NCAA transformation committee proposes transfer portal window

One of the biggest storylines this offseason as the craziness of the transfer portal, and it led to criticism across the college athletics landscape. Thursday, the Division I transformation committee took a big step to try and calm things down.

The committee officially proposes changes to the portal landscape, including a proposed window for student-athletes to enter the portal. Additionally, it called for more accountability for schools who pick up transfers via the portal, which comes as questions continue to swirl about NIL’s impact on transfers.

The NCAA board will review the proposal at its next meeting on June 30. If the board supports it, the Division I council will weigh in at its meeting July 20 and a vote would come Aug. 3.

“College sports continues to face many challenges, and we need to move quickly to update our rules and make infractions more efficient so we can focus our attention on Division I membership expectations and, most importantly, benefits for student-athletes,” said Georgia president and board chair Jere Morehead in a statement.

More on the current transfer portal landscape

Currently, the transfer portal is open from Aug. 1 to May 1 for athletes to have immediate eligibility. If an athlete enters the portal after May 1, they need to get a waiver from the NCAA to play right away. The 2022-23 school year will mark the second year the NCAA allowed athletes to play immediately upon a transfer, coinciding with the advent of NIL.

NIL and the portal go hand-in-hand as part of conversations around college athletics this offseason. It came to a head just before the May 1 deadline when reports surfaced about a potential NIL deal for Jordan Addison if he left Pittsburgh for USC — a report that came out before he officially entered the portal. Ultimately, Addison transferred to join forces with Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, but Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi reportedly called Riley about allegations of tampering before Addison’s name hit the portal.

Addison, the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, was the No. 2-ranked transfer this offseason, according to the On3 Transfer Portal Rankings. He sat just one spot behind his new quarterback, Caleb Williams, who arrived at USC after a year at Oklahoma.