With new rules announced earlier this year, college football players have a limited time in which to enter the transfer portal. When is the 2023 college football transfer portal deadline, and what are some of the other implications of the change in the NCAA regulations?
2023 College Football Transfer Portal Deadline
As Bob Dylan famously once sang, “the times, they are a’changing.” Due to a rapid increase of players entering the transfer portal, and more importantly, when they were entering, the NCAA announced a change in regulation ahead of the 2022 college football season that limits when a player can enter the college football transfer portal. There are now a series of windows. Naturally, this raises questions. Naturally, we have the answers.
When Is the College Football Transfer Portal Deadline in 2023?
The first college football transfer portal deadline in 2023 is Jan. 18. There is a secondary transfer portal window ahead of the 2023 college football season that will close on May. 15.
The first portal, which opened on Dec. 5 with the conclusion of “Championship Weekend,” is a 45-day window. The second, a spring window, opens on May 1, 2023, and is a 15-day window that gives players a last opportunity to enter the portal ahead of the season.
Why Is There a College Football Transfer Portal Deadline in 2023?
In August 2022, the NCAA announced a change in the transfer portal regulations. Previously, a player could enter the transfer portal at any time. This frustrated coaches and programs who could lose a player at any point — including just before or during the season — causing chaos and confusion for roster construction.
MORE: College Football Transfer Portal Rules Explained
As a result, the NCAA announced that the existing system would be replaced with transfer portal windows, with a deadline by which a player much submit their name into the portal. The idea is to still allow players to seek better opportunities elsewhere but limit them from being able to jump-ship mid-season.
Does a Player Have To Transfer Before the College Football Portal Deadline in 2023?
No. The windows mean that a player has a deadline — starting with the 2023 deadline in January — that they must enter their name into the portal. However, they don’t have to actually transfer within the time frame of the window. Once their name is in the portal, they can transfer at any time. Once the deadline has passed, however, they cannot enter the transfer portal until the opening of the next college football transfer portal window.
Is There a Deadline for Graduate Players To Enter the College Football Transfer Portal in 2023?
The current college football transfer portal regulations, including the 2023 deadline, don’t apply to graduate transfers. Once a player has completed their undergraduate obligations, they are free to transfer to another program at any time without having to adhere to the NCAA regulations changes that were announced in August 2022.
