By: Raegan Skarda

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – Beginning in 2026, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is restructuring the college football transfer portal. The NCAA is restructuring when and how players can transfer, with an effort to give programs more clarity when heading into the season. 

The NCAA updated the transfer portal rules to simplify the overall transfer process, putting a halt to constant roster turnovers. To do this, the NCAA implemented a single transfer window lasting 15 days. It opens January 2nd and runs through January 15th. 

In previous years, there were multiple transfer portal windows that existed throughout the year. Once the season concluded, a 45-day winter window would open, spanning through December and January. The winter window allowed players to enter the portal before bowl game appearances and roster changes. In April, there was a spring window that lasted 15 days, which allowed players to transfer after spring practice. If a head coach left a school for another job, players received a 30-day transfer window. Players who played on College Football Playoff teams sometimes received an additional time period once their seasons concluded – but not promised. 

University of Arkansas Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Broadcast Kyle Parkinson explained the ongoing troubles and challenges coaches and programs faced within the multiple transfer windows, including not knowing who was going to be on the team come game time.

 “I think for a lot of coaches, that’s one thing they’ve been asking for over the last few years. They wanted to know who their team was coming out of spring football. I think it’s important for the coaches, but also the team, right? When you know who’s going to be on the team when you come back and get ready to go for the season.” 

December is also expected to become a recruiting dead period, prohibiting in-person visits for recruits. Coaches can host recruits for neither official or unofficial visits on campus nor meet them off campus. Coaches can communicate via texts, email, telephone calls, and social media. The dead period will typically occur mid-December through early January, because it overlaps bowl season, National Signing Day and transfer portal activity. 

This dead period significantly makes things easier for everyone involved. Parkinson said, “Just having those periods where you can concentrate on your team, and December where you can move on to the portal, is a nice thing for coaches where you’re not trying to do three or four different things at once.” 

Overall, the NCAA said these changes were designed to bring more structure to the transfer process. By converting to a single transfer window, schools will have a clearer, more structured calendar to manage their rosters. The adjustment also helps to avoid overlap with recruiting restrictions during the December dead period. Officials hope the new rules will create more stability for programs and student-athletes.