The legislative change, announced Wednesday, removes the traditional spring transfer opportunity but leaves the specific dates of the new unified window open for further discussion. While the initial proposal suggested a January 2-11 timeframe for both FBS and FCS players, the FBS and FCS Football Oversight Committees will revisit the timing and duration based on student-athlete feedback before the Administrative Committee's October meeting.
The reform responds to mounting concerns about December's overcrowded calendar, which previously forced coaches and administrators to juggle transfer recruiting alongside coaching changes, bowl practices, high school signing periods, bowl games, and College Football Playoff competition simultaneously.
Under the previous system, the winter portal window opened in early December following bowl game selections, creating what many described as an unsustainable workload during one of the sport's most crucial periods.
The proposed January window would begin January 2 – the day after College Football Playoff quarterfinals conclude – giving players a 10-day period to enter the portal. However, student-athletes face no deadline to commit to their next institution once registered.
Graduate transfers, who previously enjoyed early portal access, must now wait for the January window alongside all other players. Teams still competing in the College Football Playoff would receive additional accommodation, with their players granted five days after their final postseason game to enter the portal.
The timing particularly affects this year's playoff structure, with CFP semifinals scheduled for January 8-9, potentially extending the window for championship contenders.
The restructuring comes as transfer activity reaches unprecedented levels. FBS scholarship transfers have increased annually, surpassing 3,200 in the 2024-25 academic year. Last year's structure included a December 9-28 winter window and an April 16-25 spring period.
The spring window, introduced as a 15-day period in April 2023 and subsequently reduced to 10 days, generated particular controversy. More than 1,100 FBS scholarship players entered the portal during April alone this past year.
While FBS head coaches at the American Football Coaches Association convention advocated for the January consolidation, opinions remain divided. The change addresses coaches' frustrations with unexpected post-spring departures that prove difficult to replace, particularly as the elimination of one-time transfer restrictions has increased player leverage.
However, Ohio State's Ryan Day recently questioned the timing, arguing that coaches shouldn't focus on transfer recruitment while competing for national championships. "It doesn't make any sense to me," Day told reporters earlier this month.
The system maintains certain accommodations for extraordinary circumstances. Head coaching changes continue to trigger 30-day transfer windows, as evidenced by UCLA and Virginia Tech players' early portal access following their coaches' dismissals Sunday.
