Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has intensified calls for federal action to address what he describes as an “absolute crisis” in college football—the dreaded transfer portal.
His remarks come as college programs grapple with massive player losses through the portal, not to mention the impacts of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals.
Cruz shared a report that highlighted the precarious state of Iowa State University’s football team. Following the departure of head coach Matt Campbell, the Cyclones are left with only 17 players on their roster for the upcoming season, including just one returning starter.
The post labeled the current landscape—fueled by unrestricted transfers, NIL compensation, and revenue-sharing models—as “unsustainable” and making it “impossible to compete.”
I just don’t see how the current college football landscape is sustainable
— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) December 29, 2025
Iowa State had been a solid program for years
Now?
They have 17 players remaining on the roster for next year, only 1 returning starter
It’s impossible to compete like this pic.twitter.com/H132azdfAX
Ted Cruz Says It’s a Crisis
Cruz, a vocal advocate for reforming college athletics for some time now, pointed out the absolute absurdity of the transfer portal process.
“An absolute crisis,” he wrote. “Congress NEEDS to act. For months, I’ve been working night & day to try to bring Republicans and Democrats together to save college sports.”
“If we fail to do so, it will be an utter tragedy. And it’s happening right before our eyes.”
It might actually be worse for Iowa State. Sports Illustrated reports that a staggering 45 players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal.
Freshman wide receiver Dyllan Malone announces he will enter the transfer portal.
— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) December 30, 2025
Malone did not see game action for the Cyclones and redshirted during the 2025 season. The Illinois native joined Iowa State as a three-star wide receiver and a top-50 player in Illinois by… https://t.co/n0QOTp9PIJ
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What Can be Done?
It’s quite the conundrum. You can rail against these kids for having no loyalty or commitment to a program, but then the coaches don’t really have any either.
Let’s face it, the transfer portal process is absurd, sometimes leading athletes to jump around to multiple schools to fish for more playing time. And NIL is turning athletes from certain sports or with particular looks into multi-millionaires, regardless of talent level.
We haven’t even touched on the fact that it’s nearly impossible for these student-athletes to focus on or want to focus on their education when there is social media money to be made, and they’re transferring to different schools three times in two years.
College sports are a mess right now.
Ted Cruz has been pushing legislation since 2023 to impose stricter regulations on NIL deals and the transfer portal. He introduced a bill two years after the NCAA first allowed athletes to monetize their personal brands, warning even then that the system was “in peril.”
By 2025, he argues, it has devolved into a “disaster,” with players treating programs like annual free agency while schools funnel money to top talent via NIL collectives.