"That's not why I got in the game": Pitt HC blasts Deion Sanders amid Colorado's transfer portal overhaul

Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi last week slammed his counterpart at Colorado, Deion Sanders, for the way Sanders has used the transfer portal. The Colorado Buffaloes have overhauled their squad this offseason through the portal after hiring the Hall of Fame player to lead their program in December.

After a series of controversies within the team under Sanders' leadership, the program has witnessed a mass exodus as more than 70 players have transferred out. In the same vein, CU has brought in 47 new players through the transfer portal.

Although transferring is not new to NCAA sports, recent rules changes have drastically overhauled the process, eliminating almost all restrictions. The portal was launched in 2018, but since 2021, first-time transfers have been allowed to change schools without being penalized a year of eligibility.

The Colorado Buffaloes have made use of the channel in a never-seen-before fashion, which hasn't gone well with Narduzzi.

"If someone wants to leave, that's great. You don't kick them out," Narduzzi told 247 Sports last week at the Atlantic Coast Conference spring meetings. "I disagree with that whole process. That's not why I got in the game."

Narduzzi is unhappy with Sanders' move

Deion Sanders' methodology in Colorado has captured the attention of coaches throughout the sport. Although several have chosen not to voice their critiques, others have provided mild admiration or empty compliments.

However, Pat Narduzzi seems to be the first college football coach to be vocal about this. The Pittsburgh coach is not holding back in discussing his dissatisfaction with what’s happening at Colorado.

"That's not the way it's meant to be," Narduzzi said. "That's not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We'll see how it works out, but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country. ... I don't know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out."

Narduzzi said Sanders is making a mistake, saying there’s a strong possibility of having pretty good players among those who have exited.

"I grew up in a profession that you can't tell a guy that he has to leave based on athletic ability," Narduzzi said. "I think he'll be shocked that he probably had some pretty good football players in that room. When I got to Pitt back in 2015, I didn't kick anybody off. Zero. Those are your guys.

"When you become a head coach you inherit that team and you coach that team."

With the aid of an NCAA provision that permits first-year coaches to release players while maintaining their scholarships, Sanders has successfully revamped the Buffaloes. The new rules, to this point, had never been utilized to this extent.