The NCAA’s winter transfer portal window for college football officially closed Dec. 28, but that doesn’t mean all player movement has stopped — and of course it does not preclude transfer commitments, which there will be a ton of this week. There are key exceptions and processes that will keep the transfer portal active in the coming days and weeks.
Dec. 28 isn’t a hard deadline
Players had until 11:59 p.m. local time on Dec. 28 to submit their paperwork to enter the transfer portal. However, schools have 48 hours to process those requests, meaning underclassmen who filed on time could appear in the portal as late as Dec. 30.
Key exceptions to the deadline
Players involved in postseason play have extra time to enter the portal. Any athlete participating in a bowl game or playoff has a five-day window to enter the portal after their season ends. For instance, players in Jan. 1 bowl games have until Jan. 6, while those in the Jan. 20 national championship game have until Jan. 25.
Additionally, players impacted by a head coaching change receive a 30-day window to enter the portal immediately following the coaching change. While most coaching moves occur earlier in the offseason, late-cycle changes — like Nick Saban’s unexpected January retirement last year — can still trigger a flurry of portal activity.
Grad transfers have different rules
Graduate transfers are not bound by the same windows as underclassmen. They can enter the portal at any time, including outside the FBS’s designated winter and spring windows.
When does the portal open next?
The next transfer portal window for FBS football players opens April 16 and runs through April 25. During last year’s spring window, more than 1,200 players entered the portal, signaling another period of significant roster movement ahead.
For now, while the winter window has closed, expect a steady stream of new names as exceptions and processing times play out.
NCAA transfer portal via 247Sports: Latest portal additions | Team transfer rankings | Top player rankings
