The NCAA Men's Basketball Transfer Portal is getting out of hand.

More than 1,000 players entered the portal on day one of 2025. As of today, that total has now skyrocketed to 1,700. With 5,600+ D1 players, this means 30% of roster spots are in flux. Why are so many students looking for new opportunities?

Each player must weigh their reasons to stay vs. reasons to leave. Some say it all comes down to NIL money. The Final Four is composed entirely of #1 seeds for the first time in 17 years. As incentives have shifted, it is easier for top programs to recruit top talent, making it even more challenging for smaller programs to succeed. The result? A Winner-Takes-Most system that reeks of pay-to-play.

Players are jumping ship more than ever, making it crucial for programs to learn how to incentivize players to stick around. Since most programs can't compete financially, they need new strategies to keep players that demonstrate commitment and buy-in.

The bigger issue? We are seeing the same shift at work: Companies that retain top talent win. Those that don't, lose. When competitors are offering employees more money, business leaders must have solutions to retain their teams.

So, here's the question: What can programs do to incentivize players to stay so they can win championships? What can employers do to retain employees and build powerful organizations?

The answer? Building culture.

According to Maslow's hierarchy, love and belonging come before esteem needs. In this case, NIL money would be esteem, fulfilling young athletes' desire for status and recognition. Being a part of a team would satisfy love and belonging needs. Based on the graphic, if a player can find themself belonging to a team that is united in purpose and motivated to win, it can motivate players to stay rather than jumping ship for NIL deals from other schools.

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By building company culture, or a strong team bond, organizations and basketball teams alike can retain top talent and achieve their respective goals.