The portal isn't publicly accessible; rather, coaches and administrators have logins. Coaches usually have view-only access to the information, which they can filter by any of the database fields entered and export the information. Coaches are able to create a watch list in the portal.

Entering the transfer portal does not automatically mean you will be picked up by another school that semester. If you cannot transfer in the same semester you enter the portal, you need to be ready to cover the cost of tuition without your athletic scholarship, should it be reassigned to another teammate.

Universities found to have seriously violated NCAA rules have occasionally been penalized with a "television ban"; the effect can equal that of the "death penalty". The sanction is rarely applied except for the most egregious of circumstances, such as the Southern Methodist University football scandal.