Mike Elko Makes Feelings Clear on New Transfer Portal Window Proposal

The transfer portal has been one of the biggest factors in college football in recent years.

It has been responsible for building some of the best teams in the country, and has been responsible for dismantling teams piece by piece.

Recently, the NCAA Football Oversight Committee voted to move towards a single portal window. This would mean there is a 10-day window to enter the transfer portal that opens on January 2, moving the winter window that currently opens in December back and eliminating the spring window. If the proposal is implemented this season, the vote will need to be approved by the Administrative Committee by October 1. In his press conference ahead of the Texas A&M Aggies’ matchup against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, coach Mike Elko gave his thoughts on the potential new change.

Mike Elko’s Transfer Portal Opinion

Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko pregame against the UTSA Roadrunners at Kyle Field. | Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

“I think it’s a phenomenal idea,” Elko said. “I think the fact that we’re gonna do it at the end of one season before the start of another one is a really great idea. I’m not sure where the idea of not doing it that way came from. That never seemed real intelligent to me. I like free agency before the season starts, and then we can start preparing with the team that we have. Yeah, I think hopefully it goes through, and I think it’ll be best for everybody. I think it’s really challenging.”

The Aggies are no strangers to the transfer portal and what it can give and what it can take. Over the offseason, the Aggies gained wide receivers Micah Hudson, KC Concepcion and Mario Craver and edge rusher TJ Searcy. Over the same offseason, the Aggies lost wide receivers Micah Hudson and Noah Thomas, and offensive linemen TJ Shanahan and Kam Dewberry.

Elko and company have seen firsthand all that goes into players transferring, especially with the new House Settlement, which was passed to allow schools to share revenue with their athletes.

“The thing that I think, obviously, we’re all for players having the opportunities that they need to have,” Elko said. “But I think the thing that’s going to make it really challenging is when you talk about revenue sharing, you’re basically talking about cap management and managing cap with two open free agent windows, one later after the first one. I just don’t know how financially people can manage a cap with that system with two different windows, and so I think it’ll be really helpful.”