Jim Gazzolo, Special for the American Press

With each passing day a college athlete heads to social media to tell the world they are off to the NCAA transfer portal.

It’s the latest craze on campus, replacing the old hat shuffle, when college prospects teased three of four programs by taking on and off their school’s caps before finally picking one to attend.

Oftentimes that was the last we ever heard of that player.

Now comes the social media games, only this time some of these kids making their formal announcements are players we haven’t heard of.

It’s all life in the world of social media, where everybody gets not their 15 minutes of fame but rather their 280 characters of glory.

And fans eat it up, either cheering their comings or bemoaning their goings. One thing is for sure, it is hard to follow.

“I don’t think anybody really likes it, but it’s part of the game,” said McNeese State men’s head basketball coach John Aiken. “It is here and we have to use it to our benefit.

“We either have to adapt or die.”

Aiken has seen the transfer portal up close since taking over the top job for the Cowboys on March 16. He has had seven players leave and three come in by way of the portal. He has also signed a junior college transfer and three high schoolers.

The Cowboys, under Aiken, have quickly reloaded despite the losses.

Football is no different. Over the last 15 months McNeese has seen a bunch of players leave and almost as many come in. Several others have decided to stay and not enter the portal.

It is all part of the college game now.

“We want to have players here who want to be here,” said McNeese head football coach Frank Wilson. “You have to re-recruit your players and be honest with them.”

For fans there are lots of questions. They seem to believe that every exit means trouble for the program. It likely doesn’t. What it shows is a true change in direction by the athletic department. It is happening all over the college landscape as players explore their new free agency.

“I don’t think it is good for college sports,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It is a different world and we have to be ready for it.”

Men’s basketball and football get a large portion of the attention, but it is also happening in other sports, including women’s basketball, where McNeese is going through a coaching change that is leading to player migration.

“You have to be open to where you look for good players,” said new Cowgirls head coach Lynn Kennedy. “They are out there. You have to find them and get them interested in your program.”

Of course, not all fans like change. If so they won’t be happy with the new NCAA transfer rule. Recently the NCAA gave even greater power to players, allowing for a one-time transfer pass that means no more sitting out a year after moving to same-division institutions.

Some see this as the end of competition, or lower levels. It sure could mean the end of college dynasties.

Truth is, the courts were likely going to rule in favor of athletes in the future so the NCAA beat the judges to their gavels.

However, the latest from the NCAA could have a major impact on lower-level schools like McNeese, especially in football. The Football Championship Subdivision level, or as it was better known by as Division I-AA, has gotten a big boost over the years from transfers coming from a higher level because they could play immediately.

Realistically, one day the “one-time” part of the waiver will be done away with by the courts as well.

“I don’t know if it will harm us,” Schroyer said. “I think there will still be room for McNeese and FCS schools to get those transfers. I don’t see it as being that harmful.

“We may lose a player or two, but I believe there will be enough to go around. With all the players looking for playing time and the right situation, and those willing to transfer, I think the market will be saturated. If we work hard we will still get our fair share as will the rest of FCS football.”

It is all part of the changing face of college athletics. Gone are the days of one school recruiting a class and having those players stick together for four years.

“We are living in a very unique time in college athletics,” Schroyer said. “Kids are moving around much more freely. It is up to us to find a way to get them to come to McNeese. The portal has taught us that and this rule is just more change we have to adjust to.”

The McNeese is a perfect example of this process. Just last week three football players left the program, opting to find new homes for their final season of eligibility. Yet the basketball team signed three of their seven new players from the portal and another out of a junior college.

Three new Cowboys come straight from high school. Football also has a few transfers playing impact roles for their rebuild, none more important than defensive end Isaiah Chambers, a portal guy himself who elected to stay at McNeese for his final season this fall.

So the portal gives and takes. It’s up to coaches and programs to adapt because the portal his here for the foreseeable future.McNeese athleticsMcNeese State University