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It is unclear how Ole Miss football will fare after losing quarterback Jaxson Dart and most of its starters from last season, but thanks to Lane Kiffin, fans have not had much time to focus on the team's ceiling. The outspoken head coach continues to churn out sound bites this summer, sharing his opinion on various topics such as the SEC schedule, Hugh Freeze's golf game and Nick Saban's hypothetical return to coaching. Now, he is sinking his teeth into one of the most controversial issues facing the sport today.
Kiffin shared his thoughts on the transfer portal, and the grueling challenges it creates for programs around the country.
“I think that unfortunately, the world we’re in, it is not good,” he told the media after the Rebels' first fall camp practice on Tuesday, per On3's Nick Schultz. “And I’m not up here to gripe. I didn’t start with this or anything. It’s not a good system, and it’s not good for college football. Professional sports don’t have this amount of turnover on a roster. Not even close.
“So to do it in college – and you’re just on your third, fourth school. You don’t really care about the school – you didn’t pick it. You didn’t grow up wanting to play there. That’s not really good. It is what it is.”
Will the NCAA change the transfer portal rules?
Kiffin frequently reached into the transfer portal this year, so fans may be surprised to publicly hear him tear down the system. But one can take advantage of rules without necessarily agreeing with them. The man makes a strong point about what could be the most pressing concern in the modern game.
Players have the freedom to jump from one team to another. They can use a smaller school as a launching pad to greener pastures when they deem fit or leave for a more lucrative NIL deal. Sustaining excellence in such a volatile environment is exhausting, and possibly a reason why great college coaches in both basketball and football have decided to retire earlier than fans maybe anticipated.
There were definitely flaws in the past, but the portal is arguably an over-correction that has dramatically changed the product. Rivalry games and other marquee matchups carry more weight and emotional context when there is more roster continuity. Lane Kiffin is not alone in his stance.
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors will meet in a video conference call in early August to vote on potentially shrinking the transfer window to a 10-day period in January. Presently, athletes have the opportunity to switch schools in both December and April, which can thrust coaches into extremely difficult circumstances.
Kiffin and the rest of the sport eagerly wait to see what comes of the transfer portal rules. He must stay focused on the task at hand, however, as Ole Miss football tries to carve out a new identity for itself.
