MACON, GA — The SIAC, a Division II HBCU football conference, is feeling the ripple effects of the NCAA transfer portal, NIL, and House settlement decisions. During the league’s annual football media day, it seemed like everyone was talking about it.

As Commissioner Dr. Anthony Holloman noted, the realities of modern college football have officially reached the SIAC’s front door.

“The House Settlement. The transfer portal. NIL payments. And you might say, what does that have to do with Division Two?” Holloman asked. “The reality of it is a trickle down effect. We’re not immune. We lost players to Division I programs like Purdue University, Duke University, North Carolina A&T, Alabama A&M just to name a few.”

Now more than ever, roster management is one of the most critical responsibilities for SIAC coaches.

A New Era at Miles College

That kind of talent loss is something Miles College head coach Chris Goode knows all too well. After taking over the defending SIAC champions this offseason, he inherited a roster nearly unrecognizable from the one that won the title. Many players followed former head coach Sam Shade to Alabama A&M, while others transferred elsewhere.

“It’s a brand new team,” Goode said. “We had a lot of guys that were seniors that left, got a lot of guys that went in the transfer portal. But one of the things I always tell the players—I’m not going to complain about it—because the thing is, we still got to go on the field and play to compete.”

Goode is relying on a veteran coaching staff with championship experience. But even with that support, managing constant roster turnover has become the new normal.

Tuskegee Faces Rebuild Year After Year

Tuskegee head coach Aaron James echoed that sentiment, saying rebuilding a team now feels like starting from scratch each season.

“It’s a different team every year,” James said. “Because like I said, the transfer portal going on, you not able to rebuild—you actually build your team. It’s a rebuilding roster every year.”

Even with Tuskegee’s rich football tradition, James said that doesn’t stop players from seeking bigger stages.

“Every year, they’re looking for that ladder,” he said. “Other schools, they’re looking at us like we the JuCo of the leagues now. If we have an All-American, all-conference guy, those guys are going to be going up.”

Travaunta Abner is one of several former Miles College players who are now at Alabama A&M.

Roster Management Becomes Year-Round Priority

The challenge of roster management at an HBCU isn’t just about replacing players. It also requires building relationships and recruiting current team members to stay.

Allen University head coach Cedric Pearl put it plainly:

“The number one thing in today’s game is to recruit your own roster. Roster management is important.”

The veteran HBCU coach stressed the importance of maintaining strong internal relationships.

“Now it’s kind of a dual recruiting relationship where you have to continue to constantly recruit those guys on the inside,” Pearl said. “Even though we’re coaching them every day, staying engaged with them.”

But Pearl also acknowledged that some transfers are about more than football.

“We understand the power of the dollar,” he said. “Power of the dollar, for a lot of young men, changes lives, changes family situations.”

“Anybody that gives an opportunity to go to another university and better themselves and make a little money at the same time—we’re all for that,” he added. “That’s just today’s game and where it’s going. So you either get on board, or you get ran over.”

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