With how important the Transfer Portal has become in successfully putting together a team, the issue of tampering has emerged across nearly every single program in the country. Even the reigning National Champions, Indiana, have had to deal with it.

Back-to-back AP Coach of the Year Curt Cignetti joined ‘The Triple Option‘ podcast on Wednesday, where he revealed that he’s dealt with tampering. He even revealed that one of his players last year was offered $1 million by another program.

“Well yeah, absolutely,” Cignetti said when asked if his team has been tampered with. “We had a guy last year offered a million dollars, and you’d be shocked at the school. That’s gone on this year. Guys walk in my office and talk to me. It’s tough, man. It’s hard. You’ve got these agents calling everyone across America… how do you legislate those guys? You try to do it the right way, but it’s tough.”

Cignetti led the Hoosiers to a 16-0 record and a National Championship this past season, the first in program history. Many key contributors to that team, including Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza (Cal), running back Roman Hemby (Maryland), wide receiver Elijah Sarratt (James Madison), linebacker Aiden Fisher (James Madison), and defensive back D’Angelo Ponds (East Carolina) made their way to Bloomington via the Portal.

The National Championship winning coach certainly knows how important owning the Portal is, but understands the business that has gone on behind the scenes. A peer of Cignetti’s, Clemson‘s Dabo Swinney, brought this tampering to light in a major way on Jan. 23.

Dabo Swinney went scorched earth on Pete Golding, Ole Miss over Luke Ferrelli tampering

Cal star linebacker Luke Ferrelli originally committed to Clemson Jan. 6 after entering the Portal on Jan. 2. Dabo Swinney, during his Jan. 23 press conference, said the Tigers planned to only add one linebacker from the portal, and the reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year was the choice as they built out the roster.

However, Ferrelli officially re-entered the portal on Jan. 22 and committed to Pete Golding and Ole Miss. Swinney broke down a detailed timeline as he walked reporters through the situation, including conversations between Ferrelli and Ole Miss. In fact, he said Golding texted Ferrelli, “I know you’re signed, but what is your buyout?”

Clemson has also reached out to the NCAA regarding allegations of tampering against the Rebels, Swinney confirmed. He then further called out the allegations against Ole Miss.

“I am not going to let someone flat out tamper with my program,” Swinney said. “If you tamper with my players, I’m going to turn you in. There’s a lot more I can say, but I’m going to let the NCAA do its job.”

While Dabo Swinney‘s call out of Ole Miss appears to be one of the first blatantly open in the Transfer Portal era, it certainly won’t be the last.

On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.