If you're predisposed to treat anything that speaks poorly about the transfer portal as gospel, then the article is for you, but where are the actual quantifiable facts to support the supposition? HS kids aren't getting pinched because there's a transfer portal, they're getting pinched because it's a portal artificially bloated with Covid Basketball mercenaries - guys in school for their 5th/6th/7th year of being on a basketball roster. Provided the years a player can actual play isn't permanently extended to 5, and scholarship limits don't get cut, there's not a rational argument why (collectively) there will be less opportunities for freshman. Also note, the new rules should, theoretically, reduce the number of scholarships being burned on guys sitting out - transfers won't have to sit and, unless it's a medical, I don't think many coach's are going to keep redshirting able bodied players (just a guess). Shortening the amount of time these guys take up space on a roster(s) should actually create MORE new scholarships. The influx, and probable explosion, of foreign born players in MBB probably ends up having a bigger impact over time to US High School players.

As for women's scholarships, their endangerment is probably more tied to the fact Title 9 requirements may not be as applicable if there's a delineation between revenue sport, with the participants treated as employees.

There's actually more teams playing D1 Football now than in 1979, albeit by 1 team. Simply put, if you live in a state that gives a shit about having good college sports programs at the public level you'll have them. Nobody here seems all that interested in paying for it, politicians, alunni, students, so I can only go so far with
the "woe is me" stuff.