Tag Archive for: NCAA DI Football

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NCAA DI Football Transfer Portal Dates

The NCAA Division I Football Transfer Portal (FBS and FCS) will be open for two weeks: January 2–16, 2026.


Division II and Division III student-athletes do not have specific windows during which they must enter the Transfer Portal.


If you have questions about:

  • Exceptions to the Division I Transfer Portal windows (such as a coaching change or postgraduate transfer),
  • How to properly enter the Transfer Portal, or
  • Academic requirements needed to be immediately eligible at your next institution

We can answer your questions and help guide your student-athlete through the process.  Schedule a confidential Transfer Consultation online, or call our office at 913-766-1235.

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NCAA DI Football Transfer Portal Changes

Division I football athletes need to be aware of changes to the Transfer Portal dates that were approved by the NCAA recently.

The December and April Transfer Portal windows for D1 football athletes have been eliminated.  They will be replaced by one 15-day Portal window from January 2-16.

Also, the Administrative Committee approved a change to the “head coach departure exception” that will only apply for D1 football athletes. 

  • The new rule will provide athletes with a 15-day window to enter the Transfer Portal which will begin 5 days AFTER the hiring of a new head coach. 

For all sports other than football, the exception provides an athlete in any sport a 30-day window to enter the Transfer Portal after the announcement of a head coaching change.

For a detailed discussion of the Transfer rules and procedures and how they affect your student-athlete, schedule a confidential Transfer Consultation or contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or at 913-766-1235.

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Reminder of NCAA DI Football Eligibility Requirement

NCAA DI FBS or FCS Football student-athletes must successfully complete at least 9 semester hours (or 8 quarter hours) of academic credit during the Fall term to be fully eligible to compete during the following season.

An FBS or FCS athlete who does not earn the required number of academic credit hours during the Fall term “…shall not be eligible to compete in the first four contests against outside competition in the following playing season.”

There are options for athletes who don’t satisfy this requirement to regain their full eligibility for the following season if they earn additional credit hours prior to the beginning of the next Fall term.

We can explain this rule in more detail, including the requirements to regain full eligibility, in a confidential Eligibility Consult. You can schedule a confidential Eligibility Consult online or call 913-766-1235 for more information.

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NCAA DI Football Increases Scholarship Limit

The NCAA Division I Council has approved a temporary one-year waiver to increase the annual scholarship signing limit for Football only.

The Chair of the Football Oversight Committee stated that this decision was made because “…schools should have temporary flexibility to help address possible roster depletion due to transfers.”

The one-year waiver will permit Division I football programs to sign up to 7 more recruits than the normal standard limit (25 for FBS schools and 30 for FCS schools) to REPLACE current team members who transfer out of the program after this current semester.

    • For example, if four football players transfer out from a Division I FBS program at the end of this semester, that program will be permitted to sign up to 29 incoming recruits rather than the normal annual limit of 25 signees.
    • The overall total scholarship limits for Division I football programs will remain the same, however. Those limits are 85 for FBS football programs and 63 scholarship equivalencies for FCS programs.
    • D1 schools will be able to sign replacements for transfers who depart their school on or after the last day of the school’s Fall term or Dec. 15th, whichever is earlier.

December 15th is the first day of the early National Letter of Intent signing period for Division I football programs.

If you have questions about the scholarship limits or rules in football or any other sport, contact us at 913-766-1235 or write to rick@informedathlete.com.

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