NCAA College Transfer Portal - 2025

The NCAA College Transfer Portal

is a database managed by the NCAA that allows student-athletes to express their interest in transferring to another college or university. It allows coaches from other universities to view and contact athletes who have entered the portal, streamlining the communication process for both parties. The Transfer Portal helps the NCAA manage the college transfer process from start to finish, adds more transparency to the process among schools, and empowers student-athletes to publicly express their interest in considering other programs. Over 31,000 student-athletes entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in 2024.

The NCAA Transfer Portal is only accessible to coaches and administrators from NCAA Division I (DI), Division II (DII), and Division III (DIII). NAIA and two-year colleges do not have access to the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Steps to Entering the NCAA College Transfer Portal:

Contact the Current School’s Compliance Officer:

Student Athletes wishing to leave their current four-year school as a DI/DII student-athlete and transfer to another four-year institution must complete the Notification of Transfer process and have their name added to the NCAA Transfer Portal by their school’s Compliance Officer. All students who enter the NCAA Transfer Portal must have an NCAA ID (and certification account) with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

DIII student-athletes must complete a “Permission to Contact” form. DIII schools may utilize the portal at their discretion to search for prospective student-athletes; however, it is not legislated by the NCAA.

DI schools must enter a student’s name in the portal within two business days; DII schools must do so within seven business days.

The school’s Compliance Officer is typically the person responsible for entering the student’s name and supporting information pertinent to the student-athlete into the NCAA Transfer Portal. Supporting details may include the number of completed competition seasons, whether the student-athlete would like to be contacted by other college coaches, and the contact information to facilitate such communication.

Additional details will also be added if the student-athlete was recruited by their current school, and for DI schools, whether their aid is canceled due to entering the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Student-athletes will be notified at the supplied email once the Compliance Officer submits their name and information.

Stay Academically Eligible by meeting all GPA and credit-hour requirements.

Once an athlete enters the portal, they are not required to leave their current school. They can choose to return or withdraw from the portal. 

NOTE: If a student initiates a transfer but later decides to stay, their current school is not obligated to continue their scholarship.

Communicate with Potential Coaches:

Choose whether to allow coaches to contact you or not. If you have a specific program in mind, you might prefer to reach out to coaches directly.

The NCAA Division I Council made changes to the transfer windows for student-athletes in 2024. For Baseball and Softball: A 45-day window starting after the end of the regular season.

Walk on as a transfer:

Transfer student-athletes can walk on to a new team, even if they weren’t on scholarship at their previous school. Here’s how the process works:

• Eligibility Compliance: Must meet all NCAA academic and eligibility requirements, including registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center if transferring to a Division I or II school.

• Direct Coach Communication: Since walk-ons are not always formally recruited, it’s important to proactively contact coaches with interest, highlight videos, and transcripts.

• No Scholarship Needed: Walk-ons do not receive athletic scholarships but may earn one later through performance.

• Tryouts or Roster Invitations: Some programs hold open tryouts, while others extend walk-on opportunities through coach invitations. Research team policies in advance to determine the best approach.

  
  

NOTE: The role of walk-ons may be changing due to new NCAA roster limits at the D1 level. Be sure to communicate with the coaching staff at the desired transfer destination to determine how their roster will be affected.

Transfer to an NCAA Program from an NAIA School:

NCAA recruiting rules require any NAIA student-athlete wishing to contact an NCAA DI or DIII school to first obtain a “Permission to Contact” from their current NAIA school. If you are a current NAIA student-athlete, be sure to consult with the Director of Athletics at your NAIA school for your request when ready. You may also write to any NCAA DI or DIII school to request that they ask your current NAIA school for a “Permission to Contact”. If permission to contact is not granted, the new NCAA Division I or Division III school may not encourage the transfer.

For any NAIA student-athlete wishing to contact an NCAA DII school, a “Permission to Contact” is not required to begin speaking with the DII school. However, if the NCAA DII school chooses to begin recruiting you, it is obligated by NCAA recruiting rules to notify your NAIA school of any recruiting activity.

Transferring Schools within the NAIA:

The NAIA considers you a transfer student if you have taken time off between high school and coming to the NAIA or have previously attended a two- or four-year college, regardless of whether you participated in collegiate athletics.

There is no NAIA Transfer Portal for student-athletes to enter; however, all students interested in competing at the NAIA level are required to register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at PlayNAIA.org to have their eligibility determined.

Transfer Rules for Student-Athletes Moving from Junior College to 4-year NCAA Schools:

Some students are not defined as an actual transfer student because they didn’t “trigger transfer status” by completing one of the following steps:

• Were you a full-time student at a two or four-year school during a regular academic term?

• Did you practice or compete with a college team (even if you were not enrolled full-time and practiced before school started)?

• Did you receive athletic aid while attending summer school?

• Did you receive aid while attending an NCAA DI school during the summer?

If you answered NO to ALL of the questions above, you can enroll at a two or four-year school under the regular NCAA Initial Eligibility and Amateurism rules. Learn about the NCAA rules and requirements you will need to meet in order to be academically eligible to compete.

If you answered YES to ANY of the questions above, you are considered a transfer student, which means you’ve triggered transfer status. Once you’ve been deemed a transfer, you will need to follow a specific set of rules to compete at an NCAA school.

Learn more about paving the way for your transition from JUCO to a four-year school as a 2 – 4 Transfer student-athlete.

One-Time Transfer Rule:

For students who wish to leave their school and are currently academically eligible to participate the following year, a fairly new NCAA legislation now allows a one-time transfer to a new school, enabling the student-athlete to receive aid and compete immediately, as long as they follow the Notification of Transfer rules. Each sport has a window of time in which the student-athlete can enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.

If a student-athlete requests to be entered into the NCAA Transfer Portal outside of their sport’s window of time, they will need to wait until it opens later in the year. Graduate Transfers may enter the NCAA Transfer Portal at any time.

The NCAA has recently enacted legislation to eliminate restrictions on the number of transfers an academically eligible athlete can make during their college career. Athletes can now transfer multiple times without facing penalties, provided they maintain a good academic standing.

Current Scholarship Status?

NCAA DI schools are allowed to cancel or reduce a student’s scholarship as early as the next term after a student-athlete enters the NCAA Transfer Portal. Unfortunately, for those students who enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and then change their mind at a later date, they may have lost their scholarship (and their roster spot) by the time they finalize their decision. NCAA DII schools may also cancel or reduce a scholarship at the end of the period specified in the scholarship agreement.

How Academics Affects NCAA Transfer Students

Just getting accepted at a new school and receiving an athletic scholarship offer does not guarantee you will be able to compete upon transfer. Transfer student-athletes must meet specific and nuanced academic eligibility requirements to compete at their new school.

Playing Eligibility Upon Transfer?

Your NCAA Transfer Portal information will include the number of seasons of competition used, and many prospective coaches using the NCAA Transfer Portal will look for the number of seasons of eligibility remaining on your eligibility clock.

Want to Transfer Through the NCAA College Transfer Portal?

The decision to transfer to another school is an important and often difficult one in your college career. Before you act, do your homework. Make sure you understand how transferring will affect you, so you don’t negatively impact your education or your chances to play college sports.

The NCAA aims to help make the transition to your next school as smooth as possible, allowing you to continue your education while also participating in your sport. However, you also have a responsibility in this process. You need to learn as much as you can to protect your own eligibility. Learn more about how the NCAA Transfer Portal works.