With the transfer portal being relatively new, there are a lot of questions and uncertainty for athletes who might be thinking about transferring. Here are a few transfer portal tips and things you might want to know before you make that big decision. 

1. Contact

For those who do not know, the transfer portal is an online database with a list of all the athletes who want to transfer from their current school. The transfer portal is not available for the public, only for other coaches. Once an athlete's name is put into this online database, other coaches can contact them. 

2. NCAA Division Transferring

The transfer portal is technically only for Division I and Division II athletes who are on scholarships. Any scholarship player at the Division I or II level who is looking at transferring must put their name in the portal before they can talk to other coaches. Any athlete that fits this criteria and transfers to another school without putting their name in the portal could face serious violations. This would make NCAA officials think that the player transferred “illegally.”

3. NCAA DIII Transfers

If you are a Division III athlete and are looking to transfer to another Division III school, you do not have to put your name in the portal. Division III athletes just have to fill out a contact release form for each school they want to talk to. This allows them to speak with another school for 30 days and your head coach will not be alerted. After the thirty days are up, you would have to fill out the form again in order to continue speaking with the school, however your head coach would be alerted. If you are planning on moving up to the Division I or II level, you have to put your name into the portal or else those schools will not be allowed to contact you. 

4. Compliance Office

You have to go through your school's compliance office if you intend on entering the transfer portal. Once you notify your school, the compliance office has two days to put your name in the transfer portal. They are the people you go through if you're looking to put your name in or out of the portal. There is a small fee for entering the transfer portal around $50. 

5. The Transfer Portal is Not Permanent!

The last of our transfer portal tips is that if you put your name into the portal, you can still go back to your current school. This all depends on if your coach extends the opportunity to return. Putting your name into the portal does not mean you have to leave your school. You can tell your compliance office at any time that you want your name withdrawn.