SEC Football Coaches Want Clear Transfer Portal Rules

There have been several issues on the table during the SEC annual meetings regarding the future of college football including schedules, the playoff format, and the transfer portal. Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said coaches want clarity on how the portal will work. Smart said, “So, the biggest decision that has to be made across football right now to me, by far, is when is the portal window and is there one or two.”

What Do Coaches Think Of The Current Transfer Portal Rules?

As of now, there are two transfer portal windows. One is in December after the regular season (9th-28th) and the other is in April (16th-25th). Coaches support the idea of a single transfer window, but there are problems with timing, the academic calendar, and spring practices. There is also the possibility of having only one transfer window being challenged legally. 

Smart said support is growing among coaches for a portal in April or May, with OTA-style practices taking place in June. That isn’t great timing for Georgia or other schools because June is the busiest month for official visits. Practices and heavy recruiting will be a lot to take care of at once. Coach Smart shared, “Needless to say, I’m a proponent for a January, wherever it fits, window.”

Texas A&M coach Mike Elko made a solid point that the NFL and other professional sports leagues have only one free agency period, after the season and before practices begin.  

Looking Ahead

SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said after the meetings that the consensus was that coaches would support a single portal in January. At the Big Ten meetings, there was no vote on portal timing. The consensus within that conference was that there was support for one window around the start of March or April. One belief was that the window shouldn’t open or close during the College Football Playoff. 

Big names in college football have shared their concerns with the current state of NIL and the transfer portal, including the all-time great coach Nick Saban and College GameDay’s Lee Corso. There was a huge splash this spring with quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferring from Tennessee to UCLA this past spring. 

Although no one expects this to be perfect, there is still an opportunity to have something in place that most can agree with.