Steve Sarkisian reacts to transfer portal window changes

Earlier this month, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted to support a single transfer portal window. It is expected to span 10 days beginning on Jan. 2.

This is a major change from the two-window model that the NCAA has been using, which will impact how players decide to navigate the portal. The one-window model gained support in the months leading up to the vote, and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian revealed that he’s also in favor of the recommendation.

“It was really difficult two years ago when it was just December and you’re in the playoffs,” Sarkisian said to begin UTEP week. “I thought about us last year, when we were all the way into the semi’s and the portal opened.

“But then I also thought about that spring portal window, and what that felt like. You’re trying to assemble a team as quickly as possible to build the camaraderie so that you can grow and so you can know who you’re working with.”

The Texas head coach touched on the difficulty that came with having to prepare for a game in the College Football Playoff while also trying to find their next group of transfers. Sarkisian called these “champagne problems,” but still left his staff at a disadvantage.

Additionally, a team that’s still in the playoffs may not know who’s leaving. One player might be deciding whether to return for another year or turn pro, or another could be questioning their own future in the transfer portal.

If they’re still vying for a national title, the staff may have a harder time figuring out their exact needs in the portal. Moving toward a single portal window gives Texas, or whichever team is left that late in the postseason, an equal shot as the teams that aren’t in the playoffs.

For reference, the window is expected to open on Jan. 2. A 10-day window means it would close on Jan. 10 The semifinals will be played on Jan. 8-9. If Texas makes the national championship game (Monday, Jan. 19, 2026), those players who are transfer portal-curious have to make a final decision a week in advance at the latest.

“I think for the betterment of the sport, that’s the right window for teams, and for the players to have a chance to go in and then decide where they want to go so they can roll into their next institution for spring and be there for spring ball, and then into summer,” Sarkisian said. “It’s fair for the school, so they can build their rosters predicated on who leaves and what they’re trying to do.”

At the same time, Sarkisian said Texas has rolled with the punches during each of its consecutive semifinal bids in the College Football Playoff. In 2024, Texas signed the sixth-best portal class in the nation and 17th-best this past offseason. “You figure it out,” Sarkisian said.