The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on Thursday, Sept. 4 recommended a move to a single 10-day transfer portal window, the NCAA announced. The proposal must be passed by the NCAA’s Division I Administrative Committee to become official. A vote is expected to take place before Oct. 1. If approved, the transfer portal would be open from Jan. 2 until Jan. 11, starting in 2026.
The transfer portal has been shortened in recent years as more players have decided to change schools. In 2024, the transfer portal window was decreased by the NCAA from 45 days to just 30 days across two different time periods. It first opened on Monday, Dec. 9 − the day after the College Football Playoff bracket and bowl games were announced − and close on Dec. 28. The portal was then open in the spring from April 16-25.
With a singular transfer portal window and the dates coming later in the football calendar, most teams will have wrapped up their postseasons when the window opens. In recent years, it’s been common that players to leave teams ahead of their bowl game, including departures from some schools in the College Football Playoff.
It was an issue for Marshall last season, as it pulled out of the Independence Bowl against Army due to ‘player unavailability due to activity in the transfer portal.’ The Thundering Herd had 29 scholarship players leave the program when coach Charles Huff left for the same position at Southern Mississippi.
With the new transfer portal window, only four non-playoff bowl games − Duke’s Mayo, Liberty, Armed Forces and Holiday − would not have be played, with all four games taking place Jan. 2. The College Football Playoff semifinals and national championship game would also would be left to play.
With the removal of the spring window, players will also likely have to stick with their program’s after the conclusion of spring practice. A notable move happened during the spring window in 2025 when quarterback Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee for UCLA following a reported NIL dispute.