Next Play Showcase and Sports Academy partner to give college football athletes real evaluation, real exposure, and real opportunity in a transfer system leaving too many players behind.

DALLAS, TX, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The transfer portal has changed college football forever. But for too many athletes, the promise of opportunity has become a dead end.

The NCAA built the portal. But it did not build the pathway.

Today, Next Play Showcase, co-founded by NFL veteran Bud Dupree, announced a strategic partnership with Sports Academy to create a new athlete-first platform designed to help college football players get evaluated, seen, developed, and connected to real next-level opportunities.

It begins with a live event. Next Play Showcase will take place in January 2027 in Melissa, Texas, and will be streamed live — putting college football athletes on a national stage to compete, test, and be evaluated in real time in front of coaches, scouts, and decision-makers.

The mission is simple: give athletes what the current system does not.

Public portal data shows that more than 7,500 college football players entered the portal in 2024 and 2025. For more than 2,000 of them, public trackers list neither a commitment nor a withdrawal: counted, but not placed.

Next Play exists for those athletes.

“The NCAA has created a system where athletes are told they have freedom, but too often they are left without direction, evaluation, or real support,” said Bud Dupree, NFL veteran and Co-Founder of Next Play. “Entering the portal does not mean you have a plan. It does not mean you have a coach calling. It does not mean somebody is fighting for you. I have lived this game at every level, and I know how many players are talented enough to keep going but never get the right eyes on them. Next Play is here to change that.”

Stacked with deep and connected industry advisors, the platform will begin with college football, creating live evaluation opportunities, performance testing, position-specific assessment, verified athlete data, media exposure, and direct visibility for coaches, scouts, and decision-makers.

Next Play is a performance and exposure platform, not another recruiting database.

The partnership with Sports Academy gives Next Play immediate access to one of the most respected performance ecosystems in the world. For over a decade, Sports Academy has developed elite youth, college, professional, and NFL athletes through its integrated model of sports performance, sports medicine, recovery, skill development, content, and athlete storytelling.

“College football is moving faster than ever, but the athlete support system has not kept up,” said Chad Faulkner, Founder and CEO of Sports Academy. “The transfer portal has become a numbers game. Athletes are entering with hope, but many are not receiving real evaluation, real exposure, or a clear plan for what comes next. Sports Academy and Next Play are coming together to give athletes a better process — one built on performance, data, credibility, and opportunity.”

For Sports Academy, the partnership extends its mission beyond training: helping athletes through the moments that decide their future.

“At Sports Academy, we see the athlete beyond the roster spot,” said Nate Borunda, Co-Founder and COO of Sports Academy. “We understand the work, pressure, uncertainty, and sacrifice that go into chasing the next level. The transfer portal has created movement, but movement without direction can leave athletes exposed. Next Play gives these players structure, visibility, evaluation, and a real platform to prove they belong.”

Next Play helps athletes answer five questions:

Can you still play?
Where do you fit?
How do you prove it?
Who needs to see you?
What is your next move?

The portal has produced more movement, but not necessarily more opportunity. Athletes face shifting NCAA rules, roster limits, NIL uncertainty, less scholarship security, and a crowded marketplace where thousands of players are competing for limited spots.

Next Play believes an athlete deserves more than a name in a portal: a platform, an evaluation, and a shot at the next level.

“This is not about complaining about the system,” Dupree added. “This is about building the solution. If the current model is not going to protect athletes, prepare athletes, and promote athletes the right way, then we will.”

The first phase of Next Play will focus on college football athletes, with future expansion planned across additional sports. The long-term vision is to create a national athlete opportunity platform that supports players through transition, development, recruiting visibility, content, and career advancement.

“This starts with football, but it will not stop with football,” Faulkner said. “Every sport has athletes who are under-seen, under-supported, and stuck between where they are and where they believe they can go. Next Play is built for that gap.”

To learn more or register, visit https://www.nextplayshowcase.us/

About Next Play Showcase

Next Play Showcase is an athlete-first platform that helps college athletes find their next opportunity through verified evaluation, exposure, performance data, media, and direct access to decision-makers. Co-founded by NFL veteran Bud Dupree, Next Play begins with college football and is designed to expand across sports, giving athletes a clearer pathway in a rapidly evolving recruiting and transfer landscape.

About Sports Academy

Sports Academy, wholly owned by The Human Performance Company, is a premier human performance organization that serves athletes, teams, families, and organizations with an integrated platform of sports performance, sports medicine, skill development, recovery, wellness, content, and athlete development services. With a global reach and locations across California, Texas, Arizona, and Tennessee, Sports Academy empowers athletes at every level to train, recover, compete, and pursue greatness.

Media Contact:

Summer Joy
SummerJ@SportsAcademy.us

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SOURCE Sports Academy