Is the NCAA eliminating the spring transfer portal window? Report claims adoption might begin in 2024

The spring transfer portal has been an important part of the college football calendar in the last couple of years. It’s given players another opportunity to make portal entries and transfer to another college football program other than the much-crowded winter window.

However, this might soon become history in the landscape. According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, there's a proposal to eliminate the spring transfer portal in college football. This is said to be currently going through the legislative process in a bid to secure final approval.

The NCAA Football Oversight Committee was said to have recommended the proposal to the Division I Council earlier this week. The body, which consists of university administrators controlling football-related policy, wants the spring window to be eliminated. This would leave college football with only the winter window.

An immediate implementation if adopted

The elimination of the spring transfer portal in college football will be immediately implemented if the Division I Council adopts the proposal. Dellenger reports that the changes in the portal calendar will take effect in this cycle, should it receive the ratification of the council.

The Division I Council is scheduled to meet through video conference in September before a subsequent in-person meeting in October. The discussion on the matter is expected to begin in September before the council reaches its final decision in the October meeting.

With the amount of controversies the spring transfer portal has generated in the last few years, there’s a good chance the proposal will be adopted by the Division I Council. It's uncommon for the council to reject a recommendation from the oversight committee. However, it has happened before.

The growing frustration of the spring transfer portal

Over the last couple of years, the spring transfer portal window has been particularly challenging for college football coaches. It has increased the frustration around team building. It leaves them in a situation where they are uncertain about their complete roster even after spring practice concludes.

The landscape has recorded cases where players transfer to a new school during the winter window, only to transfer once again in the spring window. This has significantly increased the backlash that has come with the introduction of the transfer portal within the realm.

According to Yahoo Sports, the American Football Coaches Association is in favor of the elimination of the spring window in the landscape. The leadership of the four power conferences is also in support as a few commissioners, like Greg Sankey, have earlier spoken on having a single transfer portal window.