NCAA abolishing Spring Transfer Portal

By: ltrepeter2000
HOKIE HOOPS WIZ
on September 17, 2025, 7:26 PM | 7 comments

NCAA has not set all the specifics for the Winter Portal but have decided to get rid of the Spring Portal....at least until they lose a lawsuit.

It sounds like significant changes are coming to the Winter Portal window as well.

ESPN Article with more

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Comments

Little Bobby Tables's picture Little Bobby Tables
MEH. 😕
| 9 months 2 weeks #

This is really going to suck for new coaches. They have little enough time before signing day, now they are losing a chance to remake their roster in the spring.

Of course the NCAA does this when VT will have a new coach. It's going to brought back in the spring of 2027, I'm sure.

"Yes I am going to have favorites. My favorites are high production and low maintenance players, coaches, and staff." - JMFF

Alum07's picture Alum07
🦃 LEG KING 🦃
| 9 months 2 weeks #

I'm sure this will screw us in a particularly pointed way, especially now that everyone associated with the program has 28 days or so to bail and we won't have a Spring window to recoup it.

Swell

"When I was growing up, Virginia Tech was a school that was kicking ass and taking names, and it's time we get back to that" - James Franklin

bar1990's picture bar1990
ATLIEN
| 9 months 2 weeks #

Overall, this is good:

The initial proposal would require college football players to wait until Jan. 2 -- the day after the completion of the College Football Playoff quarterfinals -- to enter their names in the NCAA transfer portal database and be contacted by prospective schools. Graduate transfers were previously allowed to enter the portal early but now must also wait until the January window.

Players would have 10 days to enter the portal but are under no deadline to make a commitment to their next school once they enter.

This is huge:

  • New coaches can get settled before hitting the portal
  • It's a month after the early signing period (12/3-12/5) but the 10 day period starts a month before national signing day (2/4)
  • Most coaches will be done with post season games before players enter the portal - so we'll see slightly less opt-outs in bowl season

Really would have preferred they abolish the winter signing period instead of spring. I think that would have naturally discouraged portal use because coaches (and players) want to have kids in spring practice. But this is great news.

4th_of_4_Hokies's picture 4th_of_4_Hokies
WHERE AM I?
| 9 months 2 weeks # ^

I was 100% with you until this statement...

Most coaches will be done with post season games before players enter the portal - so we'll see slightly less opt-outs in bowl season

I would love to be wrong, but I don't see this development significantly altering the number of opt-outs because players who know they want to transfer will likely sit out to avoid the possibility of injury. It would definitely avoid the Player enters portal before bowl game, does the coach play them or not? discussion (cue: "all portals portal the same" comment), but I'd be genuinely surprised if the numbers truly declined.

bar1990's picture bar1990
ATLIEN
| 9 months 2 weeks # ^

You're going to see NIL packages with special incentives around bowl games. Opt-outs will never go away, but I think you'll see a 10% decrease with new portal rules, and a bigger decrease as NIL/bowl packages become a thing.

HokieAlum6144's picture HokieAlum6144
| 9 months 2 weeks # ^

I really want those NIL packages to be able to fully revokable in the event of opt-outs or transfers.

bar1990's picture bar1990
ATLIEN
| 9 months 2 weeks # ^

House money will be paid on a weekly basis, just like a paycheck.