NCAA Division I Roster and Scholarship Limits

I’m sure many of you have been tracking on the news that NCAA Division I will be imposing roster size limits and new scholarship limits for ALL sports starting in the 2025-26 academic year. This is due to a class-action lawsuit settlement that is known as the “House settlement.”

At the current time, Division I baseball is the ONLY sport that has a legislated roster size. However, ALL Division I sports will have a legislated roster limit starting next year.

Somewhat ironically, while roster spots will be eliminated in many sports, scholarship limits will be increasing in Division I sports due to the lawsuit settlement.

• Division I programs will have more scholarships available and more flexibility to provide full or partial scholarships to team members depending on a school’s funding capability.
• Note that Mid-major and smaller D1 universities will have the option to “opt out” of the House settlement and if they do so, they will be held to current scholarship limits in their sports.

For Fall sports programs starting next year:

• Schools must finalize their roster prior to the first date of competition that counts for championship selection. In other words, athletes may be allowed to participate in a preseason scrimmage or exhibition game before being cut from the final roster to reach a team’s limit.

For Winter and Spring sports starting next year:

• Schools must set their final roster no later than December 1 or the first contest that counts for championship selection in that sport, whichever is earlier.

The House settlement is not yet official and there may be changes to the settlement before it is finalized.

Do You Have Questions?

If you have questions about the potential impact of this settlement on a particular sport and how it could affect your student-athlete, schedule a confidential Scholarship Strategies Consult online, contact us at rick@informedathlete.com or call our office at 913-766-1235.