Love him or hate him, retired Alabama football coach Nick Saban saw the writing on the wall, and he stepped away before the cracks beneath college athletics split wide open. The current state of college sports isn’t just changing; it’s unraveling.
Nowhere is the disarray more visible than on the gridiron, but the chaos reaches far beyond football. College football simply garners more national attention, making its struggles more broadly discussed. However, the dysfunction is spreading across the NCAA landscape, and perhaps no example illustrates that better than what’s happening in Waco.
Baylor University’s men’s basketball program, once the pride of college hoops with a national title under its belt just four years ago, has been gutted. Not a single player from the 2024-2025 roster—fourteen athletes in total—will return for the upcoming season.
Sure, some of that turnover is to be expected. Four players graduated, and one declared for the draft. But the remaining nine? They all entered the transfer portal, effectively walking away from the program en masse. That’s not just a red flag, it’s a warning siren.
When a Division I program with Baylor’s pedigree can’t retain a single scholarship player, the problem isn’t isolated. It’s systemic. College athletics, especially at the highest levels, are grappling with an identity crisis fueled by player mobility, NIL pressures, and a leadership vacuum. And if something doesn’t change soon, the damage might become irreversible.
Loyalty has always been one of the pillars of sports. It’s what transforms a team from a collection of athletes into a brotherhood—or sisterhood. It’s what makes the game worth watching, year after year, season after season. Just look at players like Craig Biggio, Cal Ripken Jr., Kobe Bryant, and Steph Curry. These franchise players weren’t just great—they were symbols of consistency, commitment, and connection. They didn’t just play for their teams. They were their teams.
That same spirit of loyalty once defined college sports. Athletes stuck it out through losses, coaching changes, and personal setbacks. They grew with their programs, formed bonds with teammates, and left a legacy behind. Without that loyalty, NCAA sports lose their soul.
Without a sense of unity and long-term commitment, what’s left is a transactional, short-term culture that lacks identity. Fans don’t cheer for names they won’t see next season. Teammates don’t form the same bonds when every year is a revolving door. And programs—no matter how historic—struggle to build anything lasting.
If loyalty disappears completely from the college landscape, so too will the heart of what once made NCAA sports special. And the games, no matter how skilled the players or flashy the highlights, will feel just a little more empty.
