A Grip on Sports: The portal isn’t just available to athletes, in a different way it is available to everyone – and is used – from the top on down

A GRIP ON SPORTS • We’re not very good with Excel. Or any other database software. We still feel more comfortable with some paper and a couple pencils. But maybe it’s time to join the late 20th Century and figure out some sort of number-crunching software. If only to keep track of all the transfer stuff in college hoops. Players, coaches and more.

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• And, just to cover all the bases, to keep a running tally of everyone who tells us they believe the transfer portal is killing college athletics. That’s a huge number as well.

Then again, pencil and paper have an advantage. You can add or subtract a category faster than Myles Rice can get from one foul line to the other.

Such pivots are necessary. After all, the transfer portal isn’t just a player thing. Even if it is, officially. It’s more of state of mind. And is part of American society from Miami to Montlake, from Boston to Bakersfield.

Heck, we just read a story about how many folks are transferring out of Congress, even before voters impose their will in November. Talk about chaos. But this is a sports column, so we will limit our verbs and adjectives to folks who have something to do with events ESPN broadcasts, not those on C-Span.

Like college presidents/chancellors. Jon Wilner ran a list on X (formerly Twitter) yesterday listing five current Pac-12 schools who have openings in that spot. And added he expects two-to-four more soon. That might include Washington, which just filled its athletic director position for the second time in six months. The designated survivor in that spot: Pat Chun, formerly of Washington State.

Yes, even athletic directors are in an offshoot of the transfer portal, though we’re pretty sure their branch of that entity has gold-lined walls. Maybe not as richly as the waiting room next door, the coaches’ portal, but still pretty darn shiny.

Coaches have had theirs open for years. Decades. All of history, actually. It’s been a bone in the throat of fans since, at least, John Wooden left Indiana State Teachers College for UCLA. And that bone rarely goes down well.

One exception: Kyle Smith’s recent departure from Washington State. At least for a while. Most Cougar fans seemed understanding of his move from Pullman to Stanford, a school with an academic tradition as long as Isaac Jones’ arms, deep-rooted support from Smith’s autistic child and a seeming safer haven in these maddening days. Except the Harvard of the West will be playing all its sports in a conference in the East. Even Stanford couldn’t avoid getting hit by the transfer portal nonsense that enveloped schools themselves last year, barely finding safe harbor in the ACC.

With Smith gone, the musical-chair game that has always been part of college sports began again in earnest. Though the music slowed a couple times, it finally stopped Tuesday night with Eastern Washington’s David Riley the one plopped down in WSU’s well-cushioned seat. And a lot of empty chairs nearby.

That’s due to a novel American concept finally reaching the players’ level. Freedom. After years of being chained to whatever institution of higher education they chose out of high school, players now have as much freedom as presidents or ADs or coaches. They can move if they want. And, after Smith left, almost every Cougar decided they wanted.

Why not? They can still stay. If they want. See, the portals may have different doors and differently appointed waiting rooms, but they all lead to one place. The place of the person’s choosing.

As we said, that’s a novel concept. And the right one.

Whatever spaces are available in Pullman may be filled with players who have followed Riley from Eastern. Or not. That’s their choice. Same with whomever follows him into the head coaching position in Cheney. That will be their choice.

Goose, gander and all that stuffing.

It’s American college athletics – and society – in the 21st Century. And it takes more than just some college-ruled paper, two sharp No. 2 pencils and an eraser to excel at keeping track of it.

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WSU: You want to know what’s messy as a teenager’s rec-room? Freedom. Always has been. But it didn’t have to get as muddled as Washington State’s basketball coaching search ended up being. Even if not everything reported was true – and we believe it was – the process still seemed a bit off. And Dave Boling thinks that makes Riley’s task even harder. He’s right. But it also might, in a weird way, be a blessing. The confusion seems to have coalesced support behind the new coach. And, with the seeming support of two key players who have yet to enter the portal, junior wing Jaylen Wells and true freshman guard Isaiah Watts, Riley’s tenure may have a foundation in place. Greg Woods covers the latter part and more in this story on Washington State’s decision. … Earlier in the day, he posted a story on another player entering the portal. … We mentioned Jones above. The senior is headed to the Portsmouth Invitational. That’s part of the S-R’s latest local briefs column. … We were a bit surprised to read the news Charlisse Leger-Walker has put her name in the portal. It isn’t about NIL inducements, as the New Zealand player is ineligible for much of that due to visa requirements. Greg Lee covers the Leger-Walker news. … Yes, spring football is going on, even if the other news might be overshadowing it a bit. Greg Woods talked with quarterback John Mateer this week and has this story. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and around the nation, we start with Wilner’s look at Arizona. We linked this piece yesterday but it ran in the S-R this morning. … He also has a ranking of the best Pac-10/12 basketball teams in the Mercury News. Disagree (or agreeing) is fun. … We also pass along The Athletic’s portal tracker again, mainly because Rice is its fourth-ranked player. … Utah’s NIT run ended last night in a semifinal loss to home state favorite Indiana State. Washington’s new coach, Danny Sprinkle, is something of a deep-dive legacy. … Jordan Pope has been the best Oregon State player the past couple years. He’s headed to the portal. … So are a few Colorado players. … Expect the same at USC, which is looking for a new coach. … You can’t get away from college hoops on ESPN during the season. Not as if we would ever want to, but just saying the game is on all the time. And the most highly watched game the network has ever broadcast? That would be the Elite Eight matchup the other day between Iowa (and Caitlan Clark) and defending champion LSU (and Angel Reese). On a Monday night in April. … The Pac-12’s season ended rather abruptly. … The Portland court’s issue was caught by a fan in the upper deck. How amazing. John Canzano talked with him. … Oregon State was hit by a defection we thought was coming. Chiawana High star Talia von Oelhoffen had said during her recruitment she wanted to play in a power conference, where the Beavers are no longer situated. She’s entered the portal. … Success doesn’t mean players don’t leave. Ask Colorado. … Stanford isn’t part of this March’s madness anymore. … Neither is UCLA. … JuJu Watkins and USC did have a big part in it, though. … Arizona has added a transfer. … In football news, there are storylines to watch at Washington. … Oregon has a tight end who is staying. How novel. … Colorado is looking for the right linebackers. … Utah has lost a key player to injury. … UCLA wants fans to come to spring practice. … A new coach is helping USC’s running game. … Spring rolls on at Arizona.

Gonzaga: The baseball team lost at Oregon State 13-5 Tuesday.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, Matt Logie signed a contract extension with Montana State. He should send some money to Pullman.

Velocity: Spokane’s second U.S. Open Cup match is tonight at ONE Spokane Stadium. The Velocity host Los Angeles Force with the winner moving on in the tournament. Justin Reed has a preview.

Chiefs: It looks as if Spokane’s return to the WHL playoffs will be short as last night’s 4-2 home loss to Prince George has the Chiefs in a 3-0 hole in the best-of-seven series.

Kraken: The season’s final days are a chance for Shane Wright to get more experience.

Mariners: We watched the M’s last night. All the while fielding phone calls and answering texts about the WSU and Eastern basketball coaching situations. In other words, we weren’t fully engaged. We call that a Luis Castillo. He wasn’t at his best either as Cleveland batted him about and won 5-2. … Andres Munoz is the ninth-inning guy. Unless there is a different need. … How are ex-Mariners doing? Well, actually. It’s the ballpark people. At least part of it is.

Seahawks: Mock drafts are fun. … So is adding an experienced receiver and return man. The Hawks did that.

Sounders: Jordan Morris received a rest.

Storm: There is a Sue Bird documentary out.

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• We exercise our freedom every day. And our body. You can guess which one we exercise more. Until later …