A view of the NCAA logo and trophy. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Prominent lawyer warns against proposed penalties for violating transfer rules

By Daniel Morrison | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 1:05 PM ET

College football has a transfer portal problem.

On the one hand, there's a need to set some sort of guidelines that keep it from being yearlong chaos. On the other hand, teams and players don't always feel a need to follow those rules.

There have been a few prominent examples of this. Xavier Lucas, for instance, left Wisconsin for Miami outside of the transfer portal being open. The Badgers tried to stop that, but ultimately, they had very little power to do so. Now, there's added concern that without a spring window, moves like that will be much more common.

So, the NCAA announced plans to drop the hammer on programs that violated its recruiting rules. The hope is that it stops that kind of movement from happening.

FBS Oversight Committee recommends massive penalties for schools

The FBS Oversight Committee recently recommended some penalties for schools that add players outside of the allotted transfer portal window. On3's Pete Nakos reported some of those details.

First, the hammer would be dropped on the head coaches. They'd be banned from all football and administrative duties through the sixth game of the season. That includes coaching, recruiting and running meetings.

The school would be hit hard too. That includes being fined 20 percent of its football budget and being forced to reduce its roster spots by five the next season.

None of this is more than a recommendation, as of now. However, it does show how important the problem is to the NCAA. At the same time, these types of rules will also likely lead to litigation. That could prove to be an issue for the NCAA.

Prominent lawyer Tom Mars warns against proposed penalties

Tom Mars is a very important lawyer in the college athletics space. He's the representative for several recent high-profile legal cases against the NCAA, including the recent Trinidad Chambliss decision, which he won.

Now, Mars took to social media to warn that these rules are going to open the NCAA up to antitrust lawsuits.

"By now, you would think the NCAA would have brought an experienced antitrust lawyer in-house," Mars wrote. "The 15-day transfer portal was already extremely vulnerable under the Sherman Act. It now seems the NCAA is turning a blind eye to its antitrust exposure when it does things like this."

Whether or not it's these exact penalties that are implemented, it's clear the NCAA wants to quash transfers outside of the approved windows. It also seems like, whenever they do try to enforce those rules, they could be in for another landscape-shaking court battle.

Daniel Morrison

Dan Morrison is a writer originally from Massachusetts, now residing in Florida. He spent four years at On3, working on the National News Desk there. Prior to that, he’s also contributed at Underdog Dynasty.

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