Rich Rodriguez Speaks Out on NIL and Transfer Portal Chaos in College Football
Back at his alma mater, former West Virginia and Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez is voicing strong concerns about the state of college football in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the transfer portal. Now leading the program at Jacksonville State University, Rodriguez has had a front-row seat to the seismic shifts reshaping college athletics—and he isn’t holding back.
Rodriguez, known for his pioneering spread offense and fiery coaching style, describes the current landscape as a “free-for-all,” where loyalty, development, and team culture are being eroded by the lure of quick money and instant gratification. “You try to build something the right way,” Rodriguez said, “but every year, you’re recruiting not just high school kids but your own roster. That’s not sustainable.”
Since the NCAA began allowing athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness in July 2021, and with the relaxation of transfer rules allowing players to switch schools without penalty, college football has seen unprecedented movement. Entire rosters can turn over in a single offseason. Rodriguez argues this undermines the long-term development of both players and programs. “How do you build a culture,” he asks, “when your best guys can be poached by a Power Five school offering six figures?”
Rodriguez isn’t anti-player empowerment. In fact, he’s been an advocate for student-athletes’ rights for decades. But he believes the current system lacks structure and fairness. “The NIL world is supposed to be about branding and opportunity,” he said, “but in reality, it’s often just pay-for-play under the table. There’s no transparency, no regulation.”
At Jacksonville State, which recently moved up to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as part of Conference USA, Rodriguez is trying to establish a winning identity. But he admits it’s become more difficult to keep young talent. “We’re a developmental program,” he said. “We take guys and make them better. But now we have to worry if someone else will swoop in and offer them more before we can fully develop them.”
Rodriguez’s frustration reflects a broader sentiment among many coaches across the country. While NIL has brought much-needed opportunities for athletes, it has also introduced inequity and instability. Coaches are calling for reform—standardized contracts, centralized oversight, and clear rules that distinguish legitimate endorsements from recruiting inducements.
Despite the challenges, Rodriguez remains committed to building a disciplined, high-character team. He points to his experience and deep-rooted passion for the game as his guiding forces. “I still love coaching,” he said. “But we’ve got to fix this before it breaks everything. Right now, it’s the wild, wild West.”
Rodriguez’s blunt assessment underscores a growing concern: without thoughtful regulation, the very essence of college football—teamwork, loyalty, development—may be lost to a transactional, chaotic system. As a veteran coach who has seen the game evolve over decades, his warning carries weight: adapt with integrity, or risk losing what makes the sport great.
