The recent creation of the NCAA transfer portal has made it much easier for student-athletes to explore options outside their current institution. This past year, the database has been pretty full.

A combination of an ease to transfer rules and the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the busiest year yet for the portal. On Monday, as the SEC kicked off its media days event, commissioner Greg Sankey revealed just how many student-athletes entered the portal.

Sankey said that more than 13,000 student-athletes entered the portal and that over 11,000 still remain. That’s a higher number than many of us probably thought.

Earlier this year, the NCAA passes a new policy that will allow first-time transfers to have immediate eligibility at their next destination. That makes life easier for student-athletes who are unhappy at their current school, regardless of circumstance.

There’s no question that the adjustment to that policy has played a role in the increased number of entries into the database. It’s hard to ignore the role the pandemic likely played as well, with several players being away from friends and family for such an extended period of time.

It’s going to be interesting to see if the numbers continue to be as high as the 2020-21 academic year in terms of transfer portal additions or if it tapers off this coming year.