Six months ago, Kirk Ferentz joked that the only thing he knew about the NCAA’s transfer portal was "how to spell portal."
Today, the Iowa football coach knows enough to know that when the list of potential transfers includes a player who might help your program, it’s worth a look.
During a Hawkeye Fan Event in the Quad-Cities last month, Ferentz labeled the portal as a step toward "free agency in college football," but conceded Iowa staff members do monitor the list of players contemplating a move.
"You have to," Ferentz said. "It’s become part of the game, like it or not.