There have been 2,614 FBS players to enter the transfer portal since the winter transfer window opened Dec. 9. That number has already broken last year’s winter record of 2,611.
But the winter transfer portal window for underclassmen is set to close Dec. 28, which means entries will stop for now, right?
Not so fast.
Ahead of the winter window’s closing, here’s everything you need to know about who can still enter, how that’s possible and what’s ahead for transfers over the next month.
DEC. 28 ISN’T A FIRM DEADLINE
The transfer portal windows indicate when players must submit their paperwork to enter the portal by. They do not, however, indicate when a player can be entered into the portal.
Once a school receives a player’s paperwork to enter the portal, its compliance department has 48 hours to submit that player’s name into the NCAA’s transfer portal database. Given the last day of the portal window is Saturday, players have up until 11:59 p.m. local time to submit their names into the portal.
Given compliance departments have 48 hours to process a player’s paperwork, it’s possible underclassmen will enter the portal Monday and even into Tuesday.
ARE THERE EXCEPTIONS TO THE DEADLINE?
Several!
The most notable has to do with postseason play. Any player who participates in the postseason — be it a bowl or playoff game — has an additional five-day window to enter the portal once their season comes to an end.
If a player’s bowl game is Jan. 1, they have through Jan. 6 to enter the portal.
So if a player plays in the national title game Jan. 20, they have through Jan. 25 to enter the portal. That means there will be a small but steady stream of portal entrants through late January.
There’s also an exception made for players who go through a coaching change. Any player in that situation is allowed an immediate 30-day window to enter the transfer portal.
Most coaching changes have already occurred this offseason. But as we saw last year when Nick Saban retired Jan. 10, coaching changes can happen very late in the cycle, which can trigger a late portal rush.
WHAT ABOUT GRAD TRANSFERS?
Grad transfers operate under different rules than everyone else in the transfer portal. They’re allowed to enter the portal at any time, even outside of the FBS’ winter transfer portal window.
Any grad transfer will have through the end of the spring portal window to submit their names into the portal.
WHEN DOES THE PORTAL OPEN AGAIN?
There are two transfer portal windows for FBS football players. The second window will open April 16 and run through April 25.
More than 1,200 FBS players entered the portal during the spring window last cycle.