FCS Daily Dose: Considerable FBS-to-FCS Transfer Movement Coming This Spring

The FCS Daily Dose is a blog-style article series featuring an assortment of news, rumblings, quick hitters, and commentary on various topics.

A new Daily Dose will be published multiple times a week.

Considerable FBS-to-FCS Transfer Movement Coming This Spring

While most FCS-to-FBS transfers occur during the winter transfer portal window, the list of FBS-to-FCS transfers grows considerably during the spring and summer.

This year’s spring transfer portal opens on Wednesday, April 16, and closes on Friday, April 25. Non-grad transfers need to officially enter within this window, and they can commit/sign with their new school at any point before the season.

FBS-to-FCS movement may be as busy as ever as FBS rosters cut down to 105 players in anticipation of the House settlement.

The House settlement isn’t fully approved yet by Judge Claudia Wilken, and the roster limit is still in flux. Per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, “College executives are not expected to make changes to a portion of the settlement agreement — roster limits — that Wilken suggested be changed, those with knowledge told Yahoo Sports. During a hearing in California on Monday, Wilken recommended college leaders phase-in roster limits or grandfather in those already on an existing roster. However, such actions are not expected from the defendants.”

The average FBS roster size is about 128 players. That means, as rosters are cut down to 105 players, a lot of FBS talent will trickle down.

Now, are players 106-125 on FBS rosters going to make that big of an impact on FCS teams? Some will. Some won’t. Some FBS walk-ons aren’t scholarship-level FCS players. But there will also be some scholarship-level players who get cut because their path to playing time was blocked at their FBS school, and they will get an opportunity in the FCS and will shine. It’ll be a mixed bag, just like in past years where some FBS-to-FCS transfers were just backups and others turned into FCS All-Americans. However, the pool of FBS players available this year will be much bigger.

Here’s a look at how much the FBS-to-FCS transfer list grew during the spring and summer.

In late March 2022, there were about 256 FBS-to-FCS transfers. By the end of summer 2022, it increased to 520 FBS-to-FCS transfers.

In early April 2023, there were roughly 284 FBS-to-FCS transfers. By the end of summer 2023, it increased to 546 FBS-to-FCS transfers.

In mid-March 2024, there were around 340 FBS-to-FCS transfers. By the end of summer 2024, it increased to 830 FBS-to-FCS transfers.

So far this offseason, there are about 388 FBS-to-FCS transfers.

Past Daily Doses

Montana State AD Leon Costello Discusses Opting In To The House Settlement … READ MORE

FCS Daily Dose: Holy Cross & Georgetown To Play At Fenway Park + FCS Draft Prospects Ranked In “The Beast” … READ MORE

NDSU Football Team Visiting The White House Today + FCS Teams Not Playing An FBS Opponent In 2025 … READ MORE