Perspective
College sports offer an exciting, demanding environment for student-athletes such as Karly King and Emma Cretella, who play lacrosse for the university.
King graduated from Stonehill College, while Cretella graduated from Westfield State, and they both faced the challenge of transferring.
After graduating from their universities, they looked into the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) transfer portal to pursue advanced degrees and athletic opportunities.
Like a marketplace, the platform acts as a central hub for student athletes who want to transfer schools. The NCAA says the portal allows athletes to move between divisions or schools.
Athletes join the portal and wait for coaches from other schools to show interest. Coaches can connect with players who seek to transfer through emails or phone calls. King did this when moving from Stonehill to New Haven, and the process was complicated.
Cretella also faced challenges when she used the platform to switch schools. “I received emails from colleges nationwide,” she said. While she appreciated the attention from these institutions, the sheer number of options made it difficult for both athletes to navigate their next steps.
For King, the decision to transfer was more about academics than athletics. Stonehill didn’t have the graduate program she wanted, but New Haven did.
“I had one year of eligibility left due to an injury, and UNH had the perfect master’s program for me,” King said.
The university’s solid criminal justice program and the university’s lacrosse coach would support her both on and off the field.
Cretella took a more personal route in her decision-making. She wanted to be closer to her family and find a better school aligned with her personal and academic aspirations.
“Transferring wasn’t my first choice, but in the end, it was the best decision for me,” said Cretella.
Both athletes said that the transfer process differed from being recruited straight out of high school.
“When I was coming out of high school, I had no idea what I wanted,” King said.
Cretella said, “You couldn’t see the athletes in the portal or anything, so it’s a whole different experience compared to high school recruitment.”
Their coaches were helpful, and their outlook helped them navigate the complexities of the transfer portal.
“Having your coach on your side makes it much less scary because they know the ropes,” King said.
Guidance from people who had experienced the process, the paperwork, outreach and decision-making became much more manageable.
And though it was a stressful journey, King and Cretella said they transferred feeling confident they had made the right choices.
“If you’re serious about transferring, you should enter the portal,” Cretella said. “But you shouldn’t do it without a good reason.”
For these athletes, the portal represented not an escape but an opportunity—a chance for a better academic fit and future success both on and off the field.
