Throughout SEC spring meetings, the conference’s football coaches have lobbied for a change to the transfer portal calendar. Georgia coach Kirby Smart raised the alarm during a press conference, calling for one portal window, which he wanted to happen in January.

Coaches across the league would prefer that scenario, and having their rosters set for the year by the time spring football starts. Speaking to reporters Tuesday at spring meetings, Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne concurred.

“From my lens, one (window) still gives the opportunity, and then it helps slow that down,” Byrne said. “Back to coach (Kalen) DeBoer, the fact that we were the only SEC program to not have anybody go in the portal in the spring, and other schools had small number, but that says a lot about what’s going on in the walls of your program when you have that.

“So, is the transfer portal going to go away? No. But does it make sense to have a little better definition? And maybe shrinking that down to one window could be beneficial.”

Byrne said he and DeBoer had not spoken extensively about whether they would prefer the one transfer window to happen in January or the spring. DeBoer said in January that he preferred shortening the current window, and having a single portal entry period.

According to Byrne, he would prefer the window happen in January, after the end of the season, but noted that would come with its own set of problems.

“The challenge with that is that classes have started,” Byrne said. “And so people aren’t always looking at it from the academic side of it, and that should be an important part of what we’re doing. I mean, the data’s out there that shows if you transfer multiple times, then your opportunities to have broad-based degrees are severely limited. And I do think, the academic impact on it should be something that is weighed into what the impact should be.”

A reporter asked Byrne whether the lesser evil would be holding the portal window while the College Football Playoff was still going on, or in the spring. Alabama’s AD said he wasn’t a fan of those options..

“I don’t like either way that goes,” Byrne said. “Honestly. That’s not good for the teams involved, that’s not good for the kids and their academics.” 

SEC spring meetings is scheduled to continue through Thursday in Miramar Beach, Fl.