Transfer Networks and Talent Flow in the Football Bowl Subdivision Transfer Portal

This study applied social network analyses to athlete transfers in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) transfer portal from 2019-2024. Utilizing a series of graphs, indicators, and descriptive statistics, the portal’s structure and the flow of transfers through conferences and teams were analyzed through a network of effective transfers (i.e., players who made at least one appearance before and after transferring between FBS schools) and a subset of blue-chip transfers (i.e., effective transfers with 4- or 5-star 247 Sports ratings). Results showed autonomous conferences and teams have been central to the portal’s inner workings, with many non-autonomous institutions remaining on the periphery. Nonetheless, the non-autonomous conferences and teams tended to experience net gains in transfer volume while the autonomous institutions suffered net losses. This trend reversed when incoming and outgoing transfers were quantified via their associated talent and experience levels, as the autonomous programs typically acquired more talented players.