Mario Cristobal Gives Blatant Rebuttal On College Football Tampering Complaints

In a college football world always trying to figure out how best to lure players in or out of the transfer portal, many head coaches have begun finger-pointing at other programs, making claims of tampering. Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal is not one of those coaches and has voiced his displeasure with the recent national outcries.

At the ACC Kickoff Event last month, Cristobal said that there is too much noise around tampering and that he’s not going to be one to complain about it.

“I think tampering existed way before I was put on this Earth, you know what I mean. So I don’t get much into complaining or just flat-out b**ching about stuff,” Mario Cristobal said. “Work hard, hire good people, do things the right way and that should be good enough. It should be good enough.”

Since taking over as head coach in 2022, Cristobal has had several players leave the Hurricanes program while also bringing in a number of players from the transfer portal, including Miami's starting quarterback Cam Ward.

Cristobal understands that if a player desires to move on from the program because they feel it is best for them, he does not let the loss hinder his focus on the current members of the program.

“If you get caught in a situation where someone is not part of your program because things were done, then it is what it is,” Cristobal said. “It’s probably best for everybody that someone moved on.”

While other coaches at the ACC Kickoff event have been vocal about their concerns with tampering and how it’s tarnishing the sport,  Cristobal insists he does not perceive it that way.

“There’s a lot of finger-pointing around the country. I don’t get into that. I don’t care about that stuff,” he said. Just play ball, man. Let’s get our teams ready and let’s go play ball.”

For Christobal and the Hurricanes, the program will open its 2024 campaign in Gainesville against in-state rival Florida Gators from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on Aug. 31 at 3:30 pm (ET) on ABC.

Related: Cam Ward Reveals Why He Entered College Football Transfer Portal

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