The size of college football rosters could be drastically reduced as part of a new proposal for player compensation.
A proposal being considered by power conference leaders could limit rosters to between 85 and 95 players, according to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports.
Dellenger noted that the initiative was brought forward as “part of what could be a fundamental and historic change” in college sports, based on settlement agreements in three antitrust lawsuits against the NCAA.
“The settlements in these cases (House, Hubbard, and Carter) include $2.9 billion in back damages for former players, a future revenue-sharing model with current players, and a review of the NCAA's scholarship and roster structure. “We expect that,” Delenger said. I have written.
Dellenger said settlement talks are “deep enough” that university executives and NCAA leaders have agreed to a “new compensation model” that would include schools distributing more than $20 million annually to athletes starting in 2025. “We are coming up with a plan.”
Under current rules, there is no strict limit on the number of players a soccer team can register. He can only have 70 players in one match. FBS teams are limited to 85 full scholarship players per year. The FCS program allows up to 63 full scholarship players per year.
A typical FBS roster can include 115 or more players in any given year. The new rules essentially limit the number of walk-ons a team can keep on the roster.
Dellenger said one potentially impactful part of the proposal could be “scholarship restrictions by allowing schools to extend financial aid across athletic roster positions.” It pointed out.
This could potentially allow other sports to receive more full scholarships. The example Delenger gave is baseball, where current NCAA rules allow for 11.7 scholarships per year. Under the new model, full scholarships could be distributed to all 32 roster spots on a team if schools choose.
Women's sports could also see increased scholarships under Title IX rules.
It's unclear whether roster limits for non-soccer sports would be changed under the proposal, but Dellenger wrote that it is still “under consideration” and that negotiations are “progressing steadily.”
The proposed 85-player roster limit “met with pushback” when conference commissioners shared it with athletic directors and coaches, Delenger said.
