College basketballâs free-agency entry point will shrink to just 15 days and start after the NCAA title game, potentially leaving the NCAA Tournament freer of distraction for fans and coaches alike.
The NCAA said the changes were approved by the Division I cabinet on the recommendation of the men's and women's oversight committees.Â
Many coaches had pushed for a change because the portal has opened the day after Selection Sunday in recent seasons, forcing teams involved in the tournament to divide their attention if they were to remain active in the transfer market, while news of departures and commitments cluttered up the buzz over the tournament.
Asked if he thought the change would make any impact, UA coach Tommy Lloyd lumped it in with the many other changes going on in college basketball.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd watches the Wildcats defend a Zip offensive series in their game against Akron during the second half of their first-round game of the menâs NCAA Tournament in Seattle on March 21, 2025.
"I've heard, obviously, that it could happen," Lloyd said. "We'll adjust. We'll adjust. There's so many things going on right now. To me, that's minutia compared to everything else and the other decisions we've got to make."
According to CBS Sports, UConn held Zoom interviews with recruits in its locker room during the 2024 Final Four in Glendale, while NC State hosted a potential transfer on campus before flying to Phoenix to compete in the Final Four.
Now, the portal will also be chopped in length for the second straight spring, down from 30 days last season and 45 from 2024, meaning players will only have from April 7 until April 22 to enter the portal. They can still make a public announcement that they are transferring before April 7 and, once in the portal, do not have a deadline for picking a new team.
However, the change means players will not be able to commit to or be publicly announced by a new school during the tournament, potentially keeping more of the focus on the sportâs greatest draw.
The NCAA said players on teams that have a coaching change will have a 15-day portal window open five days after the new coach is hired or publicly announced. If a new coach isnât announced for 30 days after a previous coach leaves, a 15-day window will open on the 31st day.
Arizona lost four players to the transfer portal last spring: Center Henri Veesaar (North Carolina), guard KJ Lewis (Georgetown), guard Conrad Martinez (High Point) and center Emmanuel Stephen (UNLV).
Former Arizona guard KJ Lewis (5), shown playing against St. John's on Dec. 31, 2025, retweeted news that he would transfer from the Wildcats three days after their season ended.
The decisions of Lewis, Veesaar and Stephen all became public within four days of the Wildcats' season-ending loss to Duke in the Sweet 16, and ESPN reported Lewis' subsequent decision to play for Georgetown a day before the NCAA championship game last April.
