Lane Kiffin Explains How NIL, Transfer Portal have Changed 'Culture' of College Football

Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin recently gave his not-so-positive opinion regarding the current state of college football.

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Rebels coach Lane Kiffin has not held back this offseason when asked about how NIL coupled with the NCAA Transfer Portal has impacted college football as a whole. 

During SEC Media Days in July, Kiffin called the current state of the portal "free agency" and he continued to voice his concern on Wednesday during an appearance on "Marty & McGee" on the SEC Network. 

Kiffin is not a fan of how college football has changed and explained how NIL and the portal have affected the cultural aspect of the sport. 

"I think kind of accepting you’re going to not have phenomenal culture," Kiffin told SEC Network. "It doesn’t mean I don’t work on it, but I think I have to realize that it just is what it is. One, we don’t have many kids dying to be here. They didn't grow up wanting to go to Ole Miss. These transfers go to a place that fits them best at that time. It’s not about the school."

Kiffin has been vocal about the lack of regulation surrounding the portal and NIL but has also recruited two of the best transfer classes in the last two seasons. Ole Miss' coach is by no means against players getting paid, he just wishes there were more rules governing the process.

Kiffin continued that the line between college football and the NFL is starting to get blurry thanks to NIL and the portal.

"I really like college because players care so much about where they are at in college," Kiffin said. "A lot of locker rooms, that’s who they wanted to play for when they grew up, the passion of the fanbase and everything. In the NFL, it’s business. It just makes for a very different dynamic. We’re now moving towards where it is really business. I’d say the joy is not the same."

The system is flawed, but Kiffin and Co. are still doing everything they can to field a competitive roster even if the business side of football is starting to spoil the passion around college athletics. 

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You can follow Ben King on Twitter at @BKing_2023.

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