Charles Barkley uses Michael Jordan UNC reference to diss at NCAA transfer portal

Charles Barkley has been critical about the NCAA's handling of NIL and transfer portal when March Madness is in session.

Charles Barkley uses Michael Jordan UNC reference to diss at NCAA transfer portal

Charles Barkley uses Michael Jordan reference to slam NCAA transfer portal

The final few games in this season’s NCAA March Madness remain. One of the teams remaining is where Charles Barkley started his legacy. Now as Auburn look towards capturing their first ever title, the Hall of Famer is worried about something else.

Barkley has witnessed the NCAA transfer portal fill up with players from across the nation. Whenever a team went out of March Madness, one or the other player entered the portal. He was initially critical on why the portal was open with the tournament still in session.

Now, his attention has shifted to the sheer number of players on that list. Since all of them are looking for better opportunities, Charles Barkley believes the system is as broken as it can get. While speaking with Jim Rome on his podcast, the Round Mound of Rebound said.

I don’t know how we’re gonna put the toothpaste back in the tube. These guys got free agency after every season. That’s not fair to the small schools. It’s not fair to the big schools either. Can you imagine if Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley……LeBron, KD get to back after every year and get a raise and go to another school?

Charles Barkley said

Barkley’s logic was that if Michael Jordan kept on returning to UNC or even entering the portal and joining somewhere else to stay in college, it would not be fair to both UNC and the new program he is joining.

The same way, it would also not be right if LeBron James or Kevin Durant could do those things. He already has very low regard for the way the NIL situation has panned out. Now with the portal adding to the mess, he believes college sports are on the downward spiral.

Charles Barkley believes a salary cap can even things out

Charles Barkley also talked about how the NCAA is the only sporting league without a salary cap. He might be partially right since the MLB also does not have a cap. That part notwithstanding, his point is that currently the programs with the most amount of NIL deals will get the best players.

This also means that smaller programs will not be able to keep star players on their roster for long. The big programs will swoop in with an offer they might not refuse. To fix all this, a salary cap like format can even things out.

A cap will force teams to work within a budget. That means if they max it out, they cannot sign another star player. Now smaller teams will get more leeway in negotiations. They can now lure one or two star players who are looking for big NIL deals.

This method should bring Cinderella teams back to March Madness. Until that comes into effect, big programs will continue to dominate the final spots. That will suck the life out of college basketball, which needed teams of all shapes and sizes to perform at the highest level.

23% women’s college basketball players on portal

The transfer portal mess has not just affected men’s college basketball. The women’s game has also seen a lot of players enter the portal the moment their season ended. Olivia Miles might be the most famous name on the portal, but along with her are a colossal number of women wanting to shift teams.

According to NCSA, there are 5,048 women’s college basketball player’s total. 1,138 have entered the transfer portal this year. That’s nearly 23% of all players.

Talia Goodman wrote

On3sports’ Talia Goodman has been tracking all the movement in women’s college basketball. She has witnessed first-hand the frantic activity this season. It has been such that certain programs do not even have enough players on their scholarship list to even make a team.

Miles’ Notre Dame for instance only have three returning players. Some have graduated, but some have entered the portal. That is despite them being a part of a championship contending team. This situation is getting out of hand and Barkley might be right about the need to bring in some rules.