Transfer Portal 2026

[robertearle]

A couple new names listed in the portal today, including two from Franklin Pierce - whose names I only recognize because a week ago I was watching them play Quinnipiac here in Madison.

They are definitely NOT grad transfers, and that confuses me. Because the "new" date for the undergrad portal opening is supposedly not until next Monday. Are the rules different for NEWHA schools that would otherwise be DIII schools?

Or is there news of a coaching change for their 14-year long tenured head coach? Heading west, maybe? (Kidding, I'm kidding.)

 

[Still Eeyore]

A couple new names listed in the portal today, including two from Franklin Pierce - whose names I only recognize because a week ago I was watching them play Quinnipiac here in Madison.

They are definitely NOT grad transfers, and that confuses me. Because the "new" date for the undergrad portal opening is supposedly not until next Monday. Are the rules different for NEWHA schools that would otherwise be DIII schools?

Or is there news of a coaching change for their 14-year long tenured head coach? Heading west, maybe? (Kidding, I'm kidding.)

I believe that the citations that the women's transfer portal was altered are incorrect. The men's ice hockey transfer portal opening was moved to the Monday after the NCAA championship game, but the NCAA website says nothing about the women's portal being changed.

Division I Cabinet adopts new transfer windows in several sports - NCAA.org

The Division I Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to the transfer windows in several sports, including men's and women's basketball, men's wrestling, men's ice

www.ncaa.org

The Cabinet directed the Women's Ice Hockey Committee to consider whether it supports similar changes to the notification-of-transfer process for Division I women's ice hockey student-athletes.

 

[robertearle]

I believe that the citations that the women's transfer portal was altered are incorrect. The men's ice hockey transfer portal opening was moved to the Monday after the NCAA championship game, but the NCAA website says nothing about the women's portal being changed.

Division I Cabinet adopts new transfer windows in several sports - NCAA.org

The Division I Cabinet on Wednesday approved changes to the transfer windows in several sports, including men's and women's basketball, men's wrestling, men's ice

www.ncaa.org

Back a few pages on this thread there was discussion: sometime in January, the Women's Committee did (apparently) "consider" similar changes. I'm not sure what to believe at this point, but this page is says March 23rd.

(Adding, if the undergrad portal did actually open last Monday, either everyone else is as confused as us, or we're in for a REALLY quiet portal season.)

https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/compliance/d1/D1Comp_UndergraduateTransferWindows.pdf

 

[eastcoastgopher]

Everyone who's entered so far falls into one of three categories:
-Grad transfer
-NEWHA
-Merrimack, which had a coaching change

 

[Scott_TG]

A couple new names listed in the portal today, including two from Franklin Pierce - whose names I only recognize because a week ago I was watching them play Quinnipiac here in Madison.

They are definitely NOT grad transfers, and that confuses me. Because the "new" date for the undergrad portal opening is supposedly not until next Monday. Are the rules different for NEWHA schools that would otherwise be DIII schools?

Or is there news of a coaching change for their 14-year long tenured head coach? Heading west, maybe? (Kidding, I'm kidding.)

As I best understand it:

Division II players have to enter the portal, but they do not have the restricted transfer window that Division I players do. Otherwise, the rules mirror Division I.

Through this year, Division III players do not need to be entered into the portal to talk to other schools and have no restricted window; they simply have to fill out the NCAA Self-Release Form and then send one to each school they want to talk to, and have 30 days to communicate freely with the school. The current school does not need notification. If they wanted to continue communicating after the 30 days, they could fill out a new Self-Release, but at that point, they had to notify their current school.

As of the new academic year in August, DIII players can still send Self-Release Forms to have 30 days of open communication with potential destination programs for DIII to DIII transfers, but to continue the process, they must be entered into the portal. Also, to transfer up to DII or DI, DIII players do not get to fill out a Self-Release to talk to those schools and must go to the portal first. Like Division II players, they do not need to wait for the DI window.

Disclaimer: My info is based on watching some videos on recruiting sites and reading through the NCAA legislation memos, apologies if I misinterpreted anything.

 

[robertearle]

As I best understand it:

Division II players have to enter the portal, but they do not have the restricted transfer window that Division I players do. Otherwise, the rules mirror Division I.

Through this year, Division III players do not need to be entered into the portal to talk to other schools and have no restricted window; they simply have to fill out the NCAA Self-Release Form and then send one to each school they want to talk to, and have 30 days to communicate freely with the school. The current school does not need notification. If they wanted to continue communicating after the 30 days, they could fill out a new Self-Release, but at that point, they had to notify their current school.

As of the new academic year in August, DIII players can still send Self-Release Forms to have 30 days of open communication with potential destination programs for DIII to DIII transfers, but to continue the process, they must be entered into the portal. Also, to transfer up to DII or DI, DIII players do not get to fill out a Self-Release to talk to those schools and must go to the portal first. Like Division II players, they do not need to wait for the DI window.

Disclaimer: My info is based on watching some videos on recruiting sites and reading through the NCAA legislation memos, apologies if I misinterpreted anything.

So the question is "does any of that apply to NEWHA schools and athletes?"

I mean, the Franklin Pierce players whose names just showed up in the portal were literally playing in the NCAA DI championship tournament a week ago. to the minute. Can they do that and still use the portal as if they are DII or DIII players?

 

[Scott_TG]

So the question is "does any of that apply to NEWHA schools and athletes?"

I mean, the Franklin Pierce players whose names just showed up in the portal were literally playing in the NCAA DI championship tournament a week ago. to the minute. Can they do that and still use the portal as if they are DII or DIII players?

My understanding is that Division II transfer rules apply to the DII members of the NEWHA (Assumption, Franklin Pierce, Post, St. Anselm and St. Michael's). I think players at SHU, LIU and Stonehill would follow DI rules.

 

[robertearle]

My understanding is that Division II transfer rules apply to the DII members of the NEWHA (Assumption, Franklin Pierce, Post, St. Anselm and St. Michael's). I think players at SHU, LIU and Stonehill would follow DI rules.

Thanks for the answers, but one more question, then the designation of DI vs DII etc. exists at the school level and not the team level? That is and for example, the Franklin Pierce women's hockey team is "DII" because the school is DII, even though they played in the DI championship?

 

[Scott_TG]

Thanks for the answers, but one more question, then the designation of DI vs DII etc. exists at the school level and not the team level? That is and for example, the Franklin Pierce women's hockey team is "DII" because the school is DII, even though they played in the DI championship?

Correct, division is by school not team. Division II women's teams have always been eligible for the D1 championship they just never made it because they didn't have enough of them for an autobid and would never qualify for an at-large. By forming the NEWHA with the three D1 schools, they got access via an autobid.

Division II teams in sports where there is no NCAA Division II Championship offered can compete for the Division I championship, but they follow Division II scholarship rules. Division II allows fewer full-ride athletic scholarships per team, but they use a partial-scholarship model where it can split the full scholarships among the team. The amount varies by sport. NCAA DII women's ice hockey teams can grant up to the equivalent of 18 full-ride scholarships to their school in athletic scholarships. For some reason, Men's DII Ice Hockey can only grant the equivalent of 13.5 full rides. Seems like a Title IX violation but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Maybe we should have a transfer portal for coaches?

 

[Still Eeyore]

NCAA DII women's ice hockey teams can grant up to the equivalent of 18 full-ride scholarships to their school in athletic scholarships. For some reason, Men's DII Ice Hockey can only grant the equivalent of 13.5 full rides. Seems like a Title IX violation but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

No. Title IX is applied across an entire athletic department, not individual sports. There is no requirement that athletes of one gender in a specific sport be treated identically to athletes of the other gender in that sport.