The NCAA has once again put track and field at the center of an uncomfortable conversation. On January 14, the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved modifications to the transfer window for a handful of sports, one of which is men’s and women’s track and field. While the update was introduced as a routine policy shift, it has sparked frustration among fans and athletes.

The key change is simple but impactful: the transfer window that opened after the indoor track and field season has been eliminated. Previously, track and field athletes had the option to enter the transfer portal between the indoor and outdoor seasons. That window was expected to open on March 10 and close on April 23 this year. Under the new rule, that period has been eliminated.

Now, track and field athletes will have only two opportunities to enter the transfer portal. One window opens at the end of the fall season. The second is a 30-day period that begins after selections for the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships are announced. And the next transfer window is scheduled to open on May 28 and close on June 26.

The NCAA explained the change in its official press release, stating, “Moving forward, track and field student-athletes will still have a 30-day window that opens the day after selections for the Division I Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships, as well as during windows that occur at the end of the fall.” And very soon, these changes might also apply to Division Two and Division Three.

As soon as this news began circulating online, fans across social media quickly voiced their frustration and disbelief, with many criticizing the timing and fairness of the new rule.

Fans call out track and field’s double standards

One fan added, “So football players can leave their team in the middle of the playoffs but xctf guys can’t transfer between indoor/outdoor?”

Under current rules, the football transfer portal opens in early January, and players can enter even while their team is still competing in bowl games or the College Football Playoff. This allows football players to decide to transfer mid-postseason play, provided they do it within the window (January 2-16, with special extensions for teams still playing in the national championship).

By comparison, track and field athletes simply lost their mid-season window in the spring. In other words, they are not allowed to transfer between the indoor and outdoor seasons (two very distinct competitive periods) due to issues with coaching, training, or support situations, even if those arise after the indoor season ends. Football players have some leeway during key windows, but track athletes must now wait for months before they relocate.

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Another fan added, “While the transfer stuff is getting out of hand, this is kind of addressing the symptom not the problem.” Another added, “attacking the wrong issues here.”

Their frustration is rooted in a deeper issue: money. Unlike football and basketball, track and field does not generate major TV deals, ticket revenue, or big sponsorship dollars for most schools. Because of that, its teams are largely subsidized, hiding under the profit generated by other, more lucrative sports. As a result, track and field is typically viewed as a secondary afterthought in major decisions like the transfer portal or roster limits.

This financial disparity matters. Track teams have fewer resources, smaller rosters, and now, with the removal of the mid-season transfer window, less room for athletes to move on if their situation isn’t working.

One more added, “Track athletes should be able to transfer mid-race if they want to. Track is not the problem with the portal.” Another added, “What about athletes who are not transferring for money but because they are just unhappy and in bad environmental conditions? They are supposed to stick around a whole year until they can do something about it?”

Well, the portal was created to give athletes more freedom to move when their situation isn’t right, not just for money or playing time. According to the NCAA, it was intended to bring transparency and give student-athletes more power to seek out better fits in a complicated system, and to enable them to pursue programs that better meet their academic, athletic, or personal needs.

Now, when track and field transfers are discussed, it’s no longer a conversation about simple dates on a calendar.