Transfer Portal
explained
70% of players who entered the Transfer Portal last year lost their scholarship. Not because the system is broken — but because they used it without truly understanding how it works.
The Transfer Portal in plain terms
The Transfer Portal is an official NCAA database where college players register when they want to change teams. Once inside, any university in the country can contact them and offer a scholarship.
Before it existed, transferring was a long process full of restrictions. Now it is faster — but more competitive and riskier than it looks from the outside.
For a Spanish player coming directly from Spain, the Transfer Portal is not relevant at first. It becomes relevant once she is inside the American system and wants to change institutions.
of players who entered the Transfer Portal last year did not secure a new scholarship.
weeks is the typical window the women’s Transfer Portal stays open each season.
Name, Image and Likeness allows players to earn money from their personal brand. It changes the college market entirely.
The process step by step
The Transfer Portal is not a free market. It has windows, deadlines, and consequences. This is what happens when a player decides to enter.
The player registers in the portal
Universities reach out
Negotiation and scholarship offer
If there is interest, the university makes an offer. The player has a limited window to decide. The best offers close in days, not weeks.
The window closes
The portal has specific opening and closing dates. Players who do not secure a team before it closes are left without a scholarship and without an institution for the following season.
Why 70% don't make it
Speed of the market
The best spots are filled in days. Without prior relationships with coaches and without visibility built before entering, you arrive too late.
Automatic scholarship loss
When a player registers, she loses her current scholarship immediately. If she does not secure a new one, she is left without funding and without a team for the next season.
International disadvantage
American players have networks, agents, and years of built visibility. A foreign player with no prior experience in the system starts at a clear disadvantage.
The Transfer Portal is not your first tool
At Sport Change Project we do not use the Transfer Portal as an entry point for Spanish players. We use it as context to understand the market. The route we propose — development camp, Showcase, Junior College — builds the profile a player needs so that the Transfer Portal, if she ever uses it, works in her favor and not against her. Two years inside the American system turn an unknown player into one with a track record, statistics, and a network of contacts. That is a real advantage inside the portal.
What players ask us most
Can I use the Transfer Portal coming directly from Spain?
No. The Transfer Portal is for players already enrolled at an American university who want to change teams. It is not an entry point into the system.
What is NIL and how does it affect international players?
NIL allows players to earn money from their name, image, and likeness. For international players there are restrictions depending on visa type. It is a constantly evolving market.
Does the Transfer Portal change every season?
Yes. Opening and closing dates, eligibility rules, and the political context — such as Trump’s 2025 executive order — can modify how it works from one year to the next.
Does Sport Change Project help manage the Transfer Portal?
Not directly. Our role is to prepare the player so her profile is attractive when that moment comes. Managing the portal is the responsibility of the player and her support network.
