Sam Pittman reveals his thoughts on SEC in-conference transfers

The transfer portal has become one of the biggest hot-button issues in college athletics. It’s debated at many different levels, with differing opinions on how it should be regulated. Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman is no different. Now, Pittman has opened up about his thoughts on in-conference transfers.

“Well, it’s hard to say anything negative about it whenever we’re doing it too,” Sam Pittman said. “You know what I mean? When we’re going and getting players from LSU and Georgia and Alabama, you know?”

“I think you have to transfer within the conference if you’re gonna have a transfer rule. Because most of the time the players that we’re looking for are in this league. So, I guess, I’m for the rule that we’re no separate than anybody else. I guess.”

Ultimately, Sam Pittman is in favor of letting transfers move within a conference. In this case, that means within the SEC. To be against it, would be hypocritical to his actions. At the same time, it’s also clear that Pittman didn’t expect the transfer portal to be used this way.

“I think originally in the portal, I thought, it was for kids that were overrecruited,” Sam Pittman said. “In other words, they come to Arkansas–mistakes not the word–but we overrecruited them. They can’t play here. Allow them to be able to move without punishment to a MAC school, or to somewhere else. Now, I know MAC plays really good ball too. I don’t mean that negative, either.”

“But, really, what it’s come down to now is, a lot of it is, I’m not playing as much as I want to. I see somewhere else that I can go to and play right away. Some of it has to do with NIL money. You know? Managing your roster, right now, is the hardest thing to do, in my opinion, as a head coach in college football, right now. It’s hard.”

Transfer rules could change again

As college athletics look for structure amid rapid changes, there are likely to be more changes to how transfers are regulated. In July, the NCAA D1 Council recommended doing away with the one-time transfer rule. Meanwhile, legislation is being put forward by Democrat senators to pass an Athlete Bill of Rights, which would allow unlimited transfers.

It’s not a debate that’s going away soon. Rules for transfers will likely change again. However, how they are going to change remains to be seen.