The fall window opens in 13 days and runs to 22 December 2026. Graduate students have been able to enter since 1 October.
Updated 7 November 2026. Dates from the NCAA's 2026-27 transfer windows.The dates
| 1 October 2026 | Graduate students can be entered: players finishing their degree this year who want to play as a graduate student somewhere else. |
| 23 November 2026 | The Division I fall window opens, men's and women's. It lasts 30 days. |
| 22 December 2026 | The fall window closes. The last day to ask to be entered, not the last day to sign somewhere. |
| 1 May to 15 May 2027 | The spring window, 15 days. The last one of the college year. |
| Any time | Only if your head coach leaves (30 days from when it is announced), your school drops the sport, or with a waiver. |
How it works in each division
The portal and its windows are an NCAA Division I system. Players in the other divisions move under their own rules, mostly without windows.
| Where you play now | Windows | How you move |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA Division I | Two windows: 23 November to 22 December 2026 and 1 May to 15 May 2027. | Tell your compliance office in writing, inside a window, after completing the NCAA transfer module. Your school puts you in the portal within two business days, and then other coaches can talk to you. |
| NCAA Division II | None. You can ask at any time. | Complete the Division II transfer module and tell your compliance office in writing. Your school has seven days to put you in the portal. |
| NCAA Division III | None. | Ask your school for permission to contact other schools, which can be a self-release. Not every Division III school uses the portal. If your school does not answer within seven days, permission is given by default. |
| NAIA | None. There is no NCAA portal. | Other NAIA coaches cannot reach out to you first. If you say publicly that you want to transfer, a coach can reply, but only after telling your current school. There is no national sit-out year; a conference can have its own rule. |
| Junior college or juco (NJCAA, CCCAA) | None. | Four-year coaches can contact you at any time. If you signed an NJCAA letter of intent and want to move to another junior college, you need a release from your current one. |
Going from one level to another, the rules of the level you are leaving decide how you start, and the school you are joining checks you are eligible.
Going into the portal from Division I
- Talk to your compliance office first, not only your coach. Ask how your school handles it, including what happens to your scholarship.
- Complete the NCAA transfer education module. Your compliance office will send you the link.
- Tell compliance in writing, usually by email, inside the window.
- Your school enters you within two business days. At first the portal shows your name, school, sport, scholarship status and whether you are an undergraduate or graduate.
- Coaches at other schools can now contact you, and you can contact them.
- You do not have to choose a school by the time the window closes. The last day is the deadline to ask to be entered, not to sign anywhere.
Graduate students
If you are on track to finish your undergraduate degree by the end of this college year and plan to play as a graduate student at another school, you can be entered from 1 October 2026. You do not have to wait for 23 November.
The NCAA says graduate students can be entered until the end of their sport's transfer window. Most compliance offices read that as up to 15 May 2027, the last soccer window, but check with yours.
Graduate players are some of the first that coaches look at, because they can usually play straight away and bring experience. If you have a season left, the earlier you are in, the more conversations you can have.
Before you go in
- It is not a commitment to leave, but it is a clear signal. Your coach and your school will know straight away.
- Your scholarship is not protected for next year. Your school does not have to keep your scholarship or your place on the roster.
- There is no promise of a new place. Many more players enter than there are spots, and the fall window is only 30 days, straight after the season.
- Being in the portal does not mean you can play straight away. Most players who leave academically eligible can, but your new school's compliance office has to confirm it.
- Five years to play five seasons. In June 2026 the NCAA moved Division I to a five year clock that starts when you first enrol full time, or the academic year after your 19th birthday if that comes first. Transferring does not reset it. Your school can tell you which rules apply to you.
- Junior college players: in June 2026 the NCAA agreed that players moving from a two-year college to Division I will be judged on the same rules as four-year transfers.
Getting ready
The window is short, so the players who do well are ready before it opens.
- Know what you want. More minutes, a higher level, a better degree, lower cost or a different part of the country. It decides which coaches to talk to.
- Get your highlights and a full game ready, with this season's best moments first.
- Check your stats and your profile. Coaches look you up as soon as you appear. Claim your free College Soccer HQ page so your seasons, stats and photo are right.
- Have your grades to hand: your transcript, your GPA and how many credits will transfer.
- Make a list of programmes that fit, at more than one level. Our college pages show every programme's roster and results.
Want help with your move?
The SRUSA Transfer Club helps junior college and four-year players, men's and women's, find the right next programme. Places are limited and every application is reviewed.
Questions
Is the soccer transfer portal open now?
Opens 23 November. The fall window opens in 13 days and runs to 22 December 2026. Graduate students have been able to enter since 1 October.
When does the soccer transfer portal open?
For Division I men's and women's soccer, the fall window runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026. A second window runs from 1 May to 15 May 2027. Graduate students have been able to enter since 1 October 2026.
Is it the same for men's and women's soccer?
Yes. Both have the same two windows in Division I this year.
How long is the soccer transfer window?
The fall window is 30 days, from 23 November to 22 December 2026, straight after the season. The spring window is 15 days, from 1 May to 15 May 2027.
Can graduate students enter now?
Yes. A player who is on track to finish their undergraduate degree by the end of the year, and plans to play as a graduate student somewhere else, can be entered from 1 October. The NCAA says this runs until the end of the sport's transfer window. Check with your compliance office how they apply that, as most read it as up to 15 May 2027.
Do I have to commit to a new school before the window closes?
No. The window is when you must ask to be entered. You can keep talking to coaches and sign after it closes.
Can I enter after the window closes?
Only in a few cases: if your head coach leaves (you then get 30 days), if your school drops the sport, or with a waiver, which is not guaranteed. Graduate students have longer, as above.
Do Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college (juco) players use the windows?
No. Division II players can ask at any time, and Division III, NAIA and junior college players move under their own rules, with no windows. The windows are for Division I players.
Will I lose my scholarship if I enter?
You can. Entering the portal is not a commitment to leave, but your school does not have to keep your scholarship or your place for next year. Ask your compliance office before you go in.
Did the two-semester vote change the transfer windows?
No. The two-semester model for men's soccer was overturned on 6 November 2026, so the season stays in the fall and the transfer windows stay where they are.
Graphics to share
Free to share, with credit to College Soccer HQ.
Sources
- NCAA: Division I notification of transfer windows, 2026-27 (Figure 13-1)
- NCAA: Guide for four-year transfers 2025-26
- NCAA: Division I notification of transfer, questions and answers
- NCAA: Transfer rules and eligibility
- ESPN: Division I Cabinet approves five-year, age-based eligibility (23 June 2026)
- Sports Illustrated: NCAA approves new junior college transfer rules (June 2026)
- NAIA: Transferring to an NAIA school
- NAIA: 2025 recruiting rules, transfer declarations and junior college contact
- NJCAA: Compliance and eligibility
- Sports Recruiting USA: the May 2026 soccer transfer window
Rules change often. This page explains them in plain words; your compliance office has the final say on your case.
Also in Resources: The two-semester model is overturned