It will be interesting to see if the NCAA changes the window for the basketball transfer portal in the future.


This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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