NCAA proposes eliminating spring transfer window in football

The spring transfer period in college football is in danger of being officially abolished after the FBS and FCS oversight committees recommended that the NCAA switch to a single offseason transfer notification window in the sport.

Under their proposal, the 30-day transfer window in December would be the only opportunity for FBS and FCS players to enter their name in the transfer portal and look for a new school. For the past two years, the transfer portal has also been open for a 15-day window in April.

The Division I Council will meet in October to decide whether to adopt the proposal, which would reduce the total number of days student-athletes can transfer from 45 to 30.

If approved, the change would take effect for the 2024-25 school year. The December transfer window will open the Monday after the conference title games and will run from Dec. 9 to Jan. 7. The NCAA cited promoting “roster stability for student-athletes and their programs” in its press release about the proposal.

This year, more than 900 FBS scholarship players entered the portal in April after the NCAA was forced to lift its one-time transfer restrictions. The 2023-24 portal cycle again saw a record-breaking number of transactions, with more than 2,700 FBS scholarship transfers.

Players whose teams compete in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff or the FCS Playoffs will still receive a five-day exemption to enter the portal after the conclusion of their season. Players will also be able to use a 30-day transfer window in the event of a coaching change.

The football oversight committees also approved a blanket waiver for the 2024 season that guarantees that players who choose to redshirt during the season will be allowed to play in all postseason games – conference championships, bowl games and College Football Playoff or FCS Playoff games – without counting toward their four-game limit.