The NCAA has tried to allow more freedom for players by allowing them to transfer to schools without having to sit an year out. The policy has backfired. The portal has become more like a vortex over 1,200 players in Division I football alone being in at times. Programs have turned into junior colleges for bigger brand programs. Lineups being changed from one day to the next. NIL money being talked to lure players to bigger brand programs. 

College athetics has based its profitablity both at the national level and university level by being a truly national sport. Schools from big cities like Los Angeles (USC, UCLA) and Miami, and from smaller cities like Morgantown (WVU) and Eugene (Oregon State) can be in power conferences and compete for players and can look for the top of the heap if they can put the program together. Some of the power imbalance that is happening is not in the NCAA's control like conference realignment that certain conferences have rightly taken advantage of to make their bottom line better. 

However, the NCAA should at least have some control over transfers in order to preserve program continunity at much as possible. One proposal that can be used is to only allow transfers that allow for immediate eligibility during a certain period. This will allow for programs to know when most transfer decisions will be made and they can plan their seasons both knowing who they will have with an higher likeihood and they can have a more organized plan to get other transfers/recruits in rather than a mad scramble right before the season. 

The full magic might just be gone forever, but actions that can allow for programs to sustain themselves and have themselves put on a better playing field.