"That’s what we’re becoming”: USC HC Lincoln Riley delivers honest opinion on college football's transition to a professional model

Following another disappointing season, Lincoln Riley is taking a different approach to player acquisition and retention at USC and plans to be active during the transfer portal window. Just 24 hours after the transfer portal opened, the Trojans saw 11 USC players enter the portal, this included OL Mason Murphy and RB Quinten Joyner.

Riley spoke about his approach to the transfer portal on Monday. When asked about it, he asserted that college football had essentially evolved into a professional model, a transformation that demanded a more calculated and business-like approach.

According to Lincoln Riley, this reality pushed programs to make difficult decisions about resource allocation. The coach highlighted the increasingly strategic nature of building and managing a competitive program.

“The reality is, there’s just some guys that you just can’t or are not going to pay what they want,” Riley said on USC’s Trojans Live radio show Monday night.

Speaking about how programs make decisions in this new era, he said:

“If your value doesn’t match the money then it’s not going to go well much longer, it’s not going to go further. There’s a cutthroat part of that that is just part of being a professional organization, and again, that’s what we’re becoming.”

Lincoln Riley explains what the situation would look like going forward

Coach Riley - Source: Imagn - Source: Imagn

Starting in the 2025–2026 academic year, college football will enter a new era with the implementation of a revenue-sharing model as part of the House v. NCAA settlement.

This groundbreaking agreement will permit Division I schools to distribute a portion of their athletic revenue directly to their athletes, marking a significant shift in how collegiate sports operate. Lincoln Riley describes what the development would lead to within the realm.

“You’re getting ready to reduce roster size, you’re getting ready to have a salary cap essentially,” Riley said on Monday.

For Lincoln Riley, getting it right at USC after two underwhelming seasons is the paramount goal ahead of the 2025 season. The coach can no longer afford another poor season at the program.

The Trojans are set to remain active in the transfer portal this window, though it isn’t the major recruiting path that Riley envisioned for the program. Riley spoke about how he prefers to have a robust high school recruiting system. However, given the current state of the roster, tapping from the portal is emerging as a necessity for the Trojans.