How Would a January Transfer Window Help Alabama?

On September 4, the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee voted to significantly alter the current transfer portal landscape as its currently known, proposing an elimination of the spring transfer portal window, and a change to the winter period.

A press release from the NCAA read, "The Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Oversight Committee on [September 4] recommended legislative changes to the football recruiting calendar, including a modification to the notification-of-transfer windows."

"Under the recommendation, undergraduate and postgraduate FBS student-athletes could enter the Transfer Portal between Jan. 2-11. This 10-day notification-of-transfer window would replace the current structure, in which football student-athletes may initiate notification during a 20-day period in December and a 10-day period in April."

The committee also voted to make the entire month of December a recruiting dead period, meaning programs would be unable to bring in prospects for last minute recruiting trips ahead of the early signing period, and would instead need to lock down their classes earlier.

While this all looks to be a massive step in the right direction for potentially solving a major problem in college football, this vote is still subject to approval by the Division I Administrative Committee who is expected to decide on the matter before October 1 of this year.

What Does This Mean for College Football?

At this point currently, not much, but with approval from the Division I Administrative Committee it would be a massive change for programs all across the country.

Coaching staffs and players alike would be able to focus much more heavily on their postseason play, as coaches would no longer be tasked with re-recruiting their roster during the most crucial period of the season, and players would not be forced into abandoning their teams if they hope to have a successful transition to a new school.

Supposed roster poaching during the spring transfer window would be eliminated under this new proposal as players would be forced to make their decisions well ahead of spring football even kicking off.

Was this potentially a reason that Alabama did not play a traditional spring game this year? This season saw schools all across the country change how they operated their spring football. Several programs, even within the SEC, did away with the game altogether in lieu of a non-televised practice.

Could This Help Alabama?

It seems that this new proposal would be beneficial to almost any major program in the nation that hopes to compete in the postseason and also recruit at a high level. Coaches are potentially able to focus more on the games at the end of the season rather than roster management, and players are able to stay with their teams for the full season as opposed to being forced to leaving early.

In all, this proposal still has a ways to go before its officially approved, but it could be one of the first steps to solving a major problem that has plagued the sport in recent years.

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