In a significant development for college football, a new transfer portal window is set to open between July 7 and August 5, just a couple of months after the previous spring transfer portal period closed. This change comes as part of a decision made by the NCAA Committee on Legislative Relief, allowing certain players to enter the transfer portal during this short window.
However, the excitement around this new opportunity seems to be tempered. Many insiders from Power Four conferences believe that this one-time portal window might not lead to much action. As one general manager from a Power Four conference noted, it is expected to be a “big nothing-burger.” Other officials share this outlook, suggesting that the players who enter the portal during this time will likely be walk-ons or scholarship players who are not significant contributors.
For a player to enter the portal, teams must designate them as a “designated student-athlete.” This designation generally applies to players that teams do not want to count against their roster limit of 105 players. Because of this, many believe that no major players will opt for the portal during this period. “No one of note will be entering during this window,” remarked a high-ranking official from a Power Four team. It seems that most of the players that could enter will not make a substantial impact on the roster.
Teams have until July 6 to identify these designated student-athletes. Unfortunately for players, the sense is that they do not have much leverage in this situation. With schools having the upper hand, one general manager articulated that “during this time period, the schools have all the leverage.”
As college football teams prepare for the upcoming season, it remains to be seen how many, if any, players will take advantage of this new transfer portal opportunity.
