Sam Pittman believes NCAA transfer portal remains open for 'too long'

With how new the NCAA transfer portal is to college football, the system still needs to be tweaked. In what used to be a free for all system, there are now windows on when players are allowed to enter. Once the regular season and then spring practice concludes, everyone is open for business.

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman still wants to make a few changes to the windows. He believes they should be shorter, not giving players as much time to enter their names. Pittman’s philosophy is that if somebody is going to transfer out, they are going to know quickly.

“I personally believe that it’s open too long,” Pittman said during a Tuesday appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. “I think it needs to close down. I think kids who go in the transfer portal know they’re going to transfer way faster than 45 days.”

After spring practice in 2023, players had 15 days to enter the portal, ranging from April 15 to April 30. Winter was an even longer period of time, with Dec. 5, 2022, being the opening date. It closed over a month later on Jan. 18.

Pittman did not provide a specific length he would prefer the portal to be open. But he does want something to change. The two windows were just used for the first time in college football and were a way for the NCAA to combat some of the craziness involved.

Plenty in the SEC this past season were heavily involved with the portal and Arkansas was right up there.

Arkansas active in NCAA transfer portal this offseason

Pittman made sure he was active when recruiting players through the transfer portal, bringing in 18 fresh faces from other schools. This was not exactly an area of concern for the head coach though, as Pittman is still able to look at people in the portal after the deadline has passed.

Arkansas saw plenty of turnover from their 2022 roster as well. A total of 29 players who were Razorbacks last season decided to leave. Of those, eight wound up at Power Five programs but tight end Trey Know (South Carolina) was the only one to end up in the SEC.

Plenty remain uncommitted too, with 10 Arkansas entrants still looking for homes. There is no date when players will have to make a decision either. However, by the time fall camps begin, you would imagine rosters will be set.