As the transfer portal continues to affect the recruiting scene across college athletics, the NCAA is still looking into ways to amend the transfer process.
On Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council announced that it has proposed that the transfer portal windows are cut to 30 days total, as opposed to the current windows that last 60 days in total for each sport.
Currently, student athletes in winter and spring sports have 60 days to enter the portal, beginning the day after NCAA championship selections are made in that respective sport. In fall sports, there is one window that lasts 45 days (beginning the day after championship selection) and there is a second window that lasts 15 days from May 1 to May 15.
“Data from the past year indicate that most student-athletes enter the transfer portal at the beginning of the transfer window,” said the NCAA in a release. Zenitz also reported that a final decision will be made in October.
Athletes may enter the transfer portal outside of the transfer portal window, but would then (even if it is their first time transferring) have to receive a waiver for immediate eligibility. Currently, four-year athletes may transfer once while retaining immediate eligibility at their new school. However, the NCAA stats that if a player has transferred multiple times, the only ways that they can receive immediate eligibility (through a waiver process) are the following:
- For reasons related to the student-athlete’s physical or mental health and well-being
- Due to exigent circumstances outside the student’s control (e.g. physical or sexual assault or discrimination based on a protected class); or
- Assertions involving diagnosed education impacting disabilities.
This year, the basketball transfer portal was open from March 13 to May 11.
