At long last, the transfer portal has some guardrails.

Emphasis on some.

The NCAA Board of Directors voted Wednesday to approve the implementation of transfer portal windows for all sports, effective immediately.

Fall sports like football will have a 45-day window that begins the day after championship selections are made (i.e., the College Football Playoff field) to submit a notice of transfer to their current school, and then another window from May 1-15. Winter sports will have a 60-day window that begins the day after championship selections are made (NCAA Tournament). Spring sports will have the same 45-day window, as well as a window from Dec. 1-15.

The NCAA says reasonable accommodations will be made for players whose teams are competing in the CFP. The legislation also “establishes exceptions” for players who go through a head coaching change at their current school, but it stops short of outlining what those exceptions are.

Maybe the change that will resonate with people throughout athletics most — particularly in college football — was the proposal the NCAA board did not approve. The group decided not to eliminate the one-time transfer rule and open up immediate eligibility to players who transfer more than once.

The concept was endorsed by the D1 council a month ago, opening the door to unlimited transfers. It was met with immediate pushback.

The release from the NCAA said the board would continue to study the impact of these new transfer rules on the landscape in both the short and long term.