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John Calipari Points Out the Absurdity of the Transfer Portal Opening Date

Ryan Phillips

John Calipari has Arkansas in the Sweet 16 in his first season as head coach of the Razorbacks.
John Calipari has Arkansas in the Sweet 16 in his first season as head coach of the Razorbacks. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
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John Calipari is a players coach but even he is being tested by the transfer portal.

On Saturday night after his Arkansas squad beat St. John's 75-66 to advance to the Sweet 16, Calipari got some information he couldn't believe.

During his press conference, the 66-year-old was informed that the transfer portal opens on Monday as his team preps for the second weekend of the 2025 NCAA tournament. He couldn't believe it.

"Welcome to my world," Calipari said. "So Monday we're really preparing for a game and we're having individual meetings about 'Are you coming back?'"

He continued, "You know if they put their name in the portal they probably don't have an option to come back... You care about the kids, at the end of the year its all about them, whatever they choose... It's their choice. And I've always been that way. But it's getting harder to be that way."

Many have pointed out the absurdity of the transfer portal opening while teams are still playing games. The dates seem to punish the most successful teams each year, which doesn't seem equitable.

According to 247Sports, Arkansas has the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation, and Calipari should be able to land transfers if needed. He should be fine, but his point still stands.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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