CFB’s Record Transfer Portal Surge Hits 3,200 (and Counting)

College football’s spring transfer portal window opened Wednesday, and the numbers are staggering.

While the NCAA doesn’t publicly release how many players enter the portal, at least 3,200 names were in the system Wednesday afternoon, according to On3, and that number was growing by the hour. ESPN reported that more than 2,600 of those in the portal Wednesday were FBS scholarship players.

This transfer portal window closes on April 25, so there is still plenty of time for more players to enter and search for a new team.

It’s a perfect example of the adage—which is a source of frustration for many fans, coaches, and pundits—that in today’s college sports landscape, every player is a free agent every year.

In December, the winter transfer portal saw record movement on its opening day and concluded with some record NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals for top quarterbacks who switch schools, most notably Darian Mensah, who left Tulane to sign with Duke and receive a two-year, $8 million pact.

This week, the big story has been around former Tennessee signal caller Nico Iamaleava, who has entered the portal after a messy divorce with the Volunteers. Multiple reports suggested Iamaleava was seeking more NIL money from Tennessee, although a family friend refuted those claims to Front Office Sports. 

Carolina Blues

While spring practices are already underway, and in some cases over, for many top programs, adding players now can still boost rosters for the fall—if the price is right. 

One school in desperate need of more talent is North Carolina, which hired Bill Belichick as its new coach after the winter transfer portal had already opened. With more time to prepare for the spring window, the Tar Heels were expected to be a major factor in the portal.

However, UNC has “offered considerably less” money than other programs in the mix for some top players, sources told CBS Sports. That includes starting-caliber offensive linemen, who can reportedly command upwards of $500,000.

Belichick’s contract stipulates that $13 million in annual revenue sharing be dedicated to the football team, and UNC reportedly agreed to increase its NIL budget from roughly $4 million to around $20 million.