The decision to transfer to another school is an important and often difficult one in your college career. Before you act, do your homework. Make sure you understand how transferring will affect you, so you don’t negatively impact your education or your chances to play college sports.
Current NCAA Transfer Rules
When can I start talking to new schools about transferring?
Under NCAA rules you must first enter your name in the NCAA Transfer Portal before a new institution is allowed to talk to you about the possibility of transferring.
When can I compete at my new institution?
If you transfer from a four-year school to a Division I school, you can generally seek immediate eligibility at the new school provided you leave your previous school academically eligible, were in good standing (not under a disciplinary suspension) and you are meeting applicable academic progress-towards-degree eligibility requirements at the new Division I school to compete. Additional regulations such as sport-specific midyear transfer (e.g. baseball, basketball, tennis, softball, etc.), sport-specific competition in year of transfer, National Letter of Intent, and individual school/conference policies may also play a factor in determining your immediate transfer eligibility.
Notification Date Requirement
The student must provide written notification of transfer to the institution by the following dates:
Exceptions may apply If a student-athlete’s head coach departs or announces their intent to depart, or the student-athlete’s athletics aid is canceled, reduced or nonrenewed (for reasons other than those specified in NCAA Division I Bylaws 15.3.4.2 or 15.3.5.1) prior to the window opening for their sport.
A student-athlete who will participate as a postgraduate student at another institution (in sports other than football) during the next academic year or regular term may initiate the notification of transfer process at any time between October 1 and end of the final period specified for their applicable sport.
Q: Is a complete release from the NLI basic penalty the same as the NCAA One-Time Transfer Exception?
A: No. The NLI complete release and the NCAA One-Time Transfer Exception are two different policies. The fact that a student is eligible for the NCAA One-Time Transfer Exception does not mean a student-athlete has received a complete release pursuant to the NLI program, nor does being granted the NCAA One-Time Transfer Exception eliminate the penalty provisions of the NLI.
There are many different exceptions to NCAA transfer rules that may apply to your situation. Please consult the NCAA Four-Year Transfer Guide and the Office of Athletics Compliance at your new institution to see how the rules apply to your situation.
Steps to Take Before You Transfer
- Talk to your coach about your intention to transfer.
- Notify the Office of Athletics Compliance of your desire to place your name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. See below for instructions on how to notify the Office of Athletics Compliance.
- Decide which school is right for you. Your new school should help you satisfy both your academic and athletic goals.
- Learn the transfer and eligibility rules for the NCAA and the new conference and school you plan to join. When you begin to think about going to a new school, understand that the rules are different depending on whether you want to transfer to an NCAA Division I, II or III school. In some cases, conference rules can be more restrictive than NCAA rules.
- Apply to be admitted to the school you want to attend.
- Talk with your Athletic Academic Counselor about additional steps you might need to take.
- Complete the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Transfer Module.
Impact of Entering the Portal
Under most circumstances, an institution can only reduce or cancel an athletic scholarship during the period of the award if the recipient:
- (a) Is rendered ineligible for intercollegiate competition based on the recipient's action or inaction;
- (b) Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement (see Bylaw 15.3.4.2.3);
- (c) Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty (see Bylaw 15.3.4.2.4);
- (d) Voluntarily (on the recipient's own initiative) withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons; however, the recipient's financial aid may not be awarded to another student-athlete in the academic term in which the aid is reduced or canceled; or
- (e) Provides written notification of transfer (see Bylaw 13.1.1.3) to the institution; however, the student-athlete’s financial aid may not be reduced or canceled until the end of the regular academic term in which written notification of transfer is received. If a student-athlete provides written notification of transfer to the institution between regular academic terms (winter break, summer break) the institution may reduce or cancel the financial aid immediately.
If you enter your name in the NCAA Transfer Portal, OSU has the right to cancel your scholarship at the end of the semester and may also cancel any licensing agreements.
Your athletics participation at OSU is deemed to have ended once you have been removed from your team's roster.
How do I put my name in the NCAA Transfer Portal?
In the event you wish to explore your options to transfer from Oklahoma State University to another four-year institution, please follow the steps below indicating your intent to be placed on the NCAA national database for transfers. You must also include a copy of the Certificate of Completion you receive after completing the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Transfer Module.
- Log into ARMS (https://my.armssoftware.com/arms/login)
- Click on workflows on the left side of the screen
- Click Notification of Intent to Transfer
- Complete Form
- Submit Form
The Office of Athletics Compliance will enter your name into the NCAA national database for transfers within two business days of receipt the initial email and Certificate of Completion.
After your name enters the transfer portal, you will receive an email notification, verifying a coach’s ability to contact you.
NCAA Transfer Resources
While these resources have not been updated to reflect the recently adopted rule change, they still contain useful information on the transfer process in general.
For additional questions on transferring, please contact Jada Burgman in the OSU Office of Athletics Compliance at jada.burgman@okstate.edu or 405-744-7259.
Updated 10/21/2025