GAINESVILLE, FLa.-- Since its inception in Oct. 2018, the NCAA Transfer Portal has made waves in collegiate sports.

The digital tool simplifies the process of transferring for athletes at Division I schools, but it has received criticism since its establishment.

Before the portal, if an athlete wanted to transfer they first had to request permission from their coach to reach out to other schools. If their coach said no, they had the ability to go to the athletics director to ask. If that student-athlete was still denied, they could go to a dean or other administrator. If all of those options failed, their final chance would be able to appeal to a committee of campus professionals and other students.

If the athlete was turned down on all levels, they could still transfer but would not be eligible for any athletic aid at their new school.

Now, if an athlete requests that their name be entered into the transfer portal, the school has just two business days to submit the athlete’s information.

While the process gives the athlete more freedom with their decision, it does allow for their current school to stop their aid at the end of the term in which their request was made. If they decide to withdraw their name from the portal, it’s up to the school as to whether they return that aid and add them back to the roster.

The portal does not, though, have any impact on the waiver process that determines an athlete’s eligibility to play immediately.

Thats up to the NCAA and it's far form consistent.

“It would be much cleaner for everyone if it was, here’s the rule,” said Gators head coach Dan Mullen. “You’re immediately eligible and you can play, you get the one-time transfer waiver or you’re not. There’s no waiver process to create kids to make things up or one kid gets it and one kid doesn’t. I think there should be just consistency within the rule, whichever one that everyone decides on.”

Now several conferences are proposing a new rule. A rule that allows athletes to transfer once and be immediately eligible without needing a waiver.

“A lot of times rules just get made and ‘this looks good,’” he said. “A lot of the decision-makers maybe aren’t coaching football, they’ve maybe never coached college football a day in their life and so they don’t know all the little things.”

One of those unintended consequences is the idea of coaches recruiting directly from another team’s roster.

"I bet some of that even goes on now so I don’t know if that really makes a whole big a difference," said Mullen.

Mullen just wants the rules to be clearer. He wants it to have it the same across situations.

“There are people saying, ‘oh you can get a waiver.’ Maybe you get it, maybe you don’t. I just think by setting the standard, so you know exactly what you’re dealing, it allows people to be more informed.”

Understanding that the portal is out there and available to all of his athletes, Mullen has made an extra effort to get reps for as many players as possible.

“You watch us during the season, I think that’s why a lot of guys are happy,” he explained. “Our older guys really understand and have bought into the fact that, ‘If we roll players a bunch, one, I’m healthier throughout the course of the season and for my career, I get to stay healthy. Now the NFL, they evaluate you because of health, the freshness and how our guys played through rotation. It’s really increasing their stock.”

Recently through the portal, the Gators have said goodbye to quarterback Feleipe Franks, tight end Lucas Krull and offensive guard Chris Bleich, among others.

But they’ve also picked up running back Lorenzo Lingard from Miami, wide receivers Justin Shorter and Jordan Pouncey from Penn State and Texas resectively, outside linebackers Brenton Cox and Noah Keeter from Georgia and UCLA and kicker Zack Sessa from Georgia Southern.

Now, looking ahead to spring ball, Mullen and company are looking to get those transfers acclimated within the program and getting them ready for life in the Swamp.

“Spring ball is such a learning time,” he said. “All the coaches have to remember that, making sure that we’re developing, get our guys developed the way that we need them developed. And the team is learning the things that it needs to learn going through spring. I think when you tie all those things together you get it. We want to come out of spring saying, ‘ok, our team is in a good place moving forward to the fall.’”