The NCAA transfer portal is very important for any athlete who is looking to change teams and schools. There are rules that have to be followed when entering the portal and navigating to find a new team and there can be punishments given out by the NCAA if these rules are broken. Read on to learn more about the transfer portal and how to avoid mishaps during your transfer journey.

A Window of Opportunity

Athletes have a certain amount of time after the end of their season to enter the transfer portal. The transfer window begins after a sports champion selection time. For example, once the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournament brackets are set, the transfer window begins for the sport of basketball. Each transfer window is only open for a certain amount of time for each sport. For fall and spring sports, there is a 45 day transfer window. For winter sports, there is a 60 day transfer window. These are the only times that an athlete is allowed to enter the transfer portal. 

Related: How Does Transferring in College Sports Work? A Step-By-Step Explanation of the Transfer Portal

What's Next?

Entering the transfer portal allows for the athlete to contact other schools and to be contacted by other schools. College athletes are not allowed to reach out to coaches of other schools prior to entering the transfer portal and during this time period. Coaches are also not allowed to reach out and contact athletes until the transfer portal is open, and the athlete has entered the portal. College athletes have the option to remove themselves from the portal at any time. If an athlete enters the portal and does not receive an offer from another school, they are still able to transfer schools and try to be a walk-on for the school that they transferred to. 

Related: Thinking of Transferring? 5 Things to Consider Before Making a Choice

Do Not Contact 

Some athletes enter the transfer portal with a school in mind that they want to transfer to. In this case, athletes are able to put “do not contact” on their name in the portal. This means that the athlete is reaching out to the schools they are interested in, but does not want coaches reaching out to them. Coaches are only allowed to reach out to the athlete if the athlete initiated the contact first. Again, the athlete is only reaching out to these coaches and schools once they are in the portal and during their time period.

Final Advice

Prior to entering the transfer portal, it is important for athletes to think about whether there are certain schools that they want to transfer to, or if they are open to any school. There should be a plan that they have an idea of so that it makes the transfer process run more smoothly for them. It is also important to follow the timeline that the NCAA has in place for transferring so that they do not receive a penalty from the NCAA. Knowledge is power when it comes to transferring.

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* Originally published on May 3, 2023, by Marissa Massaro