What changes are there to the NCAA college football transfer portal?

The 2024 college football regular season concluded with exciting conference championship games, and now attention turns to the postseason. Aside from the players who will compete in the College Football Playoff, players face important decisions about whether to stay with their current teams or enter the NCAA winter transfer portal.

Several players have already announced their transfer intentions, indicating a flood of names that will soon appear in the NCAA transfer portal. Notable players planning to transfer to other programs include starting quarterback Miller Moss from the University of Southern California, standout quarterback Jackson Arnold and wide receiver Nic Anderson from Oklahoma. The transfer portal officially opens on Monday, December 9th, marking the start of the winter transfer period.

During this time, players can explore potential transfers by expressing interest in transferring to other schools. If a school is interested, they can negotiate the terms of the transfer. The portal will close on December 28th.

The winter window brings with it a number of new transfer rules that have come into effect for the 2024-2025 academic year. These rules, which include earlier portal access, a one-time transfer exception and stricter academic standards for players who wish to continue their college careers elsewhere, are expected to have a significant impact on the transfer process.

As we enter the winter college football transfer portal, colleges can expect a wave of new rules that will shape the transfer landscape.

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What are the new NCAA transfer rules?

According to NCSA, NCAA Division I transfer rule changes effective in the 2024-2025 academic year include the following:

• Previous portal access: Student-athletes now have an earlier opportunity to enter the NCAA transfer portal, giving them more time to decide whether to transfer.

• Exception for one-time transfers: Athletes can now switch once without having to miss a year, allowing for greater flexibility.

• Academic Standards: New academic requirements ensure that transferring athletes meet certain GPA and credit hour benchmarks.

• Window length: The winter window has been reduced by 15 days and is now open for 20 days.

What is the NCAA college football transfer portal?

The Winter NCAA Transfer Portal is an online database that allows college athletes to express their interest in transferring to other programs. For the 2024-25 school year, the transfer portal will officially open on Monday, December 9th and close on Saturday, December 28th. If a player decides to enter the transfer portal, he must inform his university, which is required to submit the necessary information within 48 hours.

How does the NCAA college football transfer portal work?

If a player decides to enter the transfer portal and notify his university, the university has 48 hours to report that information to an online database that lists athletes who want to continue their careers at other institutions. Coaches from various programs can access this database in real time as it is continually updated with new information. This allows them to start recruiting these players immediately.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA winter transfer portal: New changes explained