Can you imagine a world without walk-ons in college football?
Well, at least we're considering it.
As part of a proposed new athlete compensation model, power conference leaders are considering significantly reducing football rosters, moving from 115-plus player rosters to 85-95 player rosters. there's a possibility that. This number (85) matches the maximum number of scholarships allowed under NCAA rules.
The concept, which was circulated throughout the management board last week, is part of what could be a sweeping and historic transformation of the industry in the coming months, all of which stems from the settlement of various antitrust lawsuits. It is rooted in consensus. Settlements in these cases (House, Hubbard, Carter) are expected to include up to $2.9 billion in compensation to former players, a future revenue-sharing model with current players, and a review of NCAA scholarship and roster structures. has been done.
Negotiations over the settlement are so deep that NCAA and university leaders plan a new compensation model that includes a generous revenue-sharing concept that would see schools distribute more than $20 million annually to athletes starting as early as 2025. is coming out.
A hidden but impactful part of the proposed new model is the addition of roster limits by sport and expanded scholarships. The model features new roster limits, but eliminates scholarship limits by allowing schools to extend financial aid across athletic roster positions.
For example, under current rules, the NCAA allows schools to distribute 11.7 scholarships across a 32-man baseball roster. A potential new model would allow schools to distribute full scholarships to all 32 spots if they so choose.
However, new enrollment limits for baseball or other sports are not defined. Officials briefed on the matter cautioned that the idea is still under consideration. The conversation is steadily evolving.
The numbers on the football roster continue to be hotly debated, but the plan, which has been discussed with administrators and coaching staff, includes cutting up to 35 spots from the 120-man football roster. The initiative would eliminate all walk-on positions at most power schools, but would not require programs to offer scholarships to up to 85 NCAA players.
This movement is rooted in legality. Allowing scholarship expansion is a way to avoid future antitrust lawsuits related to athlete restrictions. It also gives schools the freedom to balance Title IX, a federal law that requires equal benefits for male and female athletes. Setting football roster limits is intended to (1) reduce expenses in the face of rising athlete revenue sharing costs, and (2) instill the concept of cost containment to limit schools' scholarship distribution. This is an initiative that aims to do both.
News that football rosters could grow to 85 players was met with backlash last week after league commissioners shared the news with athletic directors and coaches. Oddly enough, the NCAA recently raised the football player enrollment limit for his preseason camps from his 110 to 120 players. Typically, most programs have 100 to 120 players on a team. NCAA rules prohibit more than 70 different players from participating in one of his games.
In fact, lowering the roster numbers would bring the FBS more in line with other divisions and even professional sports. In FCS, with a roster size of 85 he allows 63 players to receive partial scholarships. In the NFL, the franchise has 53 of his players on the active roster, and he has an additional 16 on the practice squad. The offseason roster will be even bigger.
While football scholarship amounts may remain the same even as roster size shrinks, other sports are expected to see increases. Schools are not required to expand scholarships, but in a competitive job market, it is common to expand scholarships when the opportunity arises.
For example, the SEC has long encouraged NCAA leaders to expand baseball's scholarship quota to 11.7. If such restrictions were lifted, baseball rosters could expand with more financial aid. Similarly, women's sports could see an increase in scholarships as administrators strive to meet Title IX.
Three Power Four athletic administrators from the Big 12, ACC and SEC told Yahoo Sports they are budgeting between $8 million and $10 million annually in additional scholarship costs. Already, schools spend more on scholarships than on any other expenditure, excluding salaries and equipment. Scholarship spending at the Power League level averages $15.4 million, about one-eighth of an athletic department's budget, according to figures compiled by the Knight Committee.
The good news for administrators is that a portion of the additional scholarship costs, likely worth $3 million, could count toward the revenue-sharing cap. “But,” one athletic administrator said, “do you want the cap to be higher or lower?” The answer is likely to be determined based on the school's resource level.
The future of comparable scholarships is also somewhat unresolved.
The NCAA distinguishes between sports based on “number of horses” and “parity.” Athletes in high-volume sports such as basketball, soccer, and women's gymnastics receive only full scholarships (or no scholarship at all if they are walk-ons). Those who play comparable sports such as baseball, track and field, or swimming may receive partial scholarships.
The NCAA does not impose caps on enrollment for most sports, except baseball, as it does for scholarships. Directories are usually set up by the institution itself. There are only six sports with more competitors: women's basketball (13 scholarships), gymnastics (12), volleyball (12), and tennis (8). and men's soccer (85) and basketball (13). All other sports are comparable, and small scholarships are usually sprinkled among large sports teams. The range is wide, from her 20 scholarships in women's rowing to her 3.6 scholarships in men's rifle, and everything else in between.
The value of scholarships varies widely, as do the ways in which athletic departments fund them. At some universities, the athletic department helps with scholarship discounts, while other universities require the athletic department to pay the full cost of the scholarship to the academic side.
