Notre Dame Coach Marcus Freeman Urges Overhaul of College Football Transfer System, Citing Need for Stability, Accountability, and Fairness
Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman has joined a growing chorus of voices within the college football community calling for significant reform to the NCAA’s current transfer system. As the landscape of college athletics continues to shift dramatically in the age of the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, Freeman has publicly expressed his concern about the long-term consequences of the current model. His appeal reflects not only a desire to maintain the integrity of college football but also a concern for the personal development of the student-athletes involved. In Freeman’s view, the present system has become chaotic and unsustainable, leading to instability on teams and undermining the core values of college athletics.
Freeman’s primary concern revolves around the lack of structure and regulation in the transfer process. Under current NCAA rules, players can transfer once without sitting out a season, a change implemented in recent years that has fueled a dramatic increase in player movement. While this policy was initially praised for giving athletes more freedom and control over their careers, it has also created an environment where short-term decisions and quick exits have become the norm. Freeman argues that this constant movement hurts not only the individual development of players but also the culture and cohesion of college football teams.
In interviews and press conferences, Freeman has pointed out that while players should have the right to pursue better opportunities, there needs to be a more balanced system that encourages commitment and personal growth. He is not calling for a return to overly restrictive rules that limit player mobility but rather for a thoughtful redesign of the system to ensure it promotes both athletic and academic development. Freeman believes that the ease of transferring has led some players to leave programs at the first sign of adversity, robbing them of the opportunity to build resilience and learn from challenging experiences—lessons that are essential not only in football but in life.
Another issue Freeman has highlighted is the impact of frequent transfers on team building and leadership development. College football programs rely heavily on continuity and long-term planning, both in terms of player development and recruiting. When players leave unexpectedly, it disrupts depth charts, derails carefully designed player development plans, and can throw entire team strategies into disarray. According to Freeman, this kind of instability makes it increasingly difficult for coaches to build cohesive teams and maintain a strong, unified locker room culture.
In addition to the effects on team dynamics, Freeman has expressed concerns about the mental and emotional toll the current system places on student-athletes. The transfer portal can be a stressful and unpredictable environment, with hundreds of players entering each cycle in hopes of finding a better opportunity. Many of these athletes enter the portal without clear guidance or a firm plan in place, and not all of them find new teams. For some, the dream of a better situation turns into an extended period of uncertainty or even the end of their college football careers. Freeman believes a reformed system should include more comprehensive support for athletes considering a transfer, including academic advising, career counseling, and mental health resources.
One of the underlying issues in the current transfer model is the increasing role of NIL deals in influencing player movement. While Freeman supports athletes’ rights to benefit financially from their name, image, and likeness, he has voiced concern that NIL incentives are being used to lure players away from their current programs. This creates a quasi-free agency environment where schools with more financial resources—or booster collectives willing to invest heavily—can poach talent from other programs. Freeman has emphasized the need for greater oversight and regulation of NIL deals in the context of transfers, to prevent the system from being exploited for short-term gains.
Freeman’s position is not unique, but it carries weight given his role at a prestigious program like Notre Dame. As one of the most tradition-rich and high-profile institutions in college football, Notre Dame has long been associated with a commitment to both academic and athletic excellence. Freeman’s call for reform aligns with this tradition, advocating for a college football model that prioritizes education, integrity, and character development alongside athletic success. He has stressed that he is not anti-player, but rather pro-student-athlete, wanting to see a system that truly supports their growth on and off the field.
Reforming the transfer system is no simple task. It would require collaboration between the NCAA, athletic directors, coaches, players, and even Congress, which has recently taken a growing interest in college athletics. Freeman has suggested ideas such as requiring more robust documentation for transfers, implementing specific transfer windows to limit chaos, and even establishing a panel to review transfer cases to ensure they align with educational goals. These ideas are designed not to punish athletes but to create a more structured and supportive environment.
In addition, Freeman believes that creating stronger relationships between players and their programs could reduce the desire to transfer in the first place. This includes investing in mentorship, leadership training, and creating open lines of communication between athletes and coaching staff. When players feel valued, heard, and supported, they may be less likely to leave at the first sign of trouble. Freeman often speaks about the importance of building trust and rapport with his players, and he sees this as a foundational element of successful and stable programs.
There is also an educational component to Freeman’s argument. He believes that the college experience should be about more than just preparing for the NFL. While many athletes dream of playing professionally, the reality is that only a small percentage will make it to the next level. For the vast majority, their time in college is the most important chapter in their football careers—and their lives. Freeman wants to ensure that this time is spent not just chasing wins, but growing as individuals, completing their degrees, and learning life skills that will serve them well beyond football.
Another dimension of the issue is the pressure on high school recruiting. With so many college coaches now scouring the transfer portal for proven talent, some high school athletes are finding fewer scholarship opportunities. Freeman worries that this shift is creating a bottleneck in the pipeline and leaving behind deserving high school prospects. He supports a model that maintains a healthy balance between developing young talent and supplementing rosters through transfers when truly necessary.
Ultimately, Freeman’s stance reflects a desire for thoughtful, sustainable change. He acknowledges that the game has evolved and that players deserve more rights than they had in the past. However, he believes that with greater freedom must come greater responsibility—and that it’s time for the NCAA and the broader college football community to take a hard look at the long-term consequences of the current transfer model. Without reform, Freeman fears that college football risks becoming unrecognizable, with loyalty and development giving way to transactional relationships and constant turnover.
Freeman is not alone in his concerns. Other coaches across the country have echoed similar sentiments, and there is growing momentum behind the idea that the transfer system, as it currently stands, is in need of a serious overhaul. What form that overhaul takes remains to be seen, but voices like Freeman’s are critical in sparking the necessary conversations and advocating for the kind of change that preserves what is best about college football while adapting to the realities of a new era.
In calling for reform, Marcus Freeman is taking a stand for the future of the sport. His message is clear: give players the freedom they deserve, but do it in a way that supports their long-term success, promotes team stability, and upholds the values that make college football special. For Freeman, the path forward lies not in restricting players, but in building a better system—one that serves everyone, from coaches and programs to the athletes who give the game its heart.
