The NCAA Administrative Committee decided that a spring football Transfer Portal window will no longer take place and only one fall portal will open instead of both. On Monday, Sept. 29, the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee recommended an alternative to the original proposed dates of the single portal window.
The dates were initially Jan. 2-11, but they were still subject to change following student-athlete feedback. Now, the NCAA Oversight Committee approved a modification that allows players to enter the Transfer Portal from Jan. 2-16, a 15-day window.
Players involved in the postseason will have five days to enter the portal following their last playoff game that takes place on or after Jan. 12. Given the timing of the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, this means only players on the two teams in the CFP National Championship Game will be allowed this extra, five-day period to decide and enter the Transfer Portal. The semifinals take place Jan. 8-9, so those players will have until Jan. 16 to make their decision starting the day after their last game.
The NCAA Administrative Committee meets Oct. 7-8 and will discuss the modification. If approved, the new model will take affect starting this 2025-26 year.
NCAA Oversight Committee modifies Transfer Portal model to 15-day window
The newly proposed model will replace the 20-day December window if approved. The January Transfer Portal is the only time throughout the year players have an opportunity to enter the portal. Once entered, they don't have to make a decision and transfer before the window closes, they just need to make sure they enter the portal before it does close.
Since the dates still fall in the midst of CFP, there's still a lot of chaos teams will have to navigate. Meeting with players before the playoffs get going might be the route CFP-bound teams take that way coaches know their players on the roster are entirely focused on the games ahead of them, not the "what ifs" in regards to the portal. However, players will need to prepare for the window as it's their only chance to do so after the regular season.
The NCAA Oversight Committee has yet to modify the structure in place for when a head coach is fired. Currently, a 30-day window opens immediately following the firing of the head coach. More information on any modifications will release once changes have been proposed and approved.