Buckeyes' Day no fan of proposed portal changes

Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Tuesday that he's not a fan of the proposal that would bring major changes to the transfer portal windows in college football later this year.

The NCAA announced last week that the FBS Oversight Committee voted to move the winter transfer portal window from December to January, shifting to a 10-day period that would start on Jan. 2, 2026.

The committee also supported eliminating the spring transfer window in April, meaning FBS players would have 10 days in January to enter their name in the NCAA transfer portal if they wish to transfer to another school for the 2026 season.

The Division I Administrative Committee must approve the legislative changes before they'll go into effect, with a vote expected to occur before Oct. 1. The head coach of the defending national champions hopes it's not too late to change course.

"No, I don't think it's a good idea at all," Day told reporters at his weekly news conference. "And the conversations we had with the Big Ten coaches, I think the majority of them agree. I just don't quite understand how teams that are playing in the playoffs are expected to make the decisions and sign their upcoming players while they're still getting ready to play for games. It doesn't make any sense to me."

The January transfer window, if approved, would open one day after the College Football Playoff quarterfinals are completed. This year's CFP semifinals, the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, are scheduled for Jan. 8 and 9, respectively. The transfer portal window would then close on Jan. 11.

Coaches and administrators have been seeking a solution to the difficulty of the December calendar, in which coaching changes, bowl practices and games, transfer recruiting and the high school signing day all collide.

In January, AFCA executive director Craig Bohl said the FBS head coaches he met with at the AFCA convention expressed unanimous support for a single transfer window starting on Jan. 2, viewing the change as a positive to delay departures and ensure more players stay with their teams to finish the season before transferring. Last year's winter transfer window extended from Dec. 9-28.

Ohio State had nine scholarship players enter their names in the transfer portal during their playoff run, including backup quarterback Devin Brown, and four more departed in late January after the national championship game.

Their schedule and preparation for four playoff games made it challenging to heavily recruit the portal in December and resulted in just six portal additions, though the Buckeyes did add more during the spring transfer window from April 16-25.

"I know the calendar is funky, but I know the Big Ten and [commissioner] Tony Petitti have been working hard, because he doesn't believe it either," Day said. "The coaches in the Big Ten, we've had a lot of long discussions about that and tried to work through the different windows, but I don't agree with it being in January."