College football’s ongoing battle with tampering has clearly worn thin on David Pollack, and he’s done tiptoeing around the issue.
The former ESPN analyst used a recent episode of See Ball Get Ball to vent his frustration, aiming most of his criticism at the NCAA. Pollack believes the organization’s failure to enforce its own rules has opened the door for chaos, where commitments don’t carry much weight and rosters feel fair game year-round.
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That frustration spilled onto social media, where Pollack made his stance clear: “If the NCAA won’t draw a line in the tampering sand, then it’s ruined the sports we all love.”
On the show, Pollack expanded on that thought, arguing that the NCAA’s lack of action has sent a dangerous message to everyone involved. “If you don’t want to make this a line, NCAA, so be it. That’s fine. But you just screwed college football. You absolutely screwed college football,” Pollack said. “Because you gave every single person the right now to do this exact same thing. I can go to any school at any time and purge from your roster. You signed him? Who cares. How is that healthy for any part of our game? It’s atrocious for any part of our game. It’s a black eye.”
The comments landed closer to home for Clemson fans given the program’s recent transfer portal situation involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli. In January, head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed Clemson had reported Ole Miss to the NCAA for alleged tampering.
Swinney stated Ferrelli had already enrolled at Clemson, signed his financial aid agreement, and started attending classes and participating in football activities when he was contacted directly. Ferrelli later re-entered the transfer portal and committed to Ole Miss, turning the situation into one of the most talked-about cases of the offseason.
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Pollack pointed to that situation as an example of where the NCAA must step in. “If the NCAA doesn’t do something with this [Ole Miss tampering case], I quit with the NCAA. … It’s just a bunch of bull crap,” Pollack said. “You cannot let people be enrolled in a school, taking classes, creating my goals for the season. Like, bro…”
While Pollack was harsh toward the adults involved, he was clear that the player shouldn’t shoulder the blame. “Like, this dude’s in sociology class. … He’s enrolled at Clemson, he’s enrolled in classes … and now you have another university that tampers, that comes in [texting out contracts],” Pollack said. “This is not the kid’s fault. This is the adults’ fault, and the adults need consequences.”
At the heart of Pollack’s argument is a simple point: if there are no real consequences, the rules don’t matter. Until the NCAA shows it’s willing to protect programs and players from this kind of interference, the transfer portal will continue to feel less like an opportunity and more like the Wild West.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: David Pollack on Clemson’s Luke Ferrelli situation, Ole Miss tampering
