Change coming to NCAA hoops transfer portal, but ‘15 days is fine,’ KU’s Self says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- NCAA trims basketball transfer window to 15 days, opens after NCAA ends.
- Agents and players may signal intent early; coaches must wait for portal.
- No deadline to commit after entering; coach changes trigger a 15-day window.
The window to enter college basketball’s transfer portal has been cut from 30 days to 15 starting later this school year, the NCAA has announced.
What’s more, men’s and women’s players will not be able to enter the portal until the day after the NCAA Tournament ends in their respective sports. Last spring a player could enter the portal after the opening weekend of the NCAAs.
There will be no deadline for a player to commit to a school after one enters the portal.
Kansas Jayhawks basketball coach Bill Self on Thursday was asked to comment about the changes. College teams all over the country this spring will be working feverishly to reload their rosters for the 2026-27 season.
“I think the number of days is fine. What are they doing in football? Fifteen days as well? Something like that. Is that, right? I think the 15 days is fine,” Self said when asked to comment on Wednesday’s announcement from the NCAA regarding the hoops portal. Indeed players this year have 15 days to enter football’s transfer portal (Jan. 2-16).
“It’s unrealistic to think that teams’ seasons could be over March 10 and you’re not supposed to contact anybody until April 7. That’s unrealistic to think that those things won’t be happening,” Self quickly added.
“And also, that’s not just from coaches wanting to contact others. That’s players wanting to contact other programs because they know they’re going to leave (but) are they going to wait and announce after the portal opens? Are they going to do it early? Which in football a lot of guys do it early.”
Indeed, several college football players this past season announced they’d be entering the portal prior to the start of the Jan. 2-16 period in which players actually could officially do so.
“When they do it early, what they’re doing is just telling everybody else, ‘Hey, ‘this is my agent. And you may not (be able to) talk to him, but just so you know this is my situation.’ So in theory I think it sounds great. The reality of it is waiting until the season is over so everybody has the same runway to go get some stuff done, I think that sounds great in theory. I don’t know if that’s really reality, though,” Self stated.
Self was asked if he thought it would be legal for agents to contact college coaches informing them of their client’s interest prior to the official opening of the portal.
“I don’t know how that’s a violation for somebody to do that,” Self said. “And then your response (to an agent’s call) would be, ‘Hey, I’m sorry. We can’t communicate now. When the portal season is open, you can contact us then.’ That’s not a violation,” Self explained.
“So in theory I think it could be handled definitely within the purpose of the rules. But it could also be said, ‘I can’t talk, but gosh I cannot wait to talk to you (when portal opens).’ That’s probably handled a little differently. That’s probably outside the spirit of what the rule is,” Self stated.
The basketball portal rules have changed a lot the past few years. In 2024 the portal was open for 45 days. The process began the day after Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament. It left teams that advanced to the Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four at a disadvantage since they were understandably concentrating on playing games, not the following year’s roster. In 2025 the window to enter the portal was cut to 30 days, but the portal opened after the first weekend of the NCAA tourney.
The NCAA has addressed an additional rule regarding the portal window which would involve players whose coach is fired or leaves for another job.
According to NCAA.org, “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. The additional head coach departure window is available only after the basketball transfer window opens through Jan. 2.”
Also the NCAA ruled this week at its convention that midyear transfers would “not be eligible to compete at a second school if they enrolled at an NCAA school during the first academic term, regardless of whether they competed there.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 6:30 AM.
