NCAA adopts January 2-16 transfer window for football

The NCAA has approved a major overhaul of the college football transfer portal calendar, establishing a single 15 day window in January and tightening the timeline for transfers tied to coaching changes. The Division I Administrative Committee finalized the plan this week after recommendations from FBS oversight groups, setting the single portal window to run from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16 and eliminating the previous spring transfer period.

Under the new schedule, players on teams that remain active in postseason play receive an exception. Athletes whose teams participate in College Football Playoff games on or after Jan. 12 will have a consecutive five day period to notify their schools of intent to transfer, beginning the day after their season ends. The portal rule continues to govern only notification of intent to transfer; players may still select new schools at other times, although their ability to enroll is often constrained by the start of the spring semester.

The committee also shortened and altered the timing of the coaching change exception. Instead of a 30 day window that began when a coach departed, the revised rule gives players 15 days to enter the portal beginning five...