NCAA Approves Penalties for Transfer Portal Circumvention

The NCAA Division I Cabinet approved new penalties on Wednesday aimed at preventing college programs from circumventing the transfer portal system, imposing automatic sanctions on schools that sign transfers, add them to rosters or allow them to participate in athletic activities before the athletes formally enter the portal.

The rule, effective immediately and retroactive to February 25, targets so-called ghost or blind transfers, in which student-athletes withdraw from one school and enroll at another without using the portal. Penalties include a suspension of the head coach for 50 percent of the season, equivalent to six games in football, along with a fine equal to 20 percent of the sport's budget. The measures apply across all Division I sports and were proposed by the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee in February.

This change comes amid a restructured transfer landscape in college athletics. For the first time, football has a single portal window, open from January 2 to 16, eliminating the previous spring period. Officials say the rule closes a loophole that has allowed athletes to switch schools outside designated times, potentially disrupting roster...