GLENDALE – March Madness is the pinnacle of college sports. The novelty of the NCAA tournament is the heartbreak of a season-ending loss or surviving and advancing to the next round. Every weekend in March, a player plays for the name on the front of its journey to bring that program a national title. However, in recent years, players and coaches have not even waited for the season to end to announce that they are leaving the team to transfer to another program, which caused an uproar among former Houston Texan and Arizona Cardinals legend JJ Watt.
December 12, 2022; Glendale, Ariz; USA; Cardinals defensive lineman JJ Watt (99) comes onto the field prior to a game against the Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Syndication: Arizona Republic
The biggest example of this NCAA tournament is when McNeese’s head coach announced that he would become the next head coach at NC State. The NFL legend went on X to tweet out his frustration with the current state of college sports, highlighting how the transfer portal opening before March Madness is “cannibalizing” the sport.
JJ Watt’s tweet calling out NCAA:
The NCAA transfer portal opening before March Madness ends (same as football portal opening before bowl season ends) is preposterous.
Literally cannibalizing your own sport.
Imagine NFL free agency starting the Monday after Wild Card Weekend…
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 23, 2025
June 15, 2022; Tempe, Arizona; USA; Cardinals defensive lineman JJ Watt (99) during camp at the Tempe Training facility.
Nfl Cardinals Mandatory Camp At Arizona Cardinals Syndication: Arizona Republic
Michigan guard Justin Pippen, whose team is currently in the Sweet 16, has entered the transfer portal. The freshman guard only averaged 6.6 minutes a game, but Pippen transferring while his team makes a run for a national title highlights how the landscape of college sports has changed.
Maryland’s Derik Queen swished a buzzer-beating game-winner to secure his team into the Sweet 16. During the postgame press conference, Queen highlighted in a joking manner how the dynamic between a player and coach has changed.
“First, [head coach Kevin Willard] did pay us the money, so we’ve got to listen to him,” Queen said.
NIL and the transfer portal has led to what Watt highlighted in his tweet about how the landscape of March Madness is forever changed. It’s unsure if its for the better or for worse, but having coaches and players already plan for their next team while competing for a national title is an indictment of the loss virtue of loyalty in college athletics.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
