Revenue sharing will be implemented in college football. Revenue sharing will impact the sport in a number of ways, including roster size. Now that players are being paid, universities are taking a closer look at roster size. Rosters are expected to be cut from 125 to 105 players. The upcoming roster limits could impact BYU's walk-on program.
It's rumored that the enrollment numbers going forward will be around 85-95, but recent reports say Ross Dellenger says the number is “expected to be around 105.”
Tony Petitti said the commissioner is finalizing roster sizes but did not provide details. As we reported last week, SEC coaches' comments indicate football rosters will be around 105 players. Baseball, per Greg Sankey, is expected to be in the mid-30s.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 23, 2024
At the start of fall camp, BYU has a roster of 123 players. In any scenario where the roster is reduced, the scholarship limit would remain at or increase at 85 players, so roster cuts would have the greatest impact on walk-ons. In BYU's case, if the roster were cut to 105 players, it would mean cutting 18 walk-ons currently on the roster.
Throughout BYU football history, the walk-on program has played a vital role at BYU, especially under head coach Kalani Sitake, which has seen former walk-ons such as Tyler Allgaier and Dax Milne go on to be selected in the NFL Draft.
While there are some headline-grabbing walk-on success stories, the vast majority of walk-ons don't pan out, and that's the reality of the challenges walk-ons must overcome before they can contribute at the FBS level.
With walk-on programs being cut, coaches are under even more pressure to improve their scholarship hit rates (the percentage of scholarship players who become starters and contributors). Scholarship hit rates are a challenge for any coaching staff, but especially for BYU. This issue dates back to the Sitake era and dates back to the days of Bronco Mendenhall at BYU.
Going forward, BYU will not be able to take on as many projects and will have to fill the holes with walk-ons. BYU's old defensive staff was especially guilty of relying too heavily on walk-ons. Going forward, the roster will need to be managed with more discipline. Best practices for roster management in college football may be similar to NFL roster management. Coaching staffs may need to identify players who have potential as future starters or future backups and allocate funds and roster spots accordingly. Position coaches will need to consider adding players with low ceilings but high potential on scholarships.
