The NCAA Board of Directors on Wednesday adopted windows in which athletes must enter the Portal in order to maintain eligibility for the following season.
For football, that means players must notify their current institution within a 45-day window starting "the day after championship selections are made."
For FCS, that window will begin Monday, Nov. 21.
In FBS, the transfer window begins Monday, Dec. 4.
Exceptions will be granted for athletes who experience head coaching changes as well as athletes whose scholarships are not renewed.
The window applies not necessarily to when an athlete enters the Portal, but for when the athlete notifies his school in writing of his or her intent to leave. There can often be a 2-day lag between a player notifying of their intent and the player appearing in the Portal.
"Like their peers in the general student population, college athletes choose to transfer for any number of reasons," Georgia president and NCAA Board of Directors chairman Jere Morehead said. "We believe the changes enacted today enable member schools to adapt to students' needs, while also positioning students for long-term academic success. These changes to NCAA rules recognize further study is needed on graduation rates before we consider authorizing multiple transfer opportunities with immediate eligibility. We will continue to review potential modifications to transfer rules as the landscape evolves over time."
Additionally, the NCAA will now require schools to provide incoming transfers with scholarships until the player completes their 5-year eligibility window or until they complete their Bachelor's degree, unless the player transfers again or turns pro. The NCAA will also adopt new, more specific standards for athletes who do not meet the one-time transfer exception (i.e., players on their second or third transfer). The new requirements will focus on "student-athlete well-being or circumstances outside the student-athlete's control." It remains to be seen if "I didn't win the QB1 job" qualifies as a "circumstance beyond the student-athlete's control" in the NCAA's eyes.
The Board rejected a proposal that would have provided athletes unlimited transfer waivers, so long as they maintained progress toward their degree.
The Board also streamlined the NCAA infractions process. Click here for more.