Tom Izzo says transfer portal is WAY WORSE for college basketball than NIL

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo joins Jon Rothstein for an unfiltered, wide-ranging conversation on the state of college basketball. Izzo opens up about balancing family life with the demands of today’s game, reflects on last season’s team, and explains the fulfillment he gets from maximizing his roster’s potential. He doesn’t hold back on the transfer portal — calling it “way worse than NIL,” criticizing rampant tampering, and admitting the sport has been “too gutless” to fix its own mistakes. Izzo also looks ahead to the 2025–26 roster, addresses shooting improvements, previews marquee non-conference matchups, and shares his thoughts on the new-look Big Ten.