A college football landscape that’s often described by its biggest detractors as lawless and chaotic just got a little bit more order.

The NCAA Division I Administrative Committee voted on Wednesday, Sept. 17 to eliminate the spring transfer portal window.

Though a single transfer portal window has yet to be officially determined, FBS and FCS oversight committees will consider modifications to the proposed January window, which would run from Jan. 2-11. Discussions will include the length of the window and exact dates, with a final decision expected in October.

Administrative Committee eliminates DI football’s spring transfer window and fall transfer window’s graduate student exception.

In response to student-athlete feedback, football oversight committees will consider modifications to proposed single January window, including length… pic.twitter.com/fFP3sEf0ty

— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) September 17, 2025

REQUIRED READING: College football bowl projections: Florida State joins playoff field, Notre Dame stays in

The spring transfer window had become a point of contention for many coaches across the sport in recent years, with rosters undergoing significant changes at a relatively late stage in the college football calendar. This year, more than 1,000 FBS players transferred during the spring.

At the annual American Football Coaches Association convention in January, coaches unanimously advocated for there to be a single transfer window.

Under the existing FBS and FCS proposals, players could enter their names in the portal and be contacted by interested schools beginning Jan. 2, the day after the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. Players whose teams remain in the playoff past that point would have five days beginning the day after their team’s final postseason game to enter the portal.

The Administrative Committee also voted to remove the exemption that allowed graduate transfers to enter the portal in the fall, meaning they, too, will have to wait until what’s expected to be the single portal window in January. Last year, graduate transfers were allowed to enter the portal as early as Oct. 1.

It marks the latest contraction of the transfer window for college football players. During the 2022-23 offseason, one year after the NCAA first allowed players to transfer once without the penalty of sitting out a season, the window was open for a combined 60 days. That shrunk to 45 days in 2023-24 and 30 in 2024-25.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA eliminates spring transfer portal window for college football

Veteran offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor was listed on the Kansas City Chiefs‘ initial injury report for Week 3.

Here’s the latest update on Taylor’s status heading into the Chiefs’ matchup against the New York Giants on Sunday, September 21:

Jawaan Taylor injury update

Taylor is said to be dealing with knee and ankle injuries heading into Week 3. However, both injuries seem to be relatively minor, and Taylor was able to be a full participant in Kansas City’s latest practice session on Wednesday.

How long will Jawaan Taylor be out?

Taylor is not expected to miss any time due to his injuries. He will almost certainly be able to suit up against the Giants, but fans should continue to monitor his status ahead of Sunday’s game.

Chiefs OL depth chart

Veteran offensive linemen Wanya Morris and Jaylon Moore would fill in for Taylor if he is unable to take the field against New York.

This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: Jawaan Taylor injury: Latest status update, news report for Chiefs OL

Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield offers incredible response to national praise – ‘It’s rat poison!
originally appeared on The Sporting News

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is in the best form of his career since landing in the NFC South, with many now giving No. 6 his flowers for how he has displayed incredible consistency.

But it is worth noting that those same people who are now giving him praise were the ones with the pitchforks during his time with the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers when things weren’t going so well.

That can be a little tough to get your head around that one minute people hate you, and the next they love you, but if you think Baker is taking any notice of what the national media is saying about him, you’re wrong…really wrong.

“As the old, wise, ball coach Nick Saban says, it’s rat poison,” Mayfield said.

MORE:Jets’ Aaron Glenn confident in Tyrod Taylor vs. Buccaneers

Baker having none of the praise from media

Mayfield knows that this is part and parcel of being in the NFL, and those same people who were kicking you when you’re down are those same ones now giving you the praise when things are going well.

But Mayfield isn’t interested in any of it.

“Laugh it off,” Mayfield said. “It’s the way the NFL works. Love you when you’re up. Love to push you down when you’re not doing so good. So, ride the wave, stay in the middle, go from there.”

The Buccaneers face the 0-2 New York Jets and are looking to move to 3-0, and if Baker does play well again and plays a key role in the win, the national media will again be singing his praises.

Not that he’ll care.

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Until a few weeks ago, the narrative of Justin Verlander’s 2025 season had been that of a once-great pitcher on a new team finally wrestling with mortality. Now, it appears that he has made progress in that fight.

The San Francisco Giants’ right-hander posted one of his best starts of the season Wednesday, with seven shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, featuring 3 hits allowed, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in a 5-1 extra-innings win.

One of those strikeouts was of the painful variety.

The start was the 42-year-old Verlander’s fourth straight allowing one or zero earned runs. The only other pitcher that old to post such a run: Roger Clemens in 2005, via MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.

In the span of those four starts, Verlander has lowered his season ERA from 4.47 to 3.75, a significant improvement from his 5.48 mark last year. That’s not bad considering that the start to his 2025 was rough enough that he didn’t get his first win until late July.

Verlander’s performance was half of a pitcher’s duel Wednesday, which the Giants ended up winning 5-0 in extra innings after both teams failed to score in regulation.

Limiting the Giants’ offense was D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt, who threw nine shutout innings but will not be credited with a shutout. Like Verlander, Pfaadt had been struggling this season, but he just logged the best performance of his career.

The win improves the Giants’ record to 76-76 and moves them to 2.5 games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. The D-backs are just a half-game ahead of them at 77-76.

Until a few weeks ago, the narrative of Justin Verlander’s 2025 season had been that of a once-great pitcher on a new team finally wrestling with mortality. Now, it appears that he has made progress in that fight.

The San Francisco Giants’ right-hander posted one of his best starts of the season Wednesday, with seven shutout innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, featuring 3 hits allowed, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts in a 5-1 extra-innings win.

One of those strikeouts was of the painful variety.

The start was the 42-year-old Verlander’s fourth straight allowing one or zero earned runs. The only other pitcher that old to post such a run: Roger Clemens in 2005, via MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.

In the span of those four starts, Verlander has lowered his season ERA from 4.47 to 3.75, a significant improvement from his 5.48 mark last year. That’s not bad considering that the start to his 2025 was rough enough that he didn’t get his first win until late July.

Verlander’s performance was half of a pitcher’s duel Wednesday, which the Giants ended up winning 5-0 in extra innings after both teams failed to score in regulation.

Limiting the Giants’ offense was D-backs starter Brandon Pfaadt, who threw nine shutout innings but will not be credited with a shutout. Like Verlander, Pfaadt had been struggling this season, but he just logged the best performance of his career.

The win improves the Giants’ record to 76-76 and moves them to 2.5 games behind the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot. The D-backs are just a half-game ahead of them at 77-76.

No, Shohei Ohtani isn’t going to start playing in the outfield for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

At least, probably not.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts essentially shut that idea down on Tuesday after the team’s 9-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, just days after Ohtani told reporters that he’d be open to helping in the outfield when he isn’t on the mound or serving as the team’s designated hitter.

“He hasn’t played the outfield [for us], but I appreciate the fact that he’s open to whatever we need,” Roberts said, via MLB.com. “So, I don’t know how that looks, though. He hasn’t taken a fly ball all year.”

This idea isn’t coming out of thin air. It was floated by Ohtani this week, and he said it has “come up” internally recently as the team prepares for the postseason.

“As a player, if I’m told to go somewhere, I want to be prepared to do so,” he said. “That’s on the mound and perhaps even in the outfield.”

Ohtani’s outfield experience, as Roberts noted, is extremely limited. He hasn’t played there since his time with the Los Angeles Angels, and even then, he made only six outfield appearances in Anaheim.

While Ohtani has more than proven himself as an elite baseball player, throwing him into the outfield in the playoffs with little prep might not be the smartest idea for the Dodgers — especially considering that Ohtani just got back on the mound after several surgeries that forced him to be only the team’s designated hitter for his entire first season with the franchise.

Ohtani threw five hitless innings on Tuesday, and he hit his 50th home run of the season — a milestone he has now reached in back-to-back campaigns. He has a .282 batting average with 94 RBI, too.

The Dodgers enter Wednesday’s game with an 84-67 record, which has them in first in the NL West by two games over the San Diego Padres.

As for Ohtani’s willingness to play anywhere in order to help the Dodgers back up their World Series title this fall, Roberts is all for it. Actually getting Ohtani into the outfield, though, might not be happening.

“He’s a great teammate,” Roberts said. “He wants to help us win with a championship. So I’m all about it.

“I don’t know if [the outfield is] going to happen.”

No, Shohei Ohtani isn’t going to start playing in the outfield for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season.

At least, probably not.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts essentially shut that idea down on Tuesday after the team’s 9-6 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, just days after Ohtani told reporters that he’d be open to helping in the outfield when he isn’t on the mound or serving as the team’s designated hitter.

“He hasn’t played the outfield [for us], but I appreciate the fact that he’s open to whatever we need,” Roberts said, via MLB.com. “So, I don’t know how that looks, though. He hasn’t taken a fly ball all year.”

This idea isn’t coming out of thin air. It was floated by Ohtani this week, and he said it has “come up” internally recently as the team prepares for the postseason.

“As a player, if I’m told to go somewhere, I want to be prepared to do so,” he said. “That’s on the mound and perhaps even in the outfield.”

Ohtani’s outfield experience, as Roberts noted, is extremely limited. He hasn’t played there since his time with the Los Angeles Angels, and even then, he made only six outfield appearances in Anaheim.

While Ohtani has more than proven himself as an elite baseball player, throwing him into the outfield in the playoffs with little prep might not be the smartest idea for the Dodgers — especially considering that Ohtani just got back on the mound after several surgeries that forced him to be only the team’s designated hitter for his entire first season with the franchise.

Ohtani threw five hitless innings on Tuesday, and he hit his 50th home run of the season — a milestone he has now reached in back-to-back campaigns. He has a .282 batting average with 94 RBI, too.

The Dodgers enter Wednesday’s game with an 84-67 record, which has them in first in the NL West by two games over the San Diego Padres.

As for Ohtani’s willingness to play anywhere in order to help the Dodgers back up their World Series title this fall, Roberts is all for it. Actually getting Ohtani into the outfield, though, might not be happening.

“He’s a great teammate,” Roberts said. “He wants to help us win with a championship. So I’m all about it.

“I don’t know if [the outfield is] going to happen.”