The transfer portal era is undergoing a massive change that actually plays right into what Michigan State football fans have been asking for: more structure and less wild, wild west.
On Thursday, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted on a transfer portal window change that would likely gain support from every fan in the country who has seen their team lose some key players to the portal throughout the offseason because of random bag drops.
Now, the oversight committee has voted in favor of a single transfer portal window in January, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports.
The NCAA FB Oversight Committee voted today to support a single transfer portal in January, sources tell @YahooSports, ushering in a significant change.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 4, 2025
The Administrative Committee still needs to formally adopt the change later. The 10-day window is expected to open Jan. 2.
The news is kind of a groundbreaker as no one really expected news to come out regarding the transfer portal right in the middle of the season, but it's good that the NCAA realizes how crazy it's been, and changes need to be made. This change is going to affect all college football teams, especially Michigan State which has lost some big-time players after spring ball.
There's no word about if a window may still be an option for those who decide to transfer after spring ball, but I'd assume that this new ruling would eliminate that and force student-athletes to make a decision following the season, or not at all.
According to Dellenger, the vote still needs approval from the Administrative Committee by Oct. 1 for it to take effect this January.
As “Emergency Legislation,” it requires approval from the Administrative Committee by Oct. 1 to take effect this year. The NCAA is in the midst of restructuring and populating committees under the new governance structure. https://t.co/nTSG9qvkOM
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 4, 2025
If this had taken effect a few years ago, guys like Derrick Harmon, Keon Coleman, Payton Thorne, and Simeon Barrow would have never transferred out -- or at least would've had a harder time leaving.
Big-time news in college football today.