While the traditional revenue-generating college sports have athletes in and out of the transfer portal and making headlines, non-revenue sports are seeing an impact from the portal as well.

Since the start of the NCAA transfer portal in 2018, it has had a big influence in college sports.

Mostly there is buzz about basketball and football players trying to transfer for better opportunities, but even the non-revenue sports are using it as a way to recruit new talent.

Through the portal, lower-profile sports – including gymnastics, volleyball, swimming – can get the chance to rebuild and start a new era. But the transfers also can hurt smaller schools and their programs.

Some athletes using the portal will start out at a school where the program is not so strong and then end up leaving it to get more recognized at a bigger school. This is causing the smaller programs to have to recruit more players and struggle with their rosters. 

There are good and bad sides to these athletes being able to transfer.

Gymnastics and volleyball in particular have been getting more recognition through the transfer portal, which is exciting for both the athletes and fans.

Yet not only are programs at smaller schools suffering, but some athletes are losing their spots on their roster to transfers, and are then having to find their place at another college. 

This constant transferring of athletes has changed the whole recruitment process of all sports. It is causing many athletes to rethink what kind of role they will have on their team.

Yes, the football and basketball transfers are a lot better known compared to the portal decisions in these other sports. But the transfers are changing sports programs everywhere, and forcing coaches to be strategic with how they build their teams.