Dick Vitale says 'widespread tampering' happening with NCAA transfer portal
ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale continues to criticize the NCAA transfer portal. He’s had no trouble chiming in about the situation pertaining to the sport since the end of the season.
On Monday night, Vitale sent out multiple tweets indicating that college coaches are complaining of “widespread tampering” in regards to the NCAA transfer portal. This season has seen an incredibly high number of student-athletes enter the portal, with over 1,200 names in college basketball alone.
“Spoke with several coaches that r saying that widespread tampering is going on in recruiting players from the transfer portal,” Vitale wrote on Twitter. “They claim players r informed that School X will offer if u get in portal. That is pathetic & violates y the rule was put into play.”
In a second tweet, Vitale said that coaches have told him they can prove this “wheeling and dealing” is happening in college basketball.
Spoke with several coaches that r saying that widespread tampering is going on in recruiting players from the transfer portal.They claim players r informed that School X will offer if u get in portal . That is pathetic & violates y the rule was put into play .
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) April 21, 2021
The transfer rule was instituted to allow players that don’t play to transfer w/o sitting. However STARS & PTPER ‘s that have produced r moving on in big #’s . Coaches have told me they can prove this wheeling & dealing is happening & plan to notify @NCAA
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) April 21, 2021
A few weeks ago, Vitale said he wasn’t a fan of the NCAA transfer portal because of the number of players deciding to leave their current institutions. He suggested that it was doing damage to the game.
Under the current rules, a school may contact a student-athlete who enters their name into the NCAA transfer portal. If a player is not in the portal, no contact can be made.
It sounds like some coaches may have already found a way around those particular policies. At least according to Vitale.