U-M used transfer portal to win. What is the portal? When is it open?
admin_news
The University of Michigan, which won the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament this week, built its roster with transfer portal players — starting five players who began their collegiate careers at other schools.
In fact, all of this year's men's Final Four teams relied heavily on players who transferred from other schools.
The transfer portal opened at midnight after Michigan's 69-63 national championship win over UConn on Monday, April 6. More than 1,500 players have already entered, according to multiple reports.
Athletes announcing they will enter the transfer portal have the opportunity to switch schools. Created by the NCAA in 2018, the transfer portal has become a key pillar of college sports: A resource for student-athletes who hope for a different future, a program-building tool for coaches and a source of intrigue for fans.
Here's a look at how the portal works.
What is the transfer portal?
The transfer portal is a "compliance tool to systematically manage the transfer process from start to finish," The NCAA said.
The NCAA created the database in an attempt to simplify the first step in the transfer process. In the pre-portal days, athletes would have to ask their coach for permission to contact other schools, then find ways to get the word out that they were available. Coaches, meanwhile, would have to use their connections and word-of-mouth referrals to identify transferring athletes. Now, it's all just there in one spot.
How does the transfer portal work?
The portal is a way to help players and coaches connect more easily, and earlier, the NCAA says. The portal is not a shortcut for the rest of the recruiting process. Coaches still have to recruit. Athletes still have to ensure they're eligible to compete at a new school.
What does entering the transfer portal mean?
Because the transfer portal is really just an online database, entering it just means that an athlete's name is uploaded to the database.
When an athlete decides they want to explore transferring to another school, they have to notify their current school's compliance office. And the compliance office then has two business days to put that athlete's name in the portal.
All student-athletes have a 30-day window from the time their coach departs to enter the transfer portal.
There are sport-specific transfer windows available for athletes as well.
A Division I student-athlete who plans to enroll as a postgraduate at another school during the next term and/or academic year may enter the portal between Oct. 1 and the end of their sport-specific transfer window.
For Division II, the student-athlete’s school must enter the student’s name into the NCAA portal within seven consecutive calendar days of receipt of the student-athlete’s request.
Only some Division III schools use the NCAA transfer portal and others will accept permission to transfer, so students should talk to the compliance office at the school to which they want to transfer to understand their preference. If approval isn't provided within seven days, it becomes automatic. If approval is rejected, students may be entitled to a hearing.
NAIA student-athletes must obtain permission before speaking to a Division I or II school.
How many student-athletes use the transfer portal?
For the 2024 year, 10,569 undergraduates and 4,506 graduate students entered the portal, according to the NCAA.
Does transferring reset a student-athletes eligibility clock?
No. According to the NCAA, if you compete at a Division I school, you have five calendar years to play four seasons of competition. Your five-year clock starts when you first attend class in a regular academic term while registered as a full-time student at any college/university. Your clock continues to tick down even if you spend an academic term/academic year in residence as a result of transferring, redshirting, not attending school or enrolling part time during your college career.
If you compete at a Division II or III school, you have 10 full-time semesters or 15 full-time quarters to play four seasons of competition. You use a semester or quarter when you attend classes in a regular academic term (e.g., semester, quarter) while registered as a full-time student at any college/university or when you enroll part time and compete for your school. You do not use a term if you are not enrolled or attend part time without competing.
Are transferring student-athletes eligible to play immediately?
Generally, students who transfer can participate immediately. One exception would be a student-athlete who is suspended at their current school in the sport they wish to play.
How has the transfer portal changed college sports?
The NCAA transfer portal is a tool used by coaches and players to find new schools. What really changed the landscape of college sports, and allowed a sort of free agency frenzy, was the NCAA's rule change on immediate eligibility.
It used to be that if athletes wanted to transfer, they had to sit out a year before suiting up for their new school. But in spring 2021, the NCAA voted to allow athletes to transfer once and become immediately eligible. Athletes are allowed to transfer a second time without penalty if they've completed their undergraduate degrees and are enrolling in a graduate program.
Is the transfer portal the same for every sport?
While football and basketball might get the most media talk (and fan interest), yes, the transfer portal database includes athletes for all sports. Each sport, however, has its own window period based on when its season ends, although the coaching loss window is the same for each.
When does the transfer portal open?
The dates students can enter the portal vary from year to year and by sport and season.
For men's basketball, the portal opened at midnight Tuesday, April 7, and continues until April 21. The women's basketball portal opened Monday, April 6, and ends April 20.
Among the other 13 winter season sports, the portal for rifle team members was the first to open on March 2 while the men's gymnastics portal is the last to close on May 28. Other sports begin or end at various dates within that timeframe.
The windows restrict when an athlete's name can be entered into the portal, not when they actually transfer to a different school.
Can players choose to stay at their school if they enter the transfer portal?
Yes, though it's somewhat rare in high-level college football. According to NCAA data, only 7% of student-athletes who entered the transfer portal in 2024 withdrew.
— USA TODAY contributed
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: What is NCAA transfer portal? How does it work? Dates, rules
