Coaches Question Transfer Portal Opening in Middle of March Madness

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.”