Wednesday, Sept. 17, the NCAA Administrative Committee adopted a new proposal that eliminated the spring transfer portal window for college football. Last season, after the mayhem that was the winter portal window, an additional 1,100 players once again transferred during the ten day spring window.
This change has the potential to drastically change the college football landscape, as now programs are only required to retain their roster once a year, as opposed to the previous twice.
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For the Wisconsin Badgers, this change would’ve been greatly appreciated last season, as seven additional players left in the spring window. Of those seven, three had committed to play for the Badgers just four months earlier in the winter window.
The first of those three players was Mark Hamper. Hamper entered the portal on Dec. 15, 2024, before deciding on Dec. 16 he would stay at Idaho. Then, four days later, he announced he would be transferring to Wisconsin. Another four months later, on Apr. 15, 2025, Hamper entered the portal again, committing to play for California for the 2025 season.
The other two included the exciting transfer tight end Tanner Koziol, who settled on Wisconsin in December of 2024, before transferring to Houston just four months later. Also Eli Stein, who did the same – committed in December before leaving in April.
The portal also gave the Badgers the ability to steal players in April. The Badgers grabbed Dekel Crowdus, Davis Heinzen, Lance Mason and Hunter Simmons in the spring window.
The NCAA Administrative Committee is now looking to find good dates for the winter window that won’t conflict with the playoffs, so members of playoff teams may also have a fair shot at entering the portal.
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Players will be required to stick around with the team they pick in December, forcing them to take more time to really decide what matters for their upcoming season. Will they just follow the NIL? Or, will they follow the best scheme fit?
How would the Badgers have looked if the spring window wasn’t around last year? Kozoil (17 receptions, 148 yards, one TD) at tight end instead of Mason (nine receptions, 132 yards, one TD), Hamper (nine receptions, 139 yards) as a rotational wide receiver instead of Crowdus (no stats this season).
Assumedly, Fickell won’t miss the spring window anytime soon. He’s had some strong winter portal classes in the past, while the spring window, on the other hand, has never treated him particularly well. This change should be more beneficial for the Badgers than not.