My Thoughts on NCAA Roster Limits for DI Baseball

Being the parent of a former Division I baseball player, I have had particular interest in the baseball roster limits.  That interest has spurred a few thoughts that I’ll share with you about how the reduced baseball roster limits might change the game.

  •  The Power Four Division I Schools (Big 10, SEC, ACC, and Big 12) CANNOT opt-out of the new roster limits.  However, DI schools who are NOT Power Four, have the choice of opting-in or opting out.
  • Power Four Division I Schools AND Schools who have voluntarily opted in will be limited to 34-man rosters if the House Settlement is finalized as proposed.  Division 1 Schools who have opted out will have a 40-man roster limit.

There’s a possibility that the Power 4 Schools and those Schools who voluntarily opted-in will cancel some midweek games against schools who have opted out because they won’t want to burn their pitching staff in these games which could then affect a weekend series.

  • Will those programs with the 34-man roster limit now start to look more seriously for two-way players as they recruit from high school, JUCOs and the Transfer Portal?
  • Will they have more interest in guys that can pitch as well as hit and play a position in the field? 

This leads me to another thought about how this could possibly play out.

 

Players who become injured, especially the two-way players that I mentioned above, may have more difficulty being approved for a medical hardship waiver.

  • Let’s say that a pitcher damages a ligament in their elbow and can’t throw without pain but can still hit and run. 
  • If they were a pitcher only, they might be shut down for the rest of the season by the team doctor and might qualify for a medical hardship waiver. 
  • But, with the new reduced roster limits, if that pitcher still can provide value to the team for their hitting and/or pinch running, the coach may still want to use them in that role and the team doctor may say that the pitcher is still physically cleared and available to serve in those roles. 
  • In that case, that student-athlete won’t qualify for a medical hardship waiver.  

Do You Have Questions?

If you have questions about the rules and requirements for a medical hardship waiver and how  this could affect your student-athlete, schedule a confidential Waivers & Appeals Consult online, write to rick@informedathlete.com, or call our office at 913-766-1235. 

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