When Virginia Tech fired football coach Brent Pry on Sunday, it put the players in a situation where on Monday, the Transfer Portal window opened for any players who wish to leave after the firing. Since the Hokies have played only three games and the rule is four games played to redshirt, this is an opportunity for some players who don't plan on returning next year, or want to save their eligibility, to shut it down plan for next season elsewhere.
One Hokies' player, Dante Lovett, has already hit the portal and it was reported by Pete Nakos of On3 that he has heard from several schools since entering. His stock in the portal should rise before he makes a decision as he is a good rising player that will certainly help a Power 4 school.
The portal has been a hot topic every year with two for football, one in the winter right after the regular season ends and then one in the spring, which is shorter. That is apparently coming to a change.
NCAA eliminating Spring Transfer portal window
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that the NCAA Administrative Committee decided to eliminate the spring Transfer Portal for football and cut it down to one over the winter. They also have not determined the length of the single portal window, and a decision is expected in a month.
The NCAA Administrative Committee decided today to eliminate the spring football transfer portal window but left undecided the exact length and timing of a single fall portal window, sources tell @YahooSports. A decision on details of the fall window is expected within the month.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) September 17, 2025
The timing of this with Virginia Tech and UCLA both firing their football coach over the weekend is perfect for the student athletes. This is going to be vital for Virginia Tech in terms of players needing to decide following the season if they have eligibility left about 2026 and a new coach being hired at some point.
This also puts pressure on the decision-makers at Virginia Tech to have a plan in place as soon as possible as to who the next coach in Blacksburg will be. It's big for retention purposes, if they can retain some players, and also bring in players through the portal, which can turnaround rebuilds quicker now than a decade ago. This is big news and something Virginia Tech must successfully navigate correctly going forward this season.