Kansas State basketball players don’t have early access to the transfer portal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- ESPN2 commentators misstated that most Kansas State players entered the transfer portal.
- 15-day coach-change window opens 5 days after new coach is hired, but that doesn’t apply.
- Kansas State players must wait until the seasonwide early-April portal window.
The ESPN2 broadcast team of Mark Neely and Miles Simon raised more than a few eyebrows when they said “nearly all of the players” on Kansas State’s basketball roster entered the transfer portal after Jerome Tang was fired as the team’s head coach.
Those comments were made on air during K-State’s 90-74 victory over Baylor on Tuesday at Bramlage Coliseum, stirring concern among EMAW fans as the claim was echoed across social media.
But it wasn’t true.
A recent rule change from the NCAA prevents student-athletes from gaining early access to the transfer portal in the event of a coaching change at their school.
In January, the NCAA passed new legislation that created a 15-day transfer window to start the day after the championship game in men’s basketball.
Players can gain special access to the transfer portal outside of that time if they experience a coaching change, but only after the initial window closes.
Here is the new rule: “When a head coaching change occurs, a 15-day period will open five days after the new head coach is hired or publicly announced. If a new head coach is not announced within 30 days of the previous head coach’s departure — and the 31st day after the head coach’s departure is after the championship game — a 15-day window will open.”
In other words, a special transfer window would have opened for K-State players had Tang been fired in May. But not in February.
The Wildcats will have to wait until early April to decide if they want to enter the transfer portal, just like players on every other team around the country.
Under the old rules, K-State players could have entered the transfer portal early. That would have given them an opportunity to communicate with other coaches while their season came to an end. But that is no longer allowed.
It’s possible that K-State interim head coach Matthew Driscoll was also unaware of the rule change, as a team spokesperson had to correct him when he said the transfer portal had “already opened” for K-State players during Tuesday’s postgame news conference.
In any case, the Wildcats played inspired basketball in their first game without Tang.
PJ Haggerty scored 34 points, Nate Johnson scored 33 points and K-State ended a six-game losing skid.
This story was originally published February 18, 2026 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Kansas State basketball players don’t have early access to the transfer portal."