Aztecs Nick Boyd entering the portal shows things can change in an NIL minute

Well, here we are. The 2025 men’s basketball season is now over for San Diego State. It was an unceremonious ending to an otherwise exciting year for the young team.

Next up, we enter into the abyss of the off season—which means: watching the rest of the March Madness tournament play-out, hearing about player declarations to the NBA draft process, and the dreaded transfer portal announcements & rumors. Oh joy.

Late Friday evening San Diego State was shocked by the news of their starting point guard Nick Boyd entering the transfer portal. As reported by San Diego Union-Tribune’s Marc Zeigler, Boyd informed Coach Brian Dutcher of his decision in person.

Though Boyd isn’t officially in the portal now, his declaration makes it clear he intends to do so once it is open. The official NCAA transfer portal window opens next Monday, March 24. This year that window closes 15 days sooner than it did in 2024—lasting just 30 days and ending on April 22.

The senior led the Aztecs in scoring and assists this season—averaging 13.4 points and 3.9 assists per game, while averaged 1 steal per game. Towards the end of the year Boyd was effectively the Aztecs most aggressive player on the court—taking his game up another level forcing the action to the rim.

If you think his departure won’t sting—you are wrong.

In the college sports landscape where NIL revenue and transfer portal changes rule the day, this kind of development shouldn’t be so surprising. However just weeks earlier Boyd was quoted as returning to be a senior of a roster loaded with young talent in need of a leader.

And that’s what makes this decision all so disappointing. Not only was Boyd going back on his word earlier to return, but that he held the keys to the full offensive side of the team. There was no struggle to assume coming into the off season. This team was fully prepared for Boyd to be the driver.

This season’s Aztecs roster represented the youngest team to make the NCAA bracket. With most of that youth now having tournament experience and running it back with a chip on the shoulder, certainly Boyd could’ve been the ring leader of a wildly exciting and much deeper tournament run.

What will instead begin to be discovered is just who exactly has been in the ear of Boyd (and his uncle) to sway him away with hopes the grass is greener elsewhere. Could Boyd be looking to reunite with former FAU coach Dusty May at the University of Michigan? Perhaps Louisville is a destination he lands at, as the Cardinals were very hot in his recruitment before landing at SDSU.

For the Aztecs program a void now appears at the point guard spot. In some circles BJ Davis has been rumored to have one foot out ready to enter the portal. Perhaps this departure puts an end to that speculation and Davis assumes control of the starter duties.

Regardless of the new reality for the Aztecs roster shake-up, this early transfer decision is exactly that—early in the process. Boyd making this decision swift before the portal officially opens allows the SDSU staff to prepare as quickly as possible to backfill and have provision for the next moves.

We’ll have to stay tuned in the next few weeks, because each day as teams get eliminated from the tournament bracket, these kind of changes can take place in an NIL minute.