Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention.<\/p>\n
Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman<\/a>, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs.<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s what it\u2019s not because of: the way they\u2019re treated, because of the way they\u2019re developed, because of the way they\u2019re taught,” he said. “That\u2019s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you\u2019d have to ask those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal this past spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just a loyal guy. I\u2019m loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me,” Ball said.<\/p>\n Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement;<\/a> last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to \u201cbe in the NIL game from a football perspective.\u201d Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have to go outside our state,” Pittman said. \u201cIn-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent \u2014 who it is versus what pay is expected. So that\u2019s been a little bit more difficult in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n Pittman isn\u2019t the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida<\/a> coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville and the challenges and perks that come with it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe present our product in a way where we\u2019re selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gator-made program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it\u2019s been before,” he said. “And I think that\u2019s one of the reasons we\u2019ve been able to keep it together.\u201d<\/p>\n Florida\u2019s 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact, and from Napier\u2019s perspective, hungrier than ever. Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn\u2019t think it\u2019s a coincidence.<\/p>\n \u201cWe told them when they came in, you know, look, it\u2019s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We\u2019re in this thing for the long haul,\u201d Napier said. \u201cI think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting. We\u2019re going to continue to do that, and retention is more important than it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn\u2019t exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement<\/a> is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about.<\/p>\n