Tom Izzo Rips ‘Dirtbags’ Who Tamper in the Transfer Portal

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo strongly criticized those who are tampering in the transfer portal. Izzo, one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, didn’t hold back his thoughts on the portal when he recently chatted with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Tom Izzo Rips ‘Dirtbags’ Who Tamper in the Transfer Portal

In his interview with Rothstein, Izzo didn’t hold back when he criticized those who tamper. “I said the transfer portal is way worse than the NIL even though, who knows how much money you have to come up with?” he said. That’s an interesting comment, because NIL money plays a key role in players transferring from one program to another.

The portal, Izzo says, provides an opportunity for “middlemen” to come in. He says the biggest thing that bothers him about the transfer portal is that people tamper with players all year long.

The Michigan State head coach, who won a national championship in 2000 and has journeyed to eight Final Fours, also thinks the transfer portal never truly closes. That’s because there are “too many dirtbags that are tampering with people and players,” Izzo says. But a one-time transfer rule would help.

Could Changing Transfer Rules Make a Difference?

The Spartans’ head coach says he agrees with Arkansas head coach John Calipari. In June, Calipari said that players should be able to transfer once, maybe twice, without having to sit out a year.

July 19, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari stands as he talks to Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo (right) during the Team Melo and NY Rens game at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activity Center. The NY Rens won 68-57. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale - Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK — July 19, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; Arkansas basketball coach John Calipari stands as he talks to Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo (right) during the Team Melo and NY Rens game at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activity Center. The NY Rens won 68-57. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale – Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK

That, in turn, would help settle the NIL market down and make those kinds of financial deals more sustainable over the long term. What provides more of a wrinkle is that schools can now pay their athletes directly in revenue-sharing. That money is supplemented by third-party NIL deals from commercial collectives.

Revenue-sharing just began with the current 2025-26 sports season. There are ongoing legal issues related to the that was approved earlier this year. How much schools can directly pay their players moving forward may be fluid. Then you factor in third-party NIL deals. There is a lot of money at stake. Financial factors, for some athletes, are big considerations when they decide to transfer. Then again, as Izzo is intimating, tampering can lead to some athletes transferring when they might not have otherwise.

Izzo believes that if there were a one-time transfer rule enacted, it could potentially help cut down on the concerns that college coaches have about tampering. These days, tampering appears to be more problematic season after season due to so many players entering the portal and the money at stake.

Another Alternative

While tampering is an issue, what also could change things is if athletes are deemed employees and sign contracts. There could also be buyout clauses. This has been among the various stakeholders in collegiate athletics. It wouldn’t be surprising if, down the line, college players are classified as employees of their respective schools. To be fair, coaches move around from school to school all the time, but they sign contracts and have buyouts.

For the Spartans, they are viewed as a top-four to a top-six team in the Big Ten Conference during the upcoming 2025-26 season. The program’s include two four-star prep recruits in power forward Cam Ward and shooting guard Jordan Scott. Michigan State also brought in three transfers. They are Miami point guard , Samford shooting guard and Florida Atlantic small forward .

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