USC Wins Big In The Transfer Portal Wars

LOS ANGELES – All college sports fans know, once the regular season is over the portal begins. This year women’s basketball entered in full force. There were major players that entered the portal that left fans stunned, and then there were some that didn’t come as a surprise. 

The University of Southern California had an elite season led by Freshman JuJu Watkins. Though their season was cut short by UCONN in the NCAA tournament, they still return their two leading scorers in Watkins and Marshall. 

They have since picked up two major pieces in the portal, one being former Stanford Cardinal and Katrina McClain award winner Kiki Iriafen. 

It’s also been announced that former Oregon State Beaver Talia von Oelhoffen will also join the Trojans. This means Iriafen and von Oelhoffen will join the likes of Watkins and Rayah Marshall, adding rebounding and potentially more scoring to the squad. 

The Trojans aren’t the only team working hard in the portal, so are other teams like the Kentucky Wildcats, TCU Horn Frogs, and the Maryland Terrapins. Teams like Oklahoma, Iowa and UCONN have picked up good pieces too. So many names, but unfortunately not all of them may be able to find a home. 

Players and coaches must think about fit, when it comes to picking up a player. We hear about the transfer portal, and know what it means when a player has announced they’ve entered, but let’s dive into how it actually works. 

How Do Players Enter

Athletes who have decided to transfer have to submit a notification of transfer to a compliance administrator at their current school, who then has two business days to enter the information into the portal. Included in that information is whether the athlete wants to be contacted by other schools, whether they’re transferring as a graduate student and whether they’re receiving an athletic scholarship.

Who Has Access to the Portal

The portal isn’t publicly accessible, only coaches and administrators have logins. Coaches can also create a watchlist to the portal.

How Long is the Portal Open

A New transfer legislation passed by the NCAA now says that a player has until the end of their sports season, {May 1} to enter the portal. Previously, graduate transfers didn’t need to adhere to transfer window dates and could enter the portal at any time. However, the exception for coaching changes remains in place, which gives players 30 days to enter the portal from the date their coaches left. 

New Transfer Rules

The Division-I Council also adapted a new rule on April 18 that allows student-athletes unlimited transfers if they meet academic standards. Previously, the rules stated that student-athletes were granted immediate eligibility after their first transfer, but would have to sit out a year after their second transfer.

Can a Player Withdraw From the Portal

Players can ask the school through which they entered the portal to remove them. However, once players enter, their school can cancel or reduce their scholarships for subsequent academic terms and does not have to take them back.