Steve Spurrier has never been one to bite his tongue, and even in retirement, the Head Ball Coach is still calling it like he sees it. Now 10 years removed from his last game on the sidelines at South Carolina, Spurrier is watching the college football world evolve - and not without offering a few pointed observations along the way.
On a media Zoom call Monday, where he was discussing his induction into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Spurrier weighed in on the current chaos of the college football landscape - and he had a message tailor-made for Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.
“I thought by now somebody would have told Dabo, ‘Dabo, there ain’t no rules anymore,’” Spurrier said with a chuckle, referencing the wild west that is today’s transfer portal and NIL environment.
It’s no secret that Swinney has been one of the most vocal critics of the new era in college football. He’s pushed back hard against the direction of the sport - especially when it comes to NIL deals and the growing influence of the transfer portal. But as Spurrier sees it, resisting the tide might be doing more harm than good, particularly for a program like Clemson that has seen its dominance wane in recent years.
Just last month, Swinney publicly accused Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding of tampering after linebacker Luke Ferrelli initially committed to Clemson out of the portal - only to flip to Ole Miss, reportedly after receiving a two-year, $2 million NIL offer. It was a rare public accusation in a sport where whispers of tampering are common, but proof is elusive.
Spurrier, never one to shy away from stirring the pot, didn’t defend the practice - but he did point out the reality.
“You can complain, but I don’t know what good it’s going to do,” Spurrier said. “There’s no rules. Somebody tell Dabo there’s no rules now.”
It’s a blunt assessment, but one rooted in the current climate of college football. With the NCAA’s grip on enforcement loosening and NIL deals becoming more structured - and lucrative - than ever, the game has changed.
Programs that adapt are thriving. Those that don’t?
They risk falling behind.
And for Clemson, the signs of slippage are already there. The Tigers haven’t made the College Football Playoff in four straight seasons and are coming off their worst record (7-6) since 2010. That’s a far cry from the powerhouse Swinney built in the mid-2010s, a run that included two national championships and a string of ACC dominance.
Spurrier’s message was clear: evolve or get left behind.
“I think Dabo has learned now he’s got to start paying his players just like everybody else is,” Spurrier said.
It’s a jarring statement, but one that reflects the unvarnished truth of modern college football. NIL isn’t just a recruiting perk anymore - it’s a foundational element of roster building.
Coaches who embrace it are finding ways to reload quickly through the portal. Those who resist it are discovering that tradition and culture alone aren’t enough to keep pace.
Spurrier, who’s always had a knack for cutting through the noise, isn’t necessarily endorsing the current system - he’s just acknowledging what’s happening. And in his eyes, Swinney’s frustration is understandable, but perhaps misdirected.
The days of strict recruiting rules and amateurism ideals are fading fast. Today, it’s about adaptation. And as Spurrier sees it, the sooner Swinney and others come to terms with that, the better shot they have at staying competitive.
Because in 2026, the game isn’t just played on the field anymore - it’s negotiated in contracts, brokered through collectives, and won in the portal.