NCAA Votes January Single Transfer Window Starting 2026

The NCAA Football Oversight Committee has voted to consolidate college football's transfer portal into a single 10-day window starting January 2, 2026, immediately following the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, eliminating the spring transfer window. This change, supported unanimously by FBS coaches, aims to reduce conflicts with bowl games, coaching changes, and recruiting, allowing teams to focus on finishing their seasons before addressing transfers. The proposal still requires approval from the NCAA's Administrative Committee by October 1 to take effect for the 2026 season. The new timing is expected to benefit programs by providing greater roster stability and helping revive spring games that declined due to spring portal activity. Some programs, like the Oregon Ducks, stand to gain a competitive advantage due to their strategic use of the portal and roster depth, while coaches such as Duke's Manny Diaz anticipate being able to focus more on high school recruiting with a more defined transfer period. Despite broad support, the elimination of the spring window may face legal challenges for restricting athlete movement.