James Guillory-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Manny Diaz runs onto the field before the start of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Wallace Wade Stadium.
College sports are broken. While nobody seems to agree on how to fix them, almost everyone – from administrators to coaches, to players and fans – agrees that something is wrong.
That includes Duke football coach Manny Diaz, who recently appeared on an On3 Sports show with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman.
During the appearance, Diaz not only diagnosed what he believes the problem is in college sports, but he also offered up a creative solution that may well work for all parties involved.
We had Duke head coach @Coach_MannyDiaz on today’s show. I just asked him straight up:
What is bothering you?
Banger answer. https://t.co/LJ1TPsmBGW
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) October 15, 2026
Manny Diaz Thinks College Sports Are Heading Down A Bad Path
Diaz is the son of a politician. His father, Manny Diaz Sr., served as the mayor of Miami from 2001-2009. So it’s no surprise that he’s not only well-educated on the topic, but also extremely thoughtful when it comes to thinking of solutions.
Diaz began his answer by referencing an article in The Athletic that discussed how few teams in English soccer are financially solvent. He added that there are very few “unregulated models” in sports, and then noted how Major League Baseball is likely headed for an ugly lockout.
He noted that college sports operated as a communist model for several years, but now is unfettered, unregulated capitalism, and that has “its downsides as well.”
“The common theme is just greed in both,’ Diaz said. “What we’re doing right now, if we don’t have some way to control it, is not good.”
Diaz noted how the costs are continually falling on the feet of fans. He noted that he believes that continuing to lay that cost at their feet is unsustainable. So he has a creative fix for at least one issue.
NEW: Duke head coach Manny Diaz tells @AndyAriOn3 that schools should receive a “transfer fee” when players portal:
“If you sign a bunch of great recruits and you develop them and they go somewhere else, I’ll go back to European soccer. You should receive a transfer fee.”
— On3 (@On3) October 15, 2026
He Wants To Add Soccer-Style Transfer Fees
“If you sign a bunch of great recruits and you develop them and they go somewhere else, I’ll go back to European soccer. You should receive a transfer fee,” Diaz suggested.
Of course, Duke has been on both sides of the coin when it comes to big-name transfers, first landing star QB Darian Mensah from Tulane prior to the 2025 season and then losing Mensah to Miami ahead of this season.
But the transfer fee concept is certainly interesting. And Diaz isn’t the first person to suggest it.
Obviously, there would need to be some sort of system in place to determine the fees. Perhaps athletes could sign buyout/release clauses into their contracts. Or an independent board could determine fair value.
Either way, it’s a potentially fascinating way to allow players to move freely while also allowing smaller programs to benefit from strong scouting and developmenet.