Georgia Tech Fans Erupt Over Major Football Announcement

Brent Key Supports Single January Transfer Portal Window for College Football

Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key is in favor of having just one transfer portal window in January for college football, a stance he shares with many of his peers.

Key, speaking on Sirius XM, emphasized that this approach was widely supported within the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), which voted for this model. The current system, which has two transfer portal windows—one in winter and another in spring—has led to significant movement among players in recent years. Key pointed out that it’s not uncommon for players to enroll early as freshmen, only to transfer in the spring window after just a few months.

With ongoing discussions to adjust the spring football calendar, Key believes that streamlining the transfer portal into a single January window would create a smoother process for the college football offseason.

“I’ve voiced my opinion to our conference head coaches and the AFCA, and I’ve cast my votes,” Key said. “But at the end of the day, I can’t control what happens, so I focus on things I can impact. I support the one portal window. And, just as all other college football head coaches voted, we unanimously backed the idea of an early January portal opening.”

Currently, the transfer portal operates with two windows—one in the winter after the final CFP rankings and another in the spring. However, many coaches, including Key, believe one window would be more efficient. South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer also voiced support for this, stating, “I’m not against the portal. We’ve benefited from it, but there’s no need for two extended windows for players to decide to transfer. If you want to be part of the program, great; if not, then move on.”

The exact dates for the 2025-2026 winter transfer portal window have not yet been set. Last year, the portal opened right after the conference championship week and closed on December 28. Players still in the CFP received special exemptions to enter the portal after their teams were eliminated.