Michigan State's Tom Izzo Denounces Transfer Portal

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo didn’t mince words Wednesday when addressing the state of college athletics. 

The Hall of Fame coach delivered a pointed critique of the transfer portal and NIL landscape, warning that the system is failing the very players it was designed to help.

“We created a bad system,” Izzo said. “These guys have had people in their ear all year long.”

While Izzo wasn’t speaking specifically about Michigan State, his message applied across the board. 

He emphasized that players are being forced to make high-stakes decisions with little structure or trustworthy guidance—and are often influenced by outside voices more interested in leverage than long-term development.

“They’re being forced to navigate that, with most of the public attention focused on the negative things of that,” he said.

Izzo made clear he supports athletes having the opportunity to earn money, but he believes the process has spiraled. 

“The system was set up without any proper guidelines,” he added. “It has not helped any players make decisions. They’re left to get middlemen and other people involved in their life.”

His comments come just days after former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava became the center of one of the most high-profile NIL disputes in college football. 

Iamaleava, once the face of the Vols program and on a reported $8 million NIL deal, entered the transfer portal following a standoff over compensation—which is the kind of off-field drama Izzo says is hurting players more than helping them.