Big NCAA Transfer Portal Change Could Shake Up College Football
The NCAA Football Oversight Committee has voted to eliminate the spring transfer portal window, a move that could reshape roster management across college football.
Well, the college football world is about to undergo a massive change that will affect student-athletes from all over the country. On Thursday, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted to adopt a single transfer protal period in the sport.
Right now, there are two different portal periods, one during the winter, and one during the spring period. This has led to coaches lobbying for a change that would result in just one open transfer portal option, taking away the spring period, which has led to further chaos in the sport.
Ross Dellenger reported first, which the NCAA confirmed that it still needs approval from the administrative committee by the first day of October, for it to go in place this year. Right now, the first portal period opens in December, and lasts twenty days, but is also extended when a coach leaves a school or is fired.
The last time we saw this on a major level was during the aftermath of Nick Saban retiring.
Here is the outline of how the new portal period would work for Division I College Football.
- This 10-day notification-of-transfer window would replace the current structure, in which football student-athletes may initiate notification during a 20-day period in December and a 10-day period in April.
- Another part of the recommendation would make the entire month of December a recruiting dead period (in which coaches can call, write, text or email prospects and their families but no on- or off-campus recruiting contacts or evaluations may occur).
- Jan. 5-31 would remain a recruiting period, when coaches can have contact with or evaluate prospects.
Coaches Wanted Only One Period, Players Will Have To Adjust
During the spring, there is another period that opens for the transfer portal, which lasts for only ten days, compared to the twenty in the winter period.
By the way, this development has been coming for a while, with assistant coaches pleading their cases at recent conventions over the summer, while head coaches have made it known to their athletic directors that they would like to see a change.
Does this mean that players could potentially sue for the right to transfer on their own time in the future? That question will be answered in short order once it is finally approved.
Currently, coaches that are involved in the college football playoff are so boggled down by preparing for opposing teams, that they do not have the time to focus on the transfer portal. The other aspect is players deciding whether they will transfer following spring practice, or even during, which turns out to be a waste of time for the schools.
Judging by the bombshell news of the Nico Iamaleava situation, coaches were freaked out by the reality that a starting quarterback could just bolt for another team, and maybe a bigger payday, when spring practice had just ended.
Obviously, this is going to create further dialogue with schools and conferences on how to attack certain aspects of the transfer portal. But, as we sit here today, change is on the way in college athletics.