The evolution of college football over the last decade has been a frustrating experience for anyone who cares about the Naval Academy. Whether it's rule changes on the field or conference realignment, it seems like every change passed is tailor-made to make it more difficult for service academies to compete. Two changes are cited more than the rest: NIL and the transfer portal. And while these things seem bad for Navy on the surface, I'm not sure it has played out that way.
NIL certainly isn't good for Navy, but I don't think it's the end of the world. The recruiting dynamic hasn't really changed. Navy's message in recruiting has always been about the long-term benefits of a Naval Academy education and the career jumpstart that comes from being an officer in the Naval Service. When the coaches talk to recruits and their parents, the mid-career salary of Naval Academy graduates is a big selling point. The "four years vs. forty years" pitch is a cliche in recruiting, but it's very real in Annapolis.
The players getting NIL deals worth hundreds of thousands of dollars weren't coming to Annapolis in the first place. Those more interested in a short-term payout than a long-term benefit probably wouldn't be receptive to Navy even before NIL. It might hurt when an athlete comes from a difficult family situation. Theoretically, it would be an unfair choice if a kid has to pick between a Naval Academy education vs. a $10,000 NIL offer from another school when that money could be an immediate help at home. Broadly speaking, though, I don't think NIL has the impact on Navy people might think it does.
The same can be said for the transfer portal. You could even argue that the portal helps Navy.
On the surface, that doesn't seem like it would be the case. At Navy, the transfer portal is an exit-only door, while their conference rivals can seemingly stock themselves with veteran talent every year. But is that what actually happens in practice?
The portal undoubtedly strengthens the top of the college football food chain. The players who leave these programs are the ones who aren't getting playing time anyway. The transfers who come in are often stars from lower-profile programs, lured away by NIL money. The blue-bloods augment their top recruiting classes with already proven talent, shoring up gaps in the lineup and ensuring they never need a "rebuilding" season.
But that's not the story at the majority of programs. For everyone else, the portal is a mixed bag. Teams may think they hit the jackpot when they get a transfer from a higher-profile program, but those players are often unproven and undeveloped. Being a four-star recruit out of high school isn't a guarantee of success when a player leaves Auburn as a sophomore to go to the AAC. And these are the players often called upon to replace the stars that left for supposedly greener pastures.
Fans are impatient. Coaches are under a lot of pressure to win right away. It takes time to develop players over four years, and that's time many of them don't want to take. That's especially true when the investment of time and effort ends with a player leaving as soon as his potential is realized. You end up with a vortex of roster churn that makes it difficult to shape players into a team. Contrast that with the Naval Academy, where players can't enter the program via the portal. Players have to be trained to do their job over four years, which is the process through which they learn to play as a single unit. The formula for winning in Annapolis hasn't changed. But the formula for their opponents has. Most of Navy's opposition is about as talented as they've always been, but they're less cohesive as teams. In that sense, Navy stands to be more competitive than before.
More teams relying on the portal also means they aren't recruiting high schools as much. With schools recruiting fewer players, more of them are willing to listen when Navy comes calling. The Mids are getting their foot in the door with players who never would have considered them in the past. And now, Navy has a recruiting pitch that others can't match: come to Navy, and you know we're committed to developing you because we won't fall in love with some transfer from the ACC to take your place. Navy's player development has the potential to set them apart from their opponents, especially if they're doing it with their most talented recruits in generations.
Don't get me wrong, though. Even if it benefits Navy, I still think the transfer portal is bad for college football. Seeing players on their third team in four years is sad. By chasing playing time, players risk losing out on the things people cherish from college in the long term: education, lifelong friends, and a second home. I also think a policy that results in fewer opportunities for high school players is devastating, not to mention hypocritical in an era when college debt is a national issue. More athletes would be better off without the portal, but that ship has sailed.
Either way, none of this guarantees success. Recruiting and player development are only two factors in a long list of things that make up a winning recipe. But they're important ones. It's easy to be doom and gloom about the long-term future of Navy football in a system that seems determined to leave them behind. But at least in this area, there's no reason why Navy can't be as competitive as ever.
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