The NCAA Transfer Portal - Fine, I Will Say It.

The other night I caught the tail end of the movie "Rudy". The 90's film is one I had seen more than a dozen times on every athletic bus trip, but I had not seen it in the last 20 years. The final 7 minutes crept up on me and made me teary-eyed as the main character subbed in for the historical final play and was carried off the field. I already knew exactly how the movie ended and had no idea why I was emotional over it.

The story tells us how Rudy Ruttiger spent his whole life chasing Notre Dame Football for the chance to wear the jersey and represent the Fighting Irish.

So much so that he spent years at Holy Cross taking classes just for the chance to transfer to Notre Dame and get annihilated as a practice player every week.

The movie is inspiring and one for the ages, but I was more struck by the fact that this story, and any like it, is unlikely to ever happen again. Why?

Loyalty in college athletics is fleeting in all areas.

Loyalty from to athletes to their teams, athletes to coach, admin to coaches (see Coach Kelly Harper at Tennessee) and institutions to their sport. While so many are abandoning their posts and the concept of team is deteriorating in the bedlam of college athletics, it seems only too appropriate to say what most coaches can't say out loud. So, I will.

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