Urban Meyer Calls for Major Rule Change That Will Change Transfer Portal

The legendary coach shares his vision for the future of college football on a recent episode of The Triple Option.

Legendary college football coach Urban Meyer shared his thoughts on how to fix the transfer portal. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Urban Meyer is over the chaos in college football. On his podcast, The Triple Option, the three-time national champ made it clear that the current wide-open transfer portal is a mess. He wants a return to structure before the sport loses its identity entirely.

Meyer’s fix is simple: you get one free pass, and that is it.

"I think there is a big push and agreement that there should be a one-time transfer exception," Meyer said. "You get to transfer one time, and then it’s over; you have to sit for a year if you transfer again. I added that I thought the graduate student exemption should also be included."

#WendysPartner

On this week's show: Players should get one free transfer. That's it. @wendys pic.twitter.com/AZ2pmKSv6e

— Urban Meyer (@CoachUrbanMeyer) February 23, 2026

He isn't buying the excuse that a player should leave just because a coach does. "You brought up earlier the idea of an exception for when a coach leaves, but I just think that is too many exceptions," Meyer said.

"You get one shot. If you don’t like where you’re at, you can leave without penalty, which means you’re eligible the next year. If you leave another time, then you have to sit for a year. That would stop the constant movement."

The portal isn't his only target.

Meyer is also hitting the brakes on playoff expansion. While the 12-team field is the new reality, he pointed to blowouts like James Madison at Oregon as proof that automatic bids create mismatches. He is even more against moving to a 24-team field. "I think that is too many games, too many teams," Meyer said.

Finances are another red flag for him. Meyer noted that even giants like Michigan and Ohio State are seeing athletic departments run at a deficit. He is skeptical that a salary cap will ever work because the big programs won't give up their spending power.

Without real enforcement, Meyer fears the sport is just a minor league system without a plan.