David Pollack Sounds Off on NCAA Tampering: “You Absolutely Screwed College Football”
David Pollack has seen enough - and he’s not sugarcoating it.
The former ESPN analyst didn’t hold back on a recent episode of See Ball Get Ball, where he took direct aim at the NCAA’s handling - or lack thereof - of tampering in college football. His frustration?
Palpable. His message?
Clear: the rules are there, but without enforcement, they’re meaningless.
“If the NCAA isn’t going to draw a line in the tampering sand, then it’s ruined the sports we all love,” Pollack posted on social media. “You Absolutely Screwed College Football.”
This isn’t just a hot take - it’s a boiling-over reaction to what Pollack sees as a growing crisis in the sport. And he’s not alone. Across fan bases, especially those watching their programs lose players under murky circumstances, the sentiment is spreading: something’s broken.
The Tampering Line That Keeps Getting Crossed
On the show, Pollack didn’t just vent - he went full throttle, calling out what he sees as the NCAA’s failure to protect the core of the game: roster integrity, commitments, and the basic principle that once a player is enrolled and attending class, they’re part of a team.
“If you don’t want to make this a line, NCAA, that’s OK,” Pollack said. “But you just screwed college football.
You absolutely screwed college football. Because you gave every single person the right now to do this exact same thing.”
That’s the part that hits hardest for fans - especially those at Clemson, where a very real and very recent case is unfolding.
Clemson and the Ole Miss Dispute: A Real-Time Example
Pollack’s frustration comes at a moment when Clemson is in the thick of a high-profile tampering accusation involving Ole Miss and linebacker Luke Ferrelli. According to Dabo Swinney, Ferrelli had already signed his financial aid agreement, enrolled at Clemson, started classes, and was participating in team activities - when Ole Miss reached out.
Ferrelli then re-entered the transfer portal and committed to Ole Miss. Just like that, a player who was in the building, in the classroom, and in the playbook was gone.
“If the NCAA doesn’t do anything about this [Ole Miss tampering case], I quit with the NCAA,” Pollack said. “It’s just a bunch of bull crap.”
Not on the Players - This Is on the Adults
Pollack made one thing especially clear: this isn’t about blaming the players. He pointed to Ferrelli’s situation - a student sitting in a sociology class at Clemson, preparing for the season - and asked how it’s even possible that another school could legally reach out at that point.
“This is not the kid’s fault,” Pollack said. “This is the adults’ fault and the adults need consequences.”
That’s the crux of it. The transfer portal was designed to give players more freedom and flexibility - a good thing when it works as intended. But without guardrails, it’s become a tool for backdoor recruiting, and Pollack says the responsibility falls squarely on the grown-ups in the room.
The Bigger Picture: Rules Without Teeth
Pollack isn’t just venting about one case. He’s pointing to a larger issue - the NCAA’s seeming unwillingness to enforce its own rules. And when that happens, the message to coaches and programs is loud and clear: do what you want, because no one’s stopping you.
That’s not just a slippery slope - it’s a free fall. And until the NCAA steps in with real consequences, Pollack argues, the transfer portal won’t represent opportunity. It’ll represent chaos.
College football has always been about passion, loyalty, and building something over time. But when commitments mean little and enrollment doesn’t guarantee stability, those foundations start to crack.
For Clemson fans - and plenty of others - this isn’t a theoretical problem. They’re living it.
Pollack’s message is blunt, but it’s resonating: if the NCAA doesn’t get serious about tampering, the sport risks losing the very structure that makes it special.