Unfortunately, for most players, the most rational move right now is probably to test their value on the open market, regardless of what a program wants or even what the player might prefer emotionally. That’s just the reality of how this is set up. At the same time, you’d love to be able to hold onto the guys who flash early, who look the part, and who feel like long-term building blocks rather than short-term rentals. Those are the players you want to grow with and invest in.
It’s a frustrating era to be a fan. There aren’t many guys you can wrap your arms around anymore, and that disconnect is real. But it’s also hard to put that on the players. They’re just navigating the system that exists.
I thought that I had read somewhere that given the fact that these players are now being paid that they can be locked up by contract to stay in the program until they turn pro...Any truth to that?
Short answer: not really, at least not in the way people think. Right now, schools can’t sign players to fully binding contracts that outright prevent transferring. Players retain full transfer portal freedom right now, more or less. NIL deals (third-party or school-facilitated) can’t legally block a player leaving due to antitrust rules, and most deals remain short-term or performance-based.
That said, many now include clauses for repayment, liquidated damages, or forfeiture if a player leaves early, leading to lawsuits (like Georgia vs. Damon Wilson) over enforcement. They can create financial deterrents, but don’t really lock anyone in. Revenue-sharing may open the door to more structure, but nothing is enforceable yet. At least that’s my understanding of this mess.
It will be tough to turn the tanker around under the new NIL world. We are going to have to find diamonds in the rough and young recruits that can help us build us back to a place where players will want to come -- and stay. In the grand scheme, Wisco's timing on having some down years couldn't have been worse.
I think that’s a fair way to frame it. The timing has absolutely worked against Wisconsin, no question. At the same time, I don’t think the path forward is purely about hoping to hit on long shots or waiting years for things to get corrected. You still have to identify the right developmental pieces, but you also have to create an environment where progress is visible and believable. Perception is reality. Players don’t stay just because of money. They stay when they believe in the culture, see real opportunity, and feel like they’re part of something that’s moving toward winning games. That’s the part Wisconsin has to reestablish quickly. If the product starts to look more competitive, retention becomes a lot easier, even in this NIL era.
My biggest question is whether the program has the right people in place, both on the field and at the administrative level above it, to actually make that vision real and sustainable. Right now, I don't think so, but I'd love to be wrong.
Yeah, until the NCAA puts some type of guardrails around this thing, it’s tough to get too attached. The incentives just aren’t there for a lot of players to stay in one place very long, and everything is constantly in flux. It’s less about loyalty now and more about opportunity, timing, and leverage. That’s just the reality of where college football is at right now. I hate it.
I think a couple of things can be true here. We saw flashes from all three of those young running backs, and that’s why retention still matters even with the portal additions that are coming. They’re going to add someone from the portal to replace Dilin Jones; that’s just the reality of it, and things can change awfully fast in today’s landscape. That said, there’s been some optimism about keeping Darrion Dupree in the fold, and that’d be a nice win for this staff. I also really liked what we saw from Gideon Ituka in a small sample. Now, they’ve got to give whoever’s back there an offensive line that can actually open up some holes. Fingers crossed.
I know that given NIL everyone wants to enter the portal but sadly the number of current players who have gives me a bad feeling for what's to come
Unfortunately, for most players, the most rational move right now is probably to test their value on the open market, regardless of what a program wants or even what the player might prefer emotionally. That’s just the reality of how this is set up. At the same time, you’d love to be able to hold onto the guys who flash early, who look the part, and who feel like long-term building blocks rather than short-term rentals. Those are the players you want to grow with and invest in.
It’s a frustrating era to be a fan. There aren’t many guys you can wrap your arms around anymore, and that disconnect is real. But it’s also hard to put that on the players. They’re just navigating the system that exists.
I thought that I had read somewhere that given the fact that these players are now being paid that they can be locked up by contract to stay in the program until they turn pro...Any truth to that?
Short answer: not really, at least not in the way people think. Right now, schools can’t sign players to fully binding contracts that outright prevent transferring. Players retain full transfer portal freedom right now, more or less. NIL deals (third-party or school-facilitated) can’t legally block a player leaving due to antitrust rules, and most deals remain short-term or performance-based.
That said, many now include clauses for repayment, liquidated damages, or forfeiture if a player leaves early, leading to lawsuits (like Georgia vs. Damon Wilson) over enforcement. They can create financial deterrents, but don’t really lock anyone in. Revenue-sharing may open the door to more structure, but nothing is enforceable yet. At least that’s my understanding of this mess.
It will be tough to turn the tanker around under the new NIL world. We are going to have to find diamonds in the rough and young recruits that can help us build us back to a place where players will want to come -- and stay. In the grand scheme, Wisco's timing on having some down years couldn't have been worse.
I think that’s a fair way to frame it. The timing has absolutely worked against Wisconsin, no question. At the same time, I don’t think the path forward is purely about hoping to hit on long shots or waiting years for things to get corrected. You still have to identify the right developmental pieces, but you also have to create an environment where progress is visible and believable. Perception is reality. Players don’t stay just because of money. They stay when they believe in the culture, see real opportunity, and feel like they’re part of something that’s moving toward winning games. That’s the part Wisconsin has to reestablish quickly. If the product starts to look more competitive, retention becomes a lot easier, even in this NIL era.
My biggest question is whether the program has the right people in place, both on the field and at the administrative level above it, to actually make that vision real and sustainable. Right now, I don't think so, but I'd love to be wrong.
Sadly, none of these transfers surprise me any more. Greener pastures await him. 🤨
Yeah, until the NCAA puts some type of guardrails around this thing, it’s tough to get too attached. The incentives just aren’t there for a lot of players to stay in one place very long, and everything is constantly in flux. It’s less about loyalty now and more about opportunity, timing, and leverage. That’s just the reality of where college football is at right now. I hate it.
That hurts but I think Supree was going to be #1 going into camp. Hopefully we can keep him
I think a couple of things can be true here. We saw flashes from all three of those young running backs, and that’s why retention still matters even with the portal additions that are coming. They’re going to add someone from the portal to replace Dilin Jones; that’s just the reality of it, and things can change awfully fast in today’s landscape. That said, there’s been some optimism about keeping Darrion Dupree in the fold, and that’d be a nice win for this staff. I also really liked what we saw from Gideon Ituka in a small sample. Now, they’ve got to give whoever’s back there an offensive line that can actually open up some holes. Fingers crossed.