College football considering stiff penalties for transfer portal violations

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA football oversight committee is recommending emergency legislation to protect the transfer portal window by issuing penalties for schools and coaches who circumvent the rules. The committee earlier this week proposed the legislation to penalize schools who add players who did not make public their interest in transferring during the January transfer portal window. The proposed legislation would become effective immediately if approved at the Division I cabinet meeting in April. Among the proposed penalties, the head coach who accepts a transfer who did not properly enter the January portal would be prohibited from all recruiting, on-field coaching and team meetings for six games. The school accepting the transfer would be fined 20% of its football budget. Also, the school would lose five roster spots for the following season, even if the coach who accepted the transfer is no longer employed. Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks said it is important to enforce the transfer portal window rule. "Attempts to circumvent the transfer window process is an issue for the sport," said Brooks in a statement released by the NCAA. "We want to let everyone know that this is not going to be allowed, and the committee wants to protect the transfer window that has been established." Buffalo athletic director Mark Alnutt, the chair of the oversight committee, said "significant penalties" are needed to enforce the transfer rule. "We felt this was appropriate to place an emphasis on this rule with where we are in Division I football," Alnutt said. "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." The committee also voted to eliminate the annual limit on official recruiting visits. The transfer rule and compensation for players through name, image and likeness contracts have created other issues. The University of Cincinnati is suing its former quarterback, Brendan Sorsby, following his transfer to Texas Tech. Cincinnati is accusing Sorsby of breaching his NIL contract, which the school says was signed in July 2025 to cover the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Cincinnati says the contract included a $1 million buyout if Sorsby transferred. Sorsby received the most lucrative deal of the portal period — a reported $5 million — to return to his home state for his final season.