Ryan Day defends college football having two transfer portal windows

With all the issues surrounding the transfer portal in college football, it has suggested by some that the NCAA have just one window for players to enter. Currently, there are two windows for college football players to do so with the first coming immediately after the end of the regular season and the second beginning after spring practices.

But Ohio State coach Ryan Day sees no reason to change that aspect of the transfer portal. In an appearance on The Joel Klatt Show, Day spoke on his own experience this past season as the Buckeyes won the national championship.

Ohio State’s season ended Jan. 20 in the title game, which is after the winter portal window had already closed. For that reason, he believes having the spring window is vital for teams that play late into the postseason.

“For us, if we didn’t have the second transfer portal window, it’s very, very difficult,” Day said. “We’re trying to make decisions about next year, yet our year isn’t even done yet. So that affects your current roster, and it’s just messy. I think you’ve gotta have two portals unless you’re finishing the season sooner. But if you’re finishing the season on Jan. 20, you can’t have just one portal window.”

Currently, players on teams whose seasons end after the portal closes are given a five-day window from the day after their final game to still enter. Still, this hasn’t prevented players on schools that were competing in the College Football Playoff from waiting until then to do so.

As Day explained, that can make getting the postseason a difficult task as the depth decreases. The coaching staff also can’t put as much effort into bringing in new players as other teams whose seasons are already over.

For example, while Ohio State lost 15 players to the portal in the winter transfer portal window, it only brought in six. To be fair, the Buckeyes only brought in eight players last year when they failed to make the College Football Playoff.

Day seems to be much more focused on bringing in high school players, Ohio State has 26 incoming freshman for the 2025 class. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect him to be active in the spring window, which will open on April 16 and last 10 days.

He’s certainly thankful both windows exist and for the opportunity to load up the roster to defend the Buckeyes’ title.