The reality is, there is no offseason when it comes to college basketball.
The transfer portal, coaching carousel and endless recruiting trails make sure of that. Programs across the country have already begun the process of overhauling their rosters, as they prepare for the ramifications of the landmark House settlement that’s pending final approval from a U.S. District Judge. If approved, schools will be allowed to share up to $20.5 million per year in revenue with their student-athletes.
With the House settlement looming over college athletics, a few teams have gotten off to an early start on the transfer portal before the NCAA has a chance to enforce a limit on revenue sharing. While the portal technically has a closing date, transfers can take as long as they wish before deciding on their next school. Players who are on the fence about going pro or staying in school, however, have a few deadlines to keep in mind as they make their decision.
Here’s some key dates and deadlines on the NCAA calendar to keep in mind heading into the spring.
April 11-30: Contact period opens
With regard to the NCAA recruiting calendar, contact periods are when coaches and student- athletes can have open communication. On-campus and at-home visits are permissible as well, making this an especially ideal time to host a player in the transfer portal on an official visit. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are certainly one of the teams taking advantage of the opportunity, as they’ll host Izaiah Pasha, a 6-foot-4 guard from the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, on an official visit after the dead period ends on April 10.
April 22: Transfer portal closes
The last day for players to enter their name into the portal, with exceptions made for those who experience coaching changes, have a hardship waiver or enter the portal as a graduate transfer. Again, there’s no deadline for exiting the portal. Players can even be in the portal and the NBA draft simultaneously and maintain their college eligibility.
April 27: NBA draft early entrant deadline
Players who still have college eligibility must declare for the NBA draft with a written notice to NBA commissioner Adam Silver by this date. Players without eligibility remaining are automatically considered draft-eligible, which means Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Ben Gregg and Khalif Battle won’t have to submit early entrant notices. However, someone like Braden Huff or Graham Ike would if they wanted to go through the pre-draft process.
May 9-11: NBA G League combine
Before the NBA draft combine takes center stage, Chicago will host a select group of players that will have an opportunity to show off their skills in front of scouts and general managers at the NBA G League Elite Camp that’s set for May 9-11. As players compete in five-on-five scrimmages and strength and agility drills, a select few receive an invite to the NBA draft combine based on their performance. Former Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard is among the notable pros who at one point went through the NBA G League combine.
May 11-18: NBA draft combine
While the NBA draft order finalizes on May 12, players who received an invite to the NBA draft combine will be put to the test in front of NBA scouts and front offices through scrimmages, drills, workouts, pre-draft interviews and much more during their time in Chicago.
May 28: NBA draft withdrawal deadline (NCAA)
The last day for players who have NCAA eligibility remaining to withdraw from the draft and return to school for next season. Any college-eligible player who stays in the draft beyond this date won’t be able to return to school.
June 15: Formal withdrawal deadline from NBA draft
The last day for all remaining players to withdraw from the NBA draft.
June 25-26: 2025 NBA draft
The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, is set to host this year’s NBA draft, with Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg poised to be the No. 1 overall pick. There aren’t many mock drafts projecting a Gonzaga player will be picked with one of the 60 draft picks this June, though that was very much the case this time last year, when Anton Watson was picked in the second round by the Boston Celtics despite not being featured on many mock drafts or big boards following his five-year career at Gonzaga. That said, the NBA draft and NBA G League combines should indicate something about whether or not Gonzaga has a player drafted in the NBA for a fifth year in a row.
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