How does the transfer portal work? Some answers to common questions (2024)

College athletes always have been able to transfer, but it hasn't always been as easy as it is now.

That's for two reasons: The one-year penalty for transferring that was in place for players in five major sports was modified so it didn't apply for their first move from school to school or a graduate transfer, then eliminated in most situations.

The second reason is the transfer portal, an NCAA database that serves as notice of which players are looking for a new place to play and gives coaches a chance to connect with them.

We've attempted to answer some questions about the transfer process. Send us a message with other questions and we'll get answers added. This FAQ was last updated April 29, 2024.

When did it start?

The NCAA's transfer portal opened Oct. 15, 2018, but it took on a bigger role in 2021. That's when the NCAA allowed a one-time transfer without a one-year penalty in sports where it wasn't already permitted: football, men's and women's basketball, baseball and men's hockey.

How does it work if an athlete wants to transfer?

Athletes who have decided to transfer don't actually put their own name into the portal. They have to submit a notification of transfer to a compliance administrator at their current school, who then has two business days to enter the information into the portal.

The portal is a password-protected NCAA database accessed through a web browser. The process of entering a player includes inputting their name, NCAA ID number, email address, phone number, sport or sports and answering a list of questions. Among those questions are whether the athlete wants to be contacted by other schools, whether they're transferring as a graduate student and whether they're receiving an athletic scholarship.

Athletes receive an automated email when their information has been entered into the portal. The original school later submits an academic and athletic history for athletes.

How does it work for coaches?

The portal isn't publicly accessible; rather, coaches and administrators have logins. Coaches usually have view-only access to the information, which they can filter by any of the database fields entered and export the information.

Coaches are able to create a watch list in the portal.

What does the portal look like?

If you've used any online database, you've probably seen something that looks like the NCAA transfer portal.

This screengrab from a 2019 user guide shows the simple nature of a screen in the portal.

How long is it open?

Strictly speaking, the portal never closes. But the NCAA in 2022 added a 60-day transfer window to limit when athletes can enter and in October 2023 it decreased it to 45 days.

For winter sports, that's a single 45-day period. Basketball has it starting the day following the NCAA Tournament selection shows. Other winter sports have their transfer window open seven days after championship selection.

Spring and fall sports other than football have a 30-day period beginning seven days after their sport's NCAA championship selection plus a 15-day period in the opposite season (May 1-15 for fall sports, Dec. 1-15 for spring sports).

Football players can enter for 30 days starting on the Monday after Football Bowl Subdivision conference championship games and during a 15-day window that runs April 16-30. Players on teams that compete in postseason play such as the College Football Playoff, bowl games or Football Championship Subdivision playoff games also have a five-day window after their last game.

A calendar by sport is available here.

A coaching change and reduction, cancellation or nonrenewal of scholarship money also open a 30-day window for players from that team to enter the transfer portal starting the following day.

Who selects whom?

In many situations, it's like recruiting before college: Interest in each other from an athlete and a team leads to an offer from the team and a commitment from the player.

Coaches have to be mindful of their scholarship numbers when they consider bringing on transfers. Players weigh their chances for playing time in selecting a new school.

Do players come out of the portal once they've chosen their new schools?

Players are listed as "active" until they choose to withdraw from the portal or they start with a new school. The new school isn't supposed to update players' portal status to "matriculated" until after they start the first day of classes for the regular academic year after transferring.

How does admissions work with the new school?

Players are responsible for ensuring that they're admitted to the school they've chosen out of the portal, but timing isn't always on their side. For instance: Basketball and hockey transfers typically happen after the University of Wisconsin-Madison's March 1 deadline.

A Wisconsin spokesperson said the Office of Admissions and Recruitment considers transfer applications that come in after the deadline on a case-by-case basis. Timelines for athletics recruiting that fall outside of established academic windows are usually considered reasons for allowing late applications.

Does this eliminate walk-ons?

No. The NCAA still has scholarship limits — 85 in football, 13 in basketball, 18 in hockey, 12 in volleyball — and more players on rosters than players on scholarship.

There are anecdotal examples of walk-ons entering the transfer portal looking for scholarship opportunities at other schools. And the one-time transfer has altered some high school recruiting patterns but there will continue to be walk-ons.

Can a player transfer more than once?

In most situations, yes, and the NCAA's rules about transfers changed in April 2024 after being challenged in federal court.

An NCAA rule change approved in April 2024 allowed Division I athletes to be immediately eligible after a transfer, no matter whether they have previously transfered, as long as they meet some academic requirements. Undergraduate transfers have to be academically eligible and in good standing at the school they're leaving and meet requirements for progress toward a degree at their new school. Graduate transfers must earn a degree from and be academically eligible at the school they're leaving and be enrolled as a full-time postgraduate student at the new school.

That change replaced the NCAA's process for a one-time transfer between four-year schools without the one-year penalty that used to be included. The NCAA also used to consider applications for waivers of the penalty on subsequent transfers in limited situations.

So now they can play immediately? Why did Micah Potter have to sit out?

Potter asked for a waiver of the penalty, saying he stayed at Ohio State until December 2018 to complete the academic semester even though he left the basketball team before the season started. Former Buckeyes coach Thad Matta, current coach Chris Holtmann and athletic director Gene Smith all wrote letters to the NCAA backing immediate eligibility for Potter.

The appeal was denied, and Potter missed 1½ seasons before being able to play for the Badgers in December 2019.

How many athletes go into the portal?

The NCAA said that there were 20,911 entrants across all Division I sports in 2022, up from 17,781 in 2021. There were 188,710 athletes in NCAA Division I championship sports in 2021-22.

What sport has the most transfers?

There were 2,753 Division I football transfers in 2021-22 (undergraduate and graduate combined, both FBS and FCS), according to an NCAA dashboard.

The next closest was baseball at 1,159. Men's basketball had 1,123.

What if a player doesn't get any interest in the portal? Can they return to their original school?

Players can ask the school through which they entered the portal to remove them. But once players ask to be entered, their school can cancel or reduce their scholarships for subsequent academic terms and has no obligation to take them back.

There have been instances where players return to a team after appearing in the transfer portal, but it has to be a mutual decision.

If I am in the transfer portal, can a recruiting coach talk with my current coach about me?

Yes, NCAA rules allow coaches to ask a player's former coach about them as long as the player is already in the transfer portal.