Which Sport Is Hit Hardest by the Transfer Portal?

With the transfer portal causing what seems like more havoc each year for Griz athletics and college teams in general, which sport actually has the highest percentage of athletes entering it?

Before answering that, it helps to look at the broader Division I transfer landscape.

In 2025, 18,421 student-athletes entered the transfer portal, which included 3,811 graduate students. That number has steadily climbed each year, up from 15,950 in 2024 and 14,215 in 2023.

Of those athletes in 2025, 61% transferred to a new school, 7% withdrew and returned to their original school, and 29% remained in the portal without finding a new destination. Among those who successfully transferred, 71% landed at another Division I school with financial aid, 10% moved to a Division I program without aid, and 14% dropped to Division II with aid. Less than 5% transferred to Division II without aid or to Division III programs.

Nationwide, there is now roughly a 1-in-6 chance that a college athlete’s career will include entering the transfer portal and joining a new team at least once.

What this data shows is that the transfer portal continues to grow larger each year, with more student-athletes willing to leave their programs and take a chance elsewhere for a variety of reasons. However, entering the portal is far from a guaranteed path to success. Not every athlete finds a new team, stays at the Division I level, or secures financial aid. And even for those who do transfer, there is no guarantee of increased playing time or a better overall situation.

Which Division I Sports See the Most Transfers?

In women’s soccer, the annual transfer rate is much lower. As of 2025, approximately 1,200 Division I women’s soccer players entered the portal, representing about 6–7% of the total player population.

In Division I women’s volleyball, about 850 players entered the portal in 2025, which equals approximately 13.4% of the sport’s total athlete pool.

Softball saw roughly 1,600 NCAA players transfer in 2025, meaning about 23% of Division I softball athletes entered the portal.

When it comes to individual Division I sports, football has massive transfer volume. This year, roughly one-third of all Division I football players on scholarship entered the portal. Roughly 3,700 D-I players entered the transfer portal within the first day of the window opening.

Basketball, however, stands at the top. In men’s basketball, around 2,300 players entered the portal in 2025, representing roughly 35–40% of all Division I men’s basketball players. Women’s basketball also had major movement, with approximately 1,400 players entering, or about 29% of Division I players.

The portal has become a defining part of college athletics, but while it creates opportunity, it also comes with significant uncertainty for thousands of athletes each year.