College basketball’s transfer portal is getting busy as the new season heats up. It’s a chaotic time when players switch teams and shape their careers.
While many terms help categorize players in the transfer portal, one of the most notable among them is the “Do Not Contact” tag. The NCAA transfer portal transformed college sports, and the DNC tag lets athletes manage their recruitment. But what does it mean for players and programs? Here’s a look.
Understanding the ‘Do Not Contact’ Feature in the NCAA Transfer Portal
The transfer portal opened on March 24, 2025, and thousands have flooded the portal. Introduced in 2018, the NCAA transfer portal was designed to streamline the process for student-athletes looking to transfer schools.
Once an athlete notifies their school’s compliance office of their intent to transfer, their name is added to the portal within 48 hours, allowing coaches nationwide to evaluate and recruit new talent.
A unique portal component is the “Do Not Contact” designation, or DNC. When this tag appears on an athlete’s profile, it indicates the player does not wish to be contacted directly by coaches or programs.
This tool allows athletes to manage their recruitment on their own terms—often because they already have a destination in mind or want to minimize distractions.
The DNC tag can reflect a desire for privacy or a strategic move to avoid being inundated with calls. In March 2025, North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau entered the portal with a DNC tag, signaling a preference to steer his own recruitment, according to Bleacher Report.
Oregon wide receiver Ryan Pellum made a similar move, suggesting he had a clear plan to steer his own recruitment.
RELATED: How the Transfer Portal Helped Cam Skattebo Become a 2025 NFL Draft Prospect
For some, it’s a way to reduce pressure and control the pace of the process. Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who used the tag during his transfer, told On3 in 2021 why he wanted to use the tag.
“But all that was just not wanting my phone to blow up, quite frankly. Just kind of take it slow and be on my time, and not have to worry about a bunch of directions. The ones that needed to come out, they would contact me, and they would pursue a relationship with me to try to get me.”
Ultimately, the DNC tag ensures that only programs the athlete initiates contact with can respond, empowering players to shape their recruitment experience.
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