The spring window of the NCAA’s transfer portal for Division I college football opened on Wednesday, allowing entry to players from across the country.
Entering the portal doesn’t guarantee players will transfer from their current program. It means only that they can engage with other teams and, based off the scope of their discussions — which could range from NIL deals to playing time to NFL development and more — decide whether to transfer or return.
That is, unless they enter with a “do not contact” tag.
REQUIRED READING: Divorce of Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava underscores need for NCAA to have NIL buyouts
The biggest player in the portal as of its opening on Wednesday is Nico Iamaleava, who had a widely publicized and scrutinized exit from Tennessee amid a reported NIL dispute with the Volunteers. He not only is one of three players with a five-star designation in the portal, but also its top-ranked quarterback and No. 1 overall player, per 247Sports’ transfer rankings.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
He also entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag. But what does that mean? Here’s what to know of the term with the opening of the spring transfer portal.
Transfer portal ‘do not contact’ meaning
If a player enters the transfer portal with a “do not contact” designation, it means that teams and coaches can’t initiate contact with players. The player in the portal must do so, allowing them a greater degree of control when it comes to their recruitment from the portal.
On the opposite end of that spectrum is former Alabama safety Caleb Downs, who entered the portal following the retirement of Nick Saban with no such designation. He later received 102 calls in a day before ultimately transferring to Ohio State.
Historically, players who enter the portal with a “do not contact” designation have narrowed down their transfer destinations to a handful of schools, if they have not already outright chosen where they want to transfer.
When is spring transfer portal?
The NCAA’s spring transfer portal will be open from Wednesday, April 16 and run through Friday, April 25, during which time a player must decide whether to transfer from their program or return to their team.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
