Saturday, July 5 2025

On June 23, 2025, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors passed a landmark rule change: sport-specific scholarship limits will be abolished for schools opting into the House v. NCAA settlement. Instead, institutions must now adhere to maximum roster-size caps for each sport, but are free to award scholarships to any or all rostered athletes. The reforms take effect July 1, 2025.

Why This Matters

  • Scholarship flexibility: Coaches can decide how many scholarships to award—full or partial—without being constrained by old sport-specific caps.
  • Roster management: Roster limits aim to prevent schools from inflating team sizes to capitalize on new NIL revenue without adding coaching/staff support.
  • Gender equity boost: The change is expected to more than double women’s scholarships in many sports, helping level the playing field.

Per NCSA, adjustments reflect historical average roster sizes, ensuring the new limits are realistic and manageable — especially in football, where the cap rises from 85 to 105.

New Maximum Roster Limits (2025–26)

Sport (Division I)Old Scholarship LimitNew Roster Limit
Tumbling (W)1455
Baseball (M)11.734
Basketball (M)1315
Basketball (W)1515
Beach Volleyball (W)619
Cross Country (M)517
Cross Country (W)617
Field Hockey (W)1227
Football (M)85105
Golf (M)4.59
Golf (W)69
Gymnastics (M)6.320
Gymnastics (W)1220
Ice Hockey (M)1826
Ice Hockey (W)1826
Track (M)12.645
Track (W)1845
Lacrosse (M)12.648
Lacrosse (W)1238
Rowing (W)2068
Soccer (M)9.928
Soccer (W)1428
Softball (W)1225
Stunt (M/W)1465
Swim (M)9.930
Swim (W)1430
Tennis (M)4.510
Tennis (W)810
Triathlon (W)6.514
Volleyball (M)4.518
Volleyball (W)1218
Water Polo (M)4.524
Water Polo (W)824
Wrestling (M)9.930
Wrestling (W)1030

Broader Implications

  1. Impact on Walk-Ons: With full scholarship coverage possible, many walk-ons could be replaced by fully-funded athletes. Teams will need to balance roster limits against resource constraints.
  2. Financial Rebalancing: Departments must prepare for potentially tens of millions in new scholarship funding. Some schools are already adjusting budgets to support expanded scholarships.
  3. Gender Equity: Earlier scholarship caps often favored men’s revenue sports. These roster limits could lead to more equitable investment in women’s programs.
  4. Legal and Compliance Aspects: The settlement grandfathers current athletes, protecting their roster spots even if teams later shrink. NIL deal transparency rules also take effect alongside these reforms.

 Timeline

  • House settlement court approval: June?5,?2025
  • NCAA Board vote and formal adoption: June?23,?2025
  • Reforms take effect: July?1,?2025

Conclusion

The NCAA’s shift from scholarship caps to roster limits marks a seismic change in college athletics. By empowering schools with flexibility while maintaining roster discipline, these reforms are set to reshape recruiting, financial planning, and athlete opportunities—ushering in a truly new era of college sports.


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