In a significant move for college football, the NCAA is making strides to reform the college football transfer portal. On Thursday, the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Oversight Committee officially proposed crucial changes aimed at regulating how and when athletes can enter the transfer portal.
One of the major changes being suggested is the implementation of a single notification-of-transfer window. Currently, players have two opportunities to enter the portal: a 20-day period in December and a 10-day period in April. For example, last year’s winter window ran from December 9 to 28 and the spring window from April 16 to 25.
The proposed new window would tentatively be from January 2 to January 11. During this time, December would become a “dead period,” meaning coaches could communicate with prospects, but they would not be able to conduct any on- or off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations.
Another aspect of the recommendations includes adjustments to when recruits receive written offers of financial aid or related benefits, such as scholarships and direct payments. The committee is proposing to push back the date for these offers from August 1 of a player’s senior year to November 15.
Since the NCAA passed legislation in April 2024, allowing most athletes to transfer without losing eligibility, the impact has been severe, with rosters facing unprecedented turnover. On the first day of the winter transfer window in December 2024, more than 1,000 FBS players entered the portal. The issue isn’t unique to football; for instance, the Baylor men’s basketball team experienced a complete roster loss this offseason.
Football teams have felt this shift heavily. Marshall had to withdraw from its bowl game due to too many players transferring, and Purdue lost 56 players while Washington State had 59 departures. Coaches across the nation have raised concerns about these changes, noting that increased player movement is leading to declining graduation rates and other academic issues.
Dave Aranda, head coach of the Baylor football team, expressed his concerns about the importance of earning a degree, stating, “[Getting a] degree is just so important. What’s hard about it is, I think sometimes the money puts distance between how important that is, because you feel like there’s a buffer there.”
By consolidating the transfer windows and altering the timing of financial aid offers, the NCAA hopes to address the frantic player movement that has become commonplace in college athletics. This change would particularly affect players who currently enter the portal in April and seek immediate eligibility in the fall.
