Significant changes are coming to the NCAA’s transfer portal for the Division I FBS and FCS subdivisions. While the new transfer rules are expected to be finalized during the month of October, the NCAA Administrative Committee has eliminated the spring football transfer portal window. The current Division I FBS Oversight Committee proposal sets the single transfer portal window from January 2–16 each year.
With shortened transfer portal windows, a shift in key recruiting dates, and changes to when collegiate football student-athletes can enter the portal, it is important for athletes and their representatives to review relevant provisions in NIL collective and revenue sharing agreements that may be impacted by the new transfer rules.
The New Portal Structure
The Division I Football Championship Subdivision and the Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committees have recommended a series of changes to the notification-of-transfer window for football student-athletes. Under this new structure, undergraduate and postgraduate FCS student-athletes would be permitted to enter the transfer portal during a new 15-day window from January 2–16. Additionally, student-athletes whose teams compete in postseason contests on or after January 12 would have a 5-day window, beginning the day after their team’s final game, to submit written notification of their intent to transfer. This streamlined 15-day transfer window would replace the current two-part system, which includes a 20-day period in December and a 10-day window in April.
The new structure also includes a shift in the recruiting calendar and policies. The first day that prospective football student-athletes may receive written offers of financial aid or settlement- related benefits would move from August 1 to November 15 of their senior year in high school. Furthermore, the existing contact prohibition would be expanded to include the signing of written settlement-related offers, barring other institutions from initiating contact thereafter.
The Oversight Committees have also recommended making the entire month of December a recruiting dead period. While coaches would still be able to communicate via phone, text, email or written correspondence, no in-person evaluations or contacts on or off campus would be allowed. The current recruiting period from January 5–31 would remain unchanged, allowing for in-person interactions and evaluations. Additionally, the traditional quiet and dead periods surrounding the American Football Coaches Association Convention, scheduled for January 11-14, 2026, would remain intact under the new structure.
How the New Structure Can Affect Student Athletes
With NIL continuing to play a factor in college football recruiting, it is more important than ever for student-athletes to pay close attention to key language in their contracts, especially with the new transfer portal structure. Termination clauses in NIL collective and university revenue-sharing agreements can potentially have broad financial implications for athletes that wish to transfer. Prior to providing their university with a notification of transfer, athletes should review the language in their agreements. Particularly, college athletes should review the contract term length and expiration date, termination clauses, effects of termination, and implications of the NCAA legislative changes (some agreements call for renegotiation or termination options in the event of NCAA bylaw amendments, court rulings, or passed legislation).
Contract Term
Under the new transfer portal structure, the term length of a student-athlete’s agreement can have a significant impact on their flexibility. While some NIL collective and revenue sharing agreements expire at the end of the college football season (usually, December 31), others extend into the spring semester, with backloaded payments. In addition to potentially foregoing remaining payments, athletes may be limited by exclusivity provisions, which limit their ability to sign a new NIL collective or revenue sharing agreement prior to the expiration of their current deal. Student-athletes should review key dates in any agreements prior to deciding to enter the transfer portal.
Termination Clauses and Effects of Termination
Before entering into the transfer portal, student-athletes should first check whether doing so would impact or terminate their existing agreements. In many agreements, simply providing written notice of transfer will automatically terminate the agreement, with the student-athlete foregoing all remaining payments and, in some cases, owing the university or collective some sort of buyout or repayment. Since these terms vary in different agreements and are not standardized, it is crucial for student-athletes to understand the termination provisions in their NIL collective and revenue sharing agreements before entering the portal.
Language Concerning Legislative Changes
Given the dynamic nature of the college sports regulatory landscape, it is common for NIL collective and revenue sharing agreements to contemplate significant changes, such as NCAA bylaw changes, state or federal legislative changes, and/or court decisions that affect the parties. Frequently, these clauses can give one or both parties the opportunity to get out of their obligations under the agreement. Likewise, there may be an automatic renegotiation period triggered.
As the transfer portal and NIL landscape continue to evolve, student-athletes should be proactive in understanding their current agreements, prior to the forthcoming transfer window. From contract length and termination clauses, every detail matters. These agreements can directly impact the ability to enter the portal, receive future payments and keep payments already made, or sign new deals after entering the portal.
