With the current state of college athletics, transfer portal activity at an all-time high, early recruiting pressures, NIL opportunities, and increased involvement from agents and third parties, we have to start asking a serious question: what education is actually happening at the high school level?
Because right now, most student-athletes are arriving on campus as freshmen with little to no understanding of the environment theyโve just stepped into. They donโt fully understand how the transfer portal works beyond โyou can leave.โ They arenโt being taught how to evaluate opportunities vs. situations.โจThey donโt know how to navigate conversations with coaches when adversity hits. They donโt understand roster management, role development, or how quickly circumstances can change.
โจAnd when it comes to NIL, many donโt have a basic foundation in branding, contracts, or financial literacy.
Meanwhile, college athletics has evolved into something that mirrors a professional model, but weโre still onboarding athletes like itโs pre-NIL, pre-transfer portal days.
If the game has changed, the preparation has to change too.
Right now, that gap is too big, and athletes are the ones paying for it.