re: Which is the bigger issue? NIL or the transfer portal?

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The transfer portal is fine other than maybe some timing tweaks.

Maybe you meant to say the "one free transfer" rule?

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Yep. The portal itself is just a database a player enters to allow other schools knowledge he wishes to transfer. The "one free transfer" rule is really what people are talking about here.

People talk about college football becoming the NFL (which is silly, because college football has LONG been more like the NFL than "armature sports" given the multi-million dollar revenues, including broadcast deals), but the NFL has contracts that come along with the big salaries. College football doesn't have that because of the transfer rule. NIL deals can't be tied to performance. So a HS player could, theoretically, agree to an NIL deal to sign with a school. Not play a single down and still get that money. Then immediately become a free agent to negotiate a new deal...potentially with a new school. Or, year after year a player can leverage his current school for a new deal...even if he intends to remain at his current school. The leverage is the ability to transfer whenever he wants.

Yes, you can only transfer once without penalty. However, the NCAA hands out waivers like candy and guys can still leave if they graduate in 3 years. So it is not uncommon to see players transfer to 2-3 schools in their college careers. You're seeing it in basketball all the time.

It was ALWAYS illogical to prevent a college player from being able to be paid for the use of his NIL. His NIL is his...not the school's. But the freedom of transfer rule has made the game simply a free for all. Ideally the NCAA would go back to the old sit-out-one year rule. But like many dumb things that arose out of the ridiculous response to the panicdemic, the toothpaste is out of the tube and you can't put it back.

The most realistic way to gain control is to just accept reality and allow the players to be classified as "employees". That will allow them to form a union to collectively bargain with the NCAA/conferences for rules and regulations. "Salaries" can be bargained. Contracts can as well. That will curtail the free for all that is in place now. Some traditionalist will not like that. But college football has not been an "amatuer" sport for a LONG time. It's a multi-million dollar entertainment business affiliated with a university. If you view it through that reality, then accepting contracts, salary caps, etc becomes more palatable.

Portal.

Even without NIL, it ruins discipline and player development. It caters to the worst attitudes.