The biggest thing talked about in college sports in the last 10 years, besides NIL and the House vs. NCAA settlement, is the Transfer Portal. The NCAA Transfer Portal has taken college sports by storm, with the number of players that use it and the few checks and balances it really has.
The Transfer Portal started back in October of 2018, and it was a way to make transferring from school to school easier for athletes and also save them from having to sit out a year due to transferring. Before the portal, if a student-athlete wanted to transfer, they had to get permission from their current school and then usually had to sit out a year of competition at their new program, making transferring a less desirable option.
However, now that that is not the case anymore, a student-athlete could transfer every year of their college career if they so choose and not have to sit out at all. Other than being able to just transfer whenever, though, there is so much more about the Transfer Portal that many people don't know about, so we are here to help you out.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to the college Transfer Portal.
What exactly is the Transfer Portal?
The Transfer Portal is technically an online database in which student-athletes declare their intention to enter with intention to transfer schools. The athlete then enters the portal via their school's compliance officer, and their information is then available to other coaches from other schools, who are able to contact them at the appropriate time.
Who can use the Transfer Portal?
The Transfer Portal is available for all Division I, II, and III athletes and coaches. Student-athletes do have to meet academic and eligibility requirements to enter the portal, however. The only student-athletes unable to use the portal are NAIA and two-year college athletes.
When can a player enter the Transfer Portal?
Each sport has a specific window as to when the Transfer Portal opens. A student-athlete can declare they are entering the trasnfer portal at any point in the season, but if the head coach is aware of that, they may decide not to play a player that is leaving anyway, as we have seen in college football a few times.
Here are the different Transfer Portal windows:
- Football: two windows, the first opening the Monday after the first Saturday in December and lasting 20 days, the second opening April 16 through April 25.
- Basketball: Both men's and women's basketball open 30 days after the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Fall and Winter sports: Fall athletes have a 30-day window to enter the portal, and winter athletes have a 45-day window.
- Spring sports: Athletes have a 15-day window to enter in December and a 30-day window seven days after championship series selections.
Graduate transfers can enter the portal at any time. The only other exception to the portal is when a head coach leaves, or is fired, players have a 30-day window from that day to enter the portal.
Can an athlete transfer more than once?
The point of the NCAA Transfer Portal is so that a player can transfer more than once without the fear of having to sit out a year of competition. As long as the student-athlete is in good academic standing and meets eligibility requirements at their new school. The only rule is that they can not play for two different teams in one season.
Does an athlete's scholarship transfer with them?
If a student-athlete has received a scholarship from their initial school, the school they plan to transfer to does not have to honor that scholarship.
Does a player have to transfer once entering the Transfer Portal?
Once a player has entered the Transfer Portal, it does not mean they have to transfer to another school. The student-athlete can withdraw from the portal and return to their initial school. However, just because a player wants to withdraw from the portal does not mean the coach has to offer them their roster spot back. So if a player is not being recruited by another school, they can sit down and talk with the coaching staff about returning to the program.