Even in retirement, Steve Spurrier still knows how to deliver a headline.
The former Florida and South Carolina head coach-never one to mince words-spoke candidly this week about Clemson’s Dabo Swinney and his recent accusations of transfer portal tampering. And in classic Spurrier fashion, he didn’t sugarcoat it.
“I thought by now somebody would've told Dabo, ‘Dabo, there ain't no rules anymore,’” Spurrier said during a Zoom call with reporters ahead of his upcoming induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.
That’s vintage Spurrier: blunt, a little biting, and straight to the point.
At the heart of the controversy is linebacker Luke Ferrelli, a transfer from California who initially committed to Clemson and even enrolled for the spring semester. But after more conversations with Ole Miss-conversations that Swinney claims happened after Ferrelli had already signed-Ferrelli flipped to the Rebels. Swinney didn’t just voice frustration; he called it “blatant tampering,” and said he handed over evidence to the ACC, which then passed it along to the NCAA and SEC.
By the letter of NCAA law, contacting a player in Ferrelli’s situation-post-enrollment-is a no-go. But Spurrier, now 80, made it clear he’s not convinced those rules carry much weight anymore.
“They’re still on the books, I guess, where you can’t do it after this date or that date,” Spurrier said. “... But I don’t know if they’re ever going to enforce any rules now or not.”
That’s the crux of the issue. College football has undergone a seismic shift over the past few years.
Between NIL deals, revenue-sharing conversations, and the ever-expanding transfer portal, the sport’s traditional boundaries have been blown wide open. What once might have been a clear violation now lives in a gray area-one that’s growing by the season.
And Spurrier sees that more as evolution than scandal.
Instead of focusing on whether Ole Miss crossed a line, Spurrier framed the situation as a wake-up call for coaches still clinging to the old way of doing things. The game has changed-and fast.
“Gosh, basketball they’ve got pros coming back to play in college there,” Spurrier said, pointing to the case of Alabama’s Charles Bediako. After signing an NBA contract and spending time in the G League, Bediako returned to college hoops-only to have a judge recently deny his motion to stay eligible for the rest of the season. It’s a sign of just how fluid eligibility and amateurism have become in today’s college sports landscape.
“I think Dabo has learned now he’s got to start paying his players just like everybody else is,” Spurrier added. “Or you’ll get left behind. You can complain, but I don’t know how good it’s going to do.”
That’s not just a jab-it’s a reality check from someone who’s been in the trenches. Spurrier knows what it takes to win in college football, and he understands how quickly the ground is shifting beneath today’s coaches.
And let’s not forget: Spurrier’s history with Clemson gives his words a little extra sting. During his 11-year run at South Carolina, Spurrier went 6-4 against the Tigers, including a five-game win streak over Swinney from 2009 to 2013. He left Columbia with 86 wins-the most in Gamecocks history-after a Hall of Fame-worthy career that also included a national title and six SEC championships at Florida.
So when Spurrier talks, especially about Clemson, people listen.
At the end of the day, this isn’t just about one player flipping schools. It’s about the broader reality facing college coaches in 2026.
The rules? They’re still technically there-but enforcement is inconsistent at best.
The playing field? It’s tilted toward programs that have embraced NIL and the portal as essential tools, not headaches to be managed.
And for coaches like Swinney, who’ve built their programs on stability and tradition, that adjustment isn’t easy. But as Spurrier made clear, it’s necessary.
Because in today’s college football, the game isn’t just changing-it already has.