Oct 9, 2026 12:32 AM
Updated Oct 9, 2026 12:57 PM
The rule, effective immediately, limits the games basketball and football coaches or specified staff members may attend and watch in person.
This is a hypothetical situation presented as a “what if.”
The UConn Huskies men’s basketball team opens the season with four home games (that part is true) before they hit the road, giving head coach Dan Hurley and his staff several nights at home.
Maybe Hurley and the family will make a night of it in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on Nov. 3, where they can support former UConn assistant coach Luke Murray as he makes his head-coaching debut for Boston College. The bonus? The Eagles are hosting Wagner, the first stop of Hurley’s odyssey as a head coach. Nice memories for the Hurleys.
Luke Murray is entering his first season as a Division I head coach, taking over at Boston College after several seasons as a Dan Hurley assistant. Jim Dedmon-Imagn ImagesOr, what if Hurley wants to grab one of his assistants and take a 45-mile ride from the UConn campus to Worcester, Mass., to watch as Holy Cross hosts Furman on Nov. 11?
Turn the car around.
Now, the non-hypothetical
The NCAA Division I cabinet gave final approval on Wednesday to a rule that will limit what games men’s football (both FCS and FBS) and basketball coaches – and other team staff – may attend.
The rule is effective immediately.
Coaches now are banned from attending any preseason, regular-season and conference tournament games except their own. Exceptions apply if the game is part of an event that a school is taking part in – something like the Players Era Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships in Las Vegas – or if a coach or staff member has a family member who is a participant in a game.
Dusty May led Michigan to a win in the Players Era Festival championship game in Las Vegas on Nov. 26, 2025. Now the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, May can attend as many college games as his schedule permits. Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesIn FBS football, head coaches may watch on site a bowl game being played in their home stadiums or a College Football Playoff game. At the FCS level, coaches and specified staff can attend the FCS national championship game and the College Football Playoff title game.
As for men’s basketball, specific staff members may attend certain contests, including the NCAA basketball championship and other approved postseason games.
Why the rule?
That can be answered in one word.
Tampering.
NCAA oversight committees got behind the rule change with the intention of reducing face-to-face contact between coaching staffs and players who potentially could transfer. The NCAA goal is to limit “in-person recruiting” opportunities before a player can register for the transfer portal during its open dates.
The ability of coaches to recruit at events featuring high school prospects is not impacted by the NCAA ruling. Here, UConn head coach Dan Hurley (left) attends the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in South Carolina in 2025, joined by Alabama's Nate Oats (center, in gray) and Marquette's Shaka Smart (second row, behind Hurley). Katie Goodale-USA Today NetworkTransfer portal dates
The Division I Cabinet also adjusted the transfer portal period for three sports.
- Football: At both the FBS and FCS levels, a 10-day window begins the first business day following Jan. 1.
- Women’s gymnastics: A 15-day window opens the Monday after the national collegiate women’s gymnastics championship.
- Cross country/track and field: A 15-day transfer portal window opens at the end of the men’s and women’s cross country championships, with an additional 10-day period when the outdoor men’s and women’s track and field championships continue.
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