John Calipari calls for major portal overhaul, advocates for one-time transfer without penalty

Assessing the transfer portal landscape, John Calipari reiterated his desire for a major change. He wants to see a one-time transfer rule without penalty before players have to sit out after leaving their current program.

Calipari said the rules around the transfer portal as player movement continues to rise. He understands the argument for immediate eligibility after players transfer the first time, considering some of the factors that lead to departures.

As for any ensuing transfers, Calipari said that would require a sit-out year. That’s similar to the previous rules, although that called for any player to sit for one season after heading to a new team via the portal.

“What we’ve got to get in check is the transfer rules,” Calipari said. “I think kids should be able to transfer. I don’t have any issue with that. Once, without penalty. Whatever happened – a coach said something, he lied to you. Good, leave. You picked the wrong school. He picked the wrong guy. Leave. If a coach leaves and goes to another school, you should be able to leave because we can all say what we want. They went to the school because of the coach.

“Now, does that make you mad? You can be sad, mad, P’d on, P’d off. That’s a fact. That’s why they go to the school. So if he leaves and you want to leave – if you want to stay, stay. If you want to leave, leave. Other than that, sit out a year because … if they transfer to four different schools, why are they transferring four times?”

John Calipari’s argument stems from the academic perspective. He wondered how so many transfers could impact athletes’ academic progress. In turn, he speculated about what former players would say if they looked for a job without their degree in hand after making NIL money during their careers.

“Can they graduate from the last school? If they transferred four times?” Calipari said. “So when they’re out of school and they’re done playing, if we care about kids – no college education, they go for a job. They’re offered $55,000 to start, and what do they say? ‘What? I was making $250,000. Do I have to go to work? Do you give me a car? Can I have an apartment?’ All I know is when you go to poor to having some money back to poor, now, we’re talking mental health issues.

“Look, it is fair and it is right. Transfer without penalty one time. If you want to transfer, I’m all for it. But you’ve got to sit out. Because we care enough about education, when you leave, you have a college degree. If it didn’t work out for sports, you can work and do fine.”