• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Coaches Question Transfer Portal Opening in Middle of March Madness

The National Association of Basketball Coaches echoed those concerns to Front Office Sports last week, despite adjustments the NCAA made this past offseason.

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

After Arkansas beat St. John’s on Saturday afternoon in the round of 32, Razorbacks coach John Calipari reflected on how he’s used the transfer portal to build a Sweet 16-caliber roster. “When is it open? The portal?” he wondered aloud.

A reporter responded: Monday. 

Calipari looked incredulous. “When? This Monday?”

After the reporter confirmed, Calipari scoffed. “Welcome to my world,” he said. “Monday, we’re really preparing for a game—and having individual meetings about, are you coming back?”

Calipari’s reaction, whether performative or not, illustrates coaches’ frustration across the country about the timing of transfer portal windows. This year, the men’s basketball portal opens Monday, right in the middle of the NCAA tournament. Because players can transfer as many times as they want—and the portal has become the main mechanism for recruiting hundreds of athletes—coaches have struggled to balance recruiting demands with postseason play.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches echoed those concerns to Front Office Sports last week, despite adjustments the NCAA made this past offseason.

The transfer portal was originally open for 45 days, beginning the day after Selection Sunday. But in the offseason, coaches advocated for changes to limit the chaos: They wanted a shorter window that didn’t start as early as Selection Sunday. Now, the portal opens the day after the men’s and women’s round of 32 ends, and only extends for 30 days, partially due to lobbying from the coaches associations.

“Based on feedback from coaches across Division I, the NABC last year successfully advocated for an adjustment to the notification of transfer window from 45 days to the current 30 days,” NABC executive director Craig Robinson told FOS in a statement. “However, the window’s opening before the completion of the season continues to present complications related to roster management and the public image of the sport. Moving forward, it remains essential that all stakeholders—athletes, coaches, and administrators alike—collaborate on solutions that balance appropriate accommodations for players with basic program needs and the game’s overall wellbeing.”

More Support on Women’s Side?

The women’s transfer portal follows the same rules as the men’s: It opens Tuesday, the day after the round of 32 ends, and now extends for 30 days.

The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, however, is more supportive of the rule changes. “Our Division I member coaches expressed three preferences regarding the transfer portal window,” WBCA executive director Danielle Donehew told FOS in a statement. “One, the portal window should open later than the day after Selection Sunday. Two, the portal window should close on or before May 1. Three, the portal window should be shortened. 

“The current legislation satisfies all three preferences, and the WBCA supports it.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

exclusive

Ryan Clark Could Be On Thin Ice at ESPN After Second Public..

Clark and Peter Schrager had a tense on-air moment Friday.
Donald Trump

Donald Trump Attending US Open As Rolex Guest

USTA asked broadcasters not to show “disruptions or reactions” to Trump’s attendance.
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and linebacker C.J. Hicks (11) shake hands while leaving the field following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7

How Ohio State Rebuilt Its NIL Strategy in the Rev-Share Era

The Buckeyes are staying “aggressive” in the new NIL landscape.

Fox, ESPN Cry Foul Over Big Nielsen Number Expected for YouTube’s NFL..

Fox and ESPN executives criticized Nielsen’s use of custom measurement for YouTube.

Featured Today

Tennis

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.

NIL Go Corrects Its Data From $80M in Deals Cleared to $35M,..

It’s another bump in the rocky rollout of the new NIL clearinghouse.
Arch Manning
September 4, 2025

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.
September 5, 2025

NCAA Headed Toward Single Football Transfer-Portal Window

A new winter window would run Jan. 2–11.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Workers set up the stages for the “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” sports show live telecast before Saturday’s Iowa State and Iowa football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

The conference held a call with Portnoy to discuss coverage and collaboration.
Aug 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson (10) looks over the defense against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium.
September 3, 2025

Latest Class Action Eligibility Lawsuit Challenges NCAA’s ‘Redshirt’ Rule

It’s the latest lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s core eligibility requirements.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.
September 2, 2025

College Students Have Already Won $550K in McAfee Kicking Contest This Season

In 2023, only one student made the kick the whole season.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.