ESPN football analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently spoke about an issue developing in college football right now that nobody is really talking about — but should be. Specifically, Herbstreit is concerned about the rampant movement of college football transfers, with the end result being locker rooms full of players, but nothing that looks like a traditional “team.” Herbstreit warns that this “locker room collapse” could occur across the country very quickly unless decision-makers step up soon. While it remains to be seen how college football will handle the new problem of players chasing bigger dollars at other schools, the current unlimited transferring in college football does open the door to larger discussions around team dynamics, cohesion, and chemistry. Do these things matter? Is there really something to getting players in their right roles, building up players with confidence, and working through difficult times as a team — or is it simply about getting the most talented players on your team, regardless of cost?
The race to grab the best players
College football has changed dramatically the last few years, especially as this applies to transfers. Unlike years previous where the year-in residence rule applied (meaning transfer players had to sit out a year), since 2021 players can now use the NCAA “one-time transfer rule” and immediately transfer and play at a new school. Suddenly, the ways in which colleges could build teams changed, and schools no longer needed to recruit and develop their own talent when they could instead simply sway better players away from their original chosen school. While this modern-day team-building method immediately allowed for big name athletes to join a team, it simultaneously created new issues around team building and development, establishing team identity and culture, and sustaining an alumni base of former players who continue to value school traditions and rivalries. Herbstreit seems to suggest that those traditional team building approaches still matter, but that they will soon be lost as increasingly more college coaches build new “all star” teams annually from the players they can poach from other programs by offering more money.
While it is likely true that a great individual player can succeed regardless of what school he (or she) attends), often in sports team success comes about as a product of the sum of all parts. Locker rooms full of transfer players usually translate to a team of individual stars — but not necessarily a team comprised of interdependent players who collectively excel as a result of everyone working in team synchrony.
In the end, none of Herbstreit’s concerns may matter, as there are plenty of college football coaches right now eager to do whatever necessary to grab the best players. Are these coaches short-sighted by selling out on recruiting and development of their own players, in exchange for grabbing star players from other schools? Or is this the new normal, a football landscape full of uncertainty, constant player transferring, deteriorating school traditions and rivalries, and locker rooms full of individuals with the only goal of making it to the NFL? Will fans care whether a team was developed in-house, or simply bought by alluring players to transfer to their school?
Final thoughts
Right now, college football is the wold, wild west. Players are transferring daily, locker rooms are full of individuals moving in and out, and continuity building teams up from year-to-year has been replaced by how much money you can come up with to lure players away from their original commitments. The old ways of organically building teams based on traditions, geography, rivalries, and other factors have been replaced by who can offer the biggest paycheck and/or offer the fastest path to the NFL. Herbstreit recognizes this change, and his warnings around losing locker rooms should be taken seriously if any of the old ways of team building still matter.
drstankovich.com
