The free transfer/portal is certainly different. But we all know guys were getting paid, getting cars, etc.from boosters. The point is, it's in the open now.
I'm not debating that the big dogs didn't give money/cars/etc to some of their players. My point is that NIL has changed CFB so much that it is becoming no longer the same league.
(My estimates are guesses so please do feel free to investigate.)
I am guessing that (1) the money is
way way more, (2) the programs giving money - have expanded from probably 20 to
all CFB, and (3) the players and recruits aware of immediate cash earning in CFB have gone from a few to now
all of them.
In professional leagues at least a draft, contracts, and trades give hope to smaller markets. College football has become a professional football league. With one free transfer, it has established zero protection for small market teams.
Removing the free transfer might help, but there is no way the NCAA reverses that. In fact, the
NCAA is looking into being more gracious with the second-time transfer requests. So how else can this professional league protect small market teams? I'm willing to bet it's going to be contracts and then eventually drafts.