Tracking where the best men's NCAA basketball transfer portal players are headed next
A few notable players hit the NCAA men's transfer portal during March Madness and have already made their big decision before the championship game.
With more than 1,600 players in the portal within the first two weeks of eligibility, it became especially important for schools and players to make difficult choices as soon as possible so that they could have their commitments ready while NIL money was still available.
There are plenty of other talented and impactful who have not yet made a choice about their future, but we will continue to update this post as more rosters are set.
More: The best men's NCAA basketball transfer portal players per position, including Donovan Dent
Early winners include Louisville, Michigan, Arizona State, Baylor, and Saint John's thus far:
Note: Nick Kalinowski, Evan Miya, Bart Torvik, Ken Pom, and CBB Analytics were resources for this research.
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Fox Sports
36 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Michigan's Real Punishment? A $20M-Plus Gut Punch That Deserves Our Attention
College Football Michigan's Real Punishment? A $20M-Plus Gut Punch That Deserves Our Attention Published Aug. 20, 2025 6:18 p.m. ET share facebook x reddit link Forget the headlines about suspensions and show-cause penalties — Joel Klatt says the real hammer in the Michigan sign-stealing saga is financial, and it's brutal. With fines that could eclipse $30 million, Klatt argues the NCAA has quietly delivered a blow that could be more severe than most fans and pundits realize. "If we talk about this from a pro perspective, as the money grows in college football and we get into revenue sharing, what's the most penalizing thing that you can do to a program that affects them right now? Take away revenue," Klatt said on his podcast, "The Joel Klatt Show." "So, the fine of upwards of up to $30 million isn't a small fine. Some will say it's the price of doing business, and they'd pay it every year if it guaranteed us a national championship. "That's fine, but, in the era of revenue sharing, I will tell you that every athletic director across the country — whether it's Big Ten or SEC athletic directors — all they talk about is revenue. All they talk about is finding money, because they don't feel like they have enough to keep the entire program up to speed." Thanks to the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement in June, schools will now be able to pay student-athletes directly through a revenue-sharing model. But there is an annual cap that each school has to deal with. For the 2025-26 academic year, schools have a limit of roughly $20.5 million to pay all of their student-athletes. ADVERTISEMENT "They're going to have to share the $20.5 million and still find all this money for all of their other sports," Klatt explained. "So, when you fine a school like Michigan $30 million, it's not small. I feel like that was the right way to go for them. The other thing you can do is hinder their way to build a roster. That's how they do it in the NFL. They've got to do some convoluted things on when and how you can recruit." As Klatt mentioned, the NCAA's penalties against Michigan also included recruiting restrictions. Head coach Sherrone Moore's program will have a 25% reduction in football official visits during the 2025-26 season and a 14-week prohibition on recruiting communications during the four-year probation period. However, it doesn't appear that Michigan has felt the wrath of the recruiting restrictions yet. Four days after the penalties came down, the Wolverines were able to land five-star recruit Savion Hiter, who is widely viewed as one of the top running backs in the 2026 recruiting class. While the fines could hurt Michigan down the line, the Wolverines were also hit with penalties when the news of the scandal first broke, as the Big Ten suspended then-Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh three games on the eve of its matchup against Penn State in November 2023. While Michigan defeated Penn State and Ohio State without Harbaugh, Klatt believes that the suspension could've derailed the team's national championship season. "Harbaugh flew with the team to Penn State and was at the hotel, but he was suspended for the game," Klatt said. "That's a lot of distraction when you're about to play on the road against a top-10 opponent. That's not nothing. For some people, this punishment is not going to go far enough. That's fine. I totally understand that. I think if you're Michigan, you look at this and even think, 'Man, I think we got off pretty easy.' But let's not forget that for the most difficult and important games of that season, they had to play without their head coach, Jim Harbaugh. "Harbaugh was not there for the Ohio State game, and that was a game between two undefeateds and the loser was not going to the playoff. The loser was not going to the Big Ten Championship Game. So, if Michigan loses that game, the national championship doesn't happen. I think from Michigan's side, they would've said that's because 'our head coach wasn't there.'" Harbaugh was also penalized for his role in the sign-stealing scandal by the NCAA, receiving a 10-year show-cause on top of the four-year show-cause he's already serving due to previous recruiting violations. Connor Stalions, the mastermind behind the scandal, received an eight-year show-cause penalty. Klatt noted that Harbaugh is "never coming back" to Michigan, as he's now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Klatt also thought the suspension the NCAA gave Moore wasn't significant as it tagged on one game to the already self-imposed two-game suspension he was set to serve for the 2025 season. In total, Moore will miss Michigan's third and fourth games this season, while also missing Michigan's season-opener against Western Michigan in 2026. Sherrone Moore will be suspended for three total games as a result of the sign-stealing scandal. (Photo by) "I immediately thought, 'Oh, they gave him the Oklahoma game as well,'" Klatt said, referring to Michigan's Week 2 matchup against Oklahoma. "The NCAA grew a spine and said that's not enough. So, you're also going to sit out the Oklahoma game, which would hurt them as a team and him personally, because he went to Oklahoma. … What are we doing?" Still, while some might scoff at the idea of a fine being a harsh punishment, Klatt argued that it was the best the NCAA could do – and it might be pretty effective. "I said when the investigation finishes and pending what they actually did, if rules were broken, then they should be punished. So, good. I'm glad that they're getting punished because clearly rules were broken," Klatt said. "Was the punishment fair? Did the punishment fit the crime? … I never want to penalize a current player who had nothing to do with this for some actions of some people who aren't in the program anymore." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . What did you think of this story? share
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Missouri State and Delaware are making a historic, risky leap to FBS amid college sports upheaval
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The paint is finally dry on Plaster Stadium. The new turf has been laid, with its maroon end zones, the Missouri State logo across midfield and 'C-USA' emblazoned at the 25-yard lines. All the technological upgrades are completed, ready for the Bears to play their home opener against SMU in less than a month. These are the tangible signposts ushering in a new era for the school's football program. There are more, less obvious ones that are accompanying Missouri State's move from the Football Championship Subdivision to the top-tier Football Bowl Subdivision, one that comes during perhaps the most tumultuous time ever in college sports. There's the money flowing into players' pockets, a byproduct of NIL legislation and the recent House settlement, which allows schools to share up to $20.5 million with its athletes over the next year alone. There is increased pressure on coaching staffs to land higher-caliber athletes from both high school and the transfer portal. There are more demanding travel schedules and, yes, tougher opposition than the Bears have faced at any point in their 116-year history. 'Ultimately, us and Delaware are making this transition at one of the most unique times in the history of athletics,' said Missouri State athletic director Patrick Ransdell, referring to the Blue Hens, who are likewise moving up to the FBS level this season. Delaware opens Aug. 28 against Delaware State. Missouri State begins Aug. 30 with a trip to mighty USC. 'You make all these plans: This is how we're going to make the move. Travel is going to go up. Our recruiting goes up. Salaries, nutrition, scholarships — everything is increased,' Ransdell continued. 'Then you throw on top of it some version of revenue-sharing, which we'll all kind of learn how we go through that. And we have to look at our football program, and what do we need to do to the facilities? There's only so much money to go around. You have to be strategic with it.' So why make the jump, when there is such intense internal and external pressure? Why are the Bears and Blue Hens, two programs with rich histories at the lower levels of the game, making the risky decision to join the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan in playing at the highest and most expensive level? 'I think it's a number of factors,' Ransdell said. 'Conference distribution is a factor, and what we're going to get from Conference USA. But even more so is raising the national profile of the institution. You can look through history and see applications and just brand recognition goes up significant moving from the FCS to FBS. That's important to us.' Dollars and sense Shortly before Missouri State and Delaware announced their jumps to Conference USA, the NCAA Division I Council in October 2023 increased what had been a nominal $5,000 fee to join the FBS to an eyebrow-raising $5 million. The schools decided it was worth it anyway. Jordan Skolnick, the interim athletic director at Delaware, had seen how 10 programs that made the jump since 2014 benefited from an increased national profile and more revenue, and the cascading effect it had on the athletic departments and schools at places as large as James Madison, Sam Houston State and Jacksonville State. 'I remember we were at a meeting of the Board of Trustees,' Skolnick said, 'and one of our lacrosse players — McKenzie Didio, one of our student-athlete advisory committee members — I think she so eloquently said: 'This is our chance to show everyone all the great things about our school. It's going to help all our programs. All boats rise.'' It's not just the FBS entrance fee that has proven costly, though. It's the day-to-day price of doing business. The median athletic revenue at the FCS level last year was about $20.1 million with expenses of $35 million, according to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database. The median revenue at the FBS level jumped to $96.7 million and expenses of $124 million, while behemoths such as Alabama reported operating expenses of more than $265 million. Missouri State and Delaware are bridging some of the budgetary chasm by funneling additional money from their institutions to the athletic department. Conference USA, which has multimedia rights deals with ESPN and CBS Sports, will provide more revenue distribution than their former leagues — the Missouri Valley for Missouri State and Colonial Athletic for Delaware — and increases in ticket sales, merchandising, sponsorships and donations also promise to help lift the bottom line. The schools might not bridge the monetary divide right away. But they understand the urgency to do it quickly. 'I think we'll be within earshot of being competitive in Conference USA,' Ransdell said. 'We're not going to be the top, but we're also not going to be the bottom. If you look at averages, we'll be pretty competitive from the jump.' Time for kickoff Ryan Beard is ready for competition to shift from recruiting pitches and revenue generation to the field on fall Saturdays. Missouri State's coach has known for two years that the jump to the FBS was coming, and he fastidiously has laid the groundwork for it. Beard's built out his coaching staff, made recruiting inroads in talent-rich states like Texas and Florida, and spent more time glad-handing sponsors and donors than he probably cares to count, all while trying to build support for his program. 'Back in the day it was football, football, football,' Beard explained. 'Now you're in the realm of fundraising, contract negotiation, dealing with agencies and family members with financial interests. You have to be a master of multiple tasks. Everybody talks about the huge amount of money, and yes, that's a big deal. But where do we fit in the landscape of things?' Being realistic about that is important, too. 'We're kind of the kings of doing more with less,' acknowledged Beard, who in just his second season as the head coach led the Bears to an 8-4 record last year, matching the most wins at Missouri State since the 1990 season. 'We have things that we don't think are good enough and everyone knows that. But we believe in the people in this building,' he said. 'We have a beautiful campus, but if you're a recruit and you come to visit, I might not show you all the facilities. Instead, I'll bring you to practice, and you'll see a bunch of juiced up cats and coaches doing things the right way.' That's not to slight what the Bears have at their disposal. 'It's just understanding where we are with our needs and basic resources of what it takes to look like an FBS team,' Beard said. 'What's encouraging is we have a president and athletic director who have a vision. They understand we are behind.' Delaware may not be quite as far behind, thanks to its more recent FCS success. The program that produced NFL quarterbacks Rich Gannon, Joe Flacco and Matt Nagy along with Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach won the FCS national title in 2003, and it has made the playoffs four of the past six seasons. Yet change is coming. Last year, the Blue Hens went 9-2 playing games against the likes of Bryant, Penn and Sacred Heart. This year, they have trips scheduled to Power Four programs Colorado and Wake Forest. 'I think what excites me the most about this move is really off the football side and more the alumni side, as someone who cares about the university,' said Blue Hens coach Ryan Carty, who also played quarterback for them from 2002-06. 'We get a chance to showcase our brand, showcase what we have here, how special we are,' he said. 'Sometimes it is a little more hidden than it should be. The national games, the platform, the possibility of playoff games and bowl games — all of those things that give you a little boost in your visibility, it does it better for the teams that have something awesome to view.'
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
CFP Committee Placing More Emphasis on Teams' Strength of Schedule This Year
The College Football Playoff selection committee announced Wednesday it will place more emphasis on strength of schedule this year when determining which teams make the 12-team field. The committee said in a statement that the schedule strength metric has been adjusted to apply greater weight to games against strong opponents. An additional metric, record strength, has been added to go beyond a team's schedule strength to assess how a team performed against that schedule. "This metric rewards teams defeating high-quality opponents while minimizing the penalty for losing to such a team," the committee said. "Conversely, these changes will provide minimal reward for defeating a lower-quality opponent while imposing a greater penalty for losing to such a team." The adjustment to the evaluation process comes after some in the SEC complained about last season's inclusion of — at the time of selections — an 11-2 SMU of the ACC over a 9-3 Alabama or even a 9-3 South Carolina or 9-3 Ole Miss. SMU's losses were to an unranked BYU and a ranked Clemson in the ACC Championship Game. Alabama had bad losses against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma, both .500 at the time, but also had wins over second-ranked Georgia, No. 21 Missouri and No. 14 LSU. Prompted by concerns about how teams that don't play in conference championship games are judged, the committee reviewed the movement of idle teams from the second-to-last ranking to the final ranking. The selection committee reaffirmed that movement in the final week should be evidence-based and did not recommend creating a formal policy prohibiting such movement. The committee also updated its policy on recusal of selection committee members. A member will be fully recused from the evaluation of a team if he or she receives direct compensation from the school in question or has an immediate family member who is a football player, football staff member or senior administrator at the school. A fully recused member is not allowed to participate in any deliberations or vote concerning that school. A member will be partially recused if he or she has a secondary relationship with the school in question, such as an immediate family member employed by the institution but outside the football program or senior administration. A partially recused member may remain present and participate in discussions related to the team in question but is not allowed to participate in votes involving the team. The selection committee will release its five weekly Top 25 rankings on Nov. 4. The final rankings and playoff field will be announced Dec. 7. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
