NCAA passes 'blind-transfer' legislation for Division I

The NCAA Division I Cabinet passed emergency blind-transfer legislation on Wednesday, reining in when athletes can transfer and enroll at a new institution. The term “blind transfer” refers to an athlete who unenrolls from their current school and enrolls at a new university outside of the transfer portal window.

The vote comes after the NCAA FBS oversight committee recommended the changes in February. The legislation applies to all Division I sports and takes effect immediately. The rule is retroactive to Feb. 25.

Among the penalties for programs, a suspension of the respective sport’s head coach for 50% of a season and a fine of 20% of that sport’s budget.

College football moved from two transfer portal windows to one, 15-day window this year. With no spring transfer window, programs had just one opportunity to add transfers. The D-I Cabinet added the meeting on the calendar to vote before most programs wrap up spring practice.

Players are not required to choose a new school in the portal window. They just have to make their intention to leave during that window.

The issue of blind transfers emerged as a trend last year with Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas. Lucas was a standout freshman in 2024, posting 18 tackles and an interception in seven games. Lucas withdrew from classes at Wisconsin and played at Miami in 2025, effectively circumventing the NCAA’s transfer portal.

“We felt this was appropriate to place an emphasis on this rule with where we are in Division I football,” said Mark Alnutt, FBS oversight committee chair and Buffalo athletic director. “We have a window for student-athletes to notify their school when they would like to enter the transfer portal. If there is movement without going through the process as it is legislated, the committee felt there needed to be significant penalties.”

Attorneys across the NIL landscape have publicly lashed out against the blind-transfer rules, citing that schools can not prevent athletes from obtaining an education from the institution of their choice. Many expect a handful of lawsuits to be filed against the NCAA around the new penalties.

Sources across college football have expressed concern to On3 in recent weeks that rosters could be raided if the proposed rules were not implemented. Programs do not have a way to add players ahead of the season without a spring transfer portal.

“I think the NCAA is going to need to do something,” a Big Ten general manager recently told On3. “There’s going to be 15 really high-profile guys that blind transfer, who don’t enter the transfer portal. It’s going to be a horrible look. There might need to be a spring portal. Do I know what that will look like? No. The NCAA would look like idiots — do you know how much publicity Xavier Lucas got? That was just one guy. You get 15 of those?”