“A Bad System”: Tom Izzo Delivers a Harsh Truth About the Transfer Portal Era
East Lansing, MI — Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo is never one to mince words. Throughout his Hall-of-Fame career, Izzo has been celebrated as a straight-talking coach who holds his players — and himself — to the highest standard. That’s why it came as no surprise that, during a recent media session, Izzo took aim at what has become one of college sports’ most transformative and controversial changes: the transfer portal.
In a passionate critique that has garnered national attention, Izzo called the current transfer portal landscape “a bad system,” arguing that its rapid rise in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) has created new pressures on athletes, destabilized rosters, and forced even the most tradition-rich programs into an almost constant state of re-recruiting.
“There’s no question we’re living in a new world,” Izzo acknowledged. “And I understand it — kids want to take control of their futures. They want to maximize their value, and I respect that. But this system as it’s constructed? It’s not good for the game. It’s not good for the sport. And long-term, I don’t believe it’s good for the athletes, either.”
The Impact on Player Development
For decades, Izzo built his program on a straightforward philosophy: player development, four-year commitment, and a team-first culture that produced national championships, Final Fours, and NBA talent. But in the transfer portal era, Izzo noted, that culture is increasingly under threat.
“You used to be able to put a plan in place,” Izzo explained. “When you recruited a kid, you invested in him. You gave him the tools to grow — to fight through tough times, to improve year over year. That was part of the process. Now, if a kid doesn’t get the minutes they want as a freshman or sophomore, they jump in the portal. No one stays long enough to go through those valleys that make you stronger.”
Izzo’s words reflect a concern shared by many veteran coaches across the country. The instant-gratification mentality driven by the portal, they argue, robs players of the opportunity to develop resilience — a core value in programs like Michigan State. And while there’s no denying that some athletes benefit from new opportunities elsewhere, Izzo worries that the current system fails to prepare too many players for long-term success.
“That was one of my favorite parts of coaching,” Izzo said. “Watching a guy struggle as a freshman, then fight for his spot, and emerge as a junior or senior who can lead the team. That’s harder to do in this environment.”
The Pressure of Re-Recruiting
Izzo was also candid about the new responsibilities that come with the portal era. Even a program as stable as Michigan State now has to spend considerable energy re-recruiting its own roster every offseason — an exhausting process that takes time away from teaching, strategizing, and game preparation.
“People think recruiting stops once a player commits,” Izzo explained. “But that’s just not true anymore. Now you’re constantly making sure your own guys don’t jump ship. It’s like you have to sell the program all over again every spring. That’s not w