In a move that had been anticipated, the NCAA has officially eliminated the spring transfer portal window that allowed football players to transfer after spring games were complete. The move now means that players will have a single window in the winter to hop into the portal.
For the Florida Gators specifically, there are pros and cons that come with the move.
How are the Florida Gators impacted by the loss of the spring transfer portal?
Napier has previously spoken out in favor of the transfer portal moving to a single window rather than the current model. The irony of a single window is that Napier has actually benefited from the spring window.
Ricky Pearsall and Elijhah Badger are two of the notable players Napier had grabbed out of the spring portal.
At the core of the concern coaches have had with the spring transfer portal is that it makes roster construction even more chaotic, which has led to coaches being even more paranoid about spring practices and hosting spring games.
This past year, Florida had a spring game but opted not to televise the game, which was a common trend across college football this year.
After the spring game, D'Antre Robinson and Gregory Smith III left in the transfer portal anyway, and Florida pivoted to pick up Brendan Bett and Harold Stubbs IV.
While the exact dates of the transfer portal are not clear, the recommendation from the Football Oversight Committee was a ten-day window in early January, before the national title game has been played.
Teams still playing into January are going to feel the sting, similar to how baseball squads that make the College World Series have guys hop in the portal, but it is also going to require Napier to hasten his pace in the portal, which is something he has been notoriously slow about.