In a recent shake-up in college football, the NCAA Administrative Committee decided to drop the spring transfer portal window. Now, transfer opportunities will only happen in the winter.
This change has stirred up all kinds of reactions from coaches across the country. One of the loudest voices has been Texas Longhorns’ head coach Steve Sarkisian, who’s pitching an even bolder idea: get rid of the redshirt rule and just let athletes play five seasons.
Sarkisian says the college football season is longer now, and the transfer portal has made things way more complicated. He thinks the rules should catch up to reality.
The Evolution of Transfer Portal Rules
The NCAA’s move to cut the spring transfer portal window is a big deal for how players switch schools. Before, athletes could enter the portal during two separate windows—one in winter, one in spring.
From now on, they’ll only get one shot in the winter. The exact dates aren’t set yet, but the plan is to make things simpler for everyone involved.
Impacts on Player Movement
This adjustment is supposed to calm the chaos that comes with multiple transfer windows. By squeezing everything into one period, the NCAA hopes things will feel a bit more stable for both players and coaches.
But, there’s a catch—athletes now have to make quick decisions about their future. That could lead to some rushed choices, and maybe even regrets down the line.
Steve Sarkisian’s Stance on Eliminating Redshirts
At a recent media session, Sarkisian made it clear: he’d scrap the redshirt rule entirely and let athletes play five full seasons. The way the system works now—letting players appear in up to four games without burning a year—just doesn’t fit anymore, in his view.
Seasons are longer, and the old rules feel clunky. Sarkisian thinks it’s time for a change that matches how the game is actually played.
Rationale Behind the Proposal
Teams can end up playing as many as 17 games, counting conference championships and the College Football Playoff. The current rule lets players suit up for four regular games and all postseason games without losing their redshirt status.
Sarkisian finds this setup unnecessarily confusing. He figures, why not just let them play a full season without worrying about redshirt eligibility?
Case Studies: The Impact of Current Rules
Sarkisian brings up real-world examples to show how the current rules can backfire. Former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka entered the transfer portal after just three games because of an NIL disagreement.
By keeping his redshirt, Sluka managed to transfer without losing a year. Sarkisian worries we’ll see more players sitting out games just to keep their options open for future transfers.
Potential Benefits of Five-Year Eligibility
If athletes had five full seasons, Sarkisian argues, they wouldn’t need to game the system. Players could focus on getting better and helping their teams, instead of stressing over redshirt math.
He also thinks it might slow down the flood of players entering the transfer portal, since they’d have more time to settle in and prove themselves.
Challenges and Considerations
Of course, Sarkisian’s proposal isn’t perfect. It raises tough questions about roster management and scholarship limits.
If players stick around for five years, coaches would have to rethink recruiting and scholarship strategies. That could get messy fast.
Balancing Athlete Welfare and Competitive Balance
There’s also the issue of fairness. Sure, longer eligibility might help individual players, but it could also widen the gap between well-funded programs and everyone else.
Figuring out how to keep the playing field level would be a real challenge if the NCAA ever went down this road.
Conclusion: Navigating the Future of College Football
The NCAA just scrapped the spring transfer portal window. It’s a big move for college football, and honestly, it’s about time they tried to untangle some of these headaches around player movement.
Steve Sarkisian’s proposal? It really gets people talking. He suggests getting rid of the redshirt rule and letting players have five seasons of eligibility.
If the NCAA went for something like that, things might get a whole lot simpler for athletes and programs. Would it make everything fairer? Maybe, maybe not—but it sure sounds like a step in the right direction.
There’s no denying the landscape keeps shifting. Everyone involved needs to stay open to new ideas, even if they sound a bit wild at first.
If you’re curious about Sarkisian’s full take or want the latest on NCAA transfer rules, check out the full article here.
- Schools Covered
- College Football Articles
- Men's College Basketball Articles
- Men's College Soccer Articles
- Women's College Basketball Articles
- Olympic Athlete Articles
- Men's College Baseball Articles
- College Sports Media Professionals Articles
- Hall of Fame Member Articles
- Former College Player Articles
- Game Previews
