Introduction
The landscape of collegiate sports and sports medicine care of student-athletes (SAs) is ever-changing. Recent major decisions by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have altered the landscape in significant ways.1 2 Transfer Portal (Portal)1 and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL)2 and their effects on collegiate athletics have garnered significant attention. The ripple effects of these new policies and others, such as the House versus NCAA decision,3 are being felt by athletes, coaches, athletic departments, university administrators and the sports medicine team. Shareholders must adapt in real-time, always keeping the best interests of SAs and the institutions at the forefront.
Collegiate team physicians (TPs) serve many roles, most importantly being responsible for the overall health and well-being of SAs in individual, team and mass participation sports.4 TPs serve many clinical and administrative duties. The ultimate effects of the Portal and NIL on TPs remain uncertain and will require us to be prepared and adaptable. During this new era of college athletics, TPs must commit to having the athlete’s best health interests at the heart of all diagnostic and return-to-play decisions. This can be difficult as the TP is often an employee or provider for the primary institution and may have more established, long-term relationships with coaches and athletic administration than the now, often transient, Portal SA.
NCAA Transfer Portal
The Portal “was created as a compliance tool to manage the transfer process from start to finish systematically, add more transparency to the process among schools, and empower student-athletes to make known their desire to consider other programmes”.
5 Since the NCAA Portal process expanded in 2018,1 the number of athletes involved has grown each year. In NCAA Division 1 in 2022, more than 21 800 athletes entered the Portal, with 57% successfully transferring to a new school. …
