Smart, other SEC coaches call for clarity on NCAA transfer portal window

He's also probably one of the coaches Pittman listens to on a regular basis. Sam was on his staff for years between stints at Arkansas.

Coaches are united in their call for a more predictable and manageable transfer process.

Presently, athletes can enter the portal either in December (Dec. 9–28) or after spring practices (April 16–25). Smart argues that this system creates year-round uncertainty for coaches and players alike.

"The biggest decision that has to be made across football right now, by far, is when is the portal window and is there one or two," Smart said during the SEC Spring Meetings that started Tuesday.

While some coaches favor a single transfer window, the debate centers on its timing.

Smart advocates for a January window, aligning with the academic calendar and mid-year high school enrollments.

“There’s people saying we can’t get our kids in academically," Smart said. "They’re getting mid-year high school players in that same academic window. It’s happening everywhere. I’m a big believer in that.”

Pittman said back in April the same result for almost the same set of reasons.

A major worry among coaches is the potential for increased tampering if the window is moved to April or May.

"You think tampering is a problem?" Smart asked. "Put that [one] portal [window] in April and see what teams do in January, February, and March. They’ll be on your campus getting tampered with, collecting 33 percent of your cap before they leave”.

This sentiment is echoed across the league, as the transfer portal has already created what some call a Wild West environment.

That's exactly what college sports has become.

Programs employ staff to monitor potential transfers, and informal communication channels often lead to early contact and tampering, practices that would be penalized in professional leagues.

Smart and other coaches also stress the logistical challenges. June, for example, is crucial for recruiting camps and official visits.

Moving practices or transfer windows into this period would disrupt both player evaluation and team-building efforts.

“The complexity comes with, again, you’re dealing with one sport within the context of college athletics and you’re dealing with academic calendars that vary from school to school, and you’re trying to create as competitive a product as you can with so many variables,” Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea said.

It's been one of the primary questions for coaches. They are the ones that have to figure out how to deal with all of the changes.

Roster re-builds are now a yearly chores. They used to be in three or four-year cycles.

“It happens right after the season, before you start practicing," Texas A&M's Mike Elko said. "That seems to be the landscape for every single professional league across the world.

"Why that wouldn’t be how this works [in this sport] is hard to wrap your head around.”

Elko and others believe a single, postseason window would simplify roster management and mirror the NFL’s free agency model.

The question of who will ultimately set the transfer portal window remains unsettled.

Smart believes the implementation committee formed under the House v. NCAA settlement — composed of Power Five athletic directors — should make the decision.

“Ultimately, those ADs will have to make a lot of implementation decisions that are not part of the settlement," Smart said. "The ‘nuggets,’ let’s call it.”

With a July 1 deadline coming up fast in the windshield for the House settlement’s implementation, coaches just want answers.

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