The NCAA has approved a significant change to the college basketball transfer portal, limiting it to a 15-day window starting immediately after the national championship games. This adjustment aims to minimize distractions during the postseason tournaments. The new rules apply to both men's and women's basketball, effective in April.
The NCAA announced the changes on Wednesday during its annual convention in Washington, D.C., responding to two years of requests from coaches and administrators for a more focused postseason. Previously, the transfer portal opened earlier in the tournament process, leading to distractions such as virtual interviews and campus visits during the Final Four. In 2024, the window lasted 45 days starting after Selection Sunday, while in 2025 it was reduced to 30 days after the opening weekend.
Under the new rules, men's basketball players cannot enter the portal until April 7, the day after the Final Four on April 4 and 6 in Indianapolis, with the window closing on April 21. For women's basketball, the period runs from April 6 to 20, following their Final Four on April 3 and 5 in Phoenix. Players may still announce transfer intentions on social media, but formal entry and commitments are delayed until the window opens.
Special provisions allow a 15-day entry period starting five days after a new head coach is hired or announced. If no coach is named within 30 days of the previous one's departure—and that 31st day falls after the championship—a similar window opens. These rules, proposed by the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Oversight Committees in November, mark the third adjustment since the portal's introduction ahead of the 2022-23 season, when it initially spanned 60 days.
The shift is expected to refocus attention on the NCAA Tournament, reducing off-court noise. This year's men's tournament fields are set for March 15, beginning with the First Four on March 17 in Dayton, Ohio.
