Understanding the Proposed NCAA Scholarship Limits: What It May Mean for Your Student-Athletes
Updated on Feb 3, 2025
The NCAA is proposing changes to team rosters and scholarship limits that will significantly impact college sports and in some cases create more opportunities for high school graduates to compete at the next level and in other cases may reduce opportunities.
Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, the NCAA has proposed legislation to expand roster size across various sports, as well as increase the number of available athletic scholarships that universities are allowed to grant student-athletes. This would eliminate the concept of headcount sports, which previously required granting either a full scholarship or no scholarship for each rostered student-athlete in the headcount sport.
Instead, all NCAA sports will be designated as equivalency sports. Equivalency for all sports allows each athletic program to freely determine what fraction of a scholarship they will give to each student-athlete within the maximum scholarship limits.
More or Fewer College Access and Opportunities for Students?
The newly proposed NCAA roster and scholarship limits are designed to increase access and opportunities for more student-athletes to pursue their academic and athletic goals. By expanding limits to how many student-athletes are allowed on a team roster, more high school athletes – who may have been on the edge of playing college sports based on financial needs – may now have the chance to join teams and compete at the next level.
Honest Insight: The repercussions of the scholarship and roster updates will vary by college or university. Schools may increase their roster limits without increasing the available scholarship dollars. We might also see more rostered student-athletes receiving smaller scholarship packages. Or, it could result in more walk-on rostered student-athletes receiving zero athletic aid.
Honest Game recommends casting a wider net as students look for opportunities to play college sports, as some schools may increase roster limits without increasing scholarship dollars right away.
Understanding the New NCAA Scholarship and Roster Limits
In the proposed model, NCAA schools are permitted to offer a scholarship to each player on a sport’s roster up to the new roster limits. With the move, roughly 790 new scholarships are available across the 40-plus NCAA sports. According to Yahoo Sports, there were previously about 500 scholarships available under the old model; the new limits increase that number to over 1,200.
For example, football will see its scholarship cap rise from 85 to a roster limit of 105, possibly adding 20 more scholarships for schools willing to offer the maximum. Baseball, currently limited to 11.7 scholarships, will see a significant increase to a 34-player roster limit, translating to an additional 22.3 possible scholarships.
While some programs may need to reduce their roster down to 34 from a higher number, all could drastically increase the number of student-athletes who receive athletic aid, to as high as 34.
Furthermore, one of the biggest changes to the scholarship and roster limits is the removal of headcount sports. Now, all sports will be considered equivalency sports, meaning college coaches can choose to offer a range of scholarship amounts to rostered student-athletes.
Below is the list of proposed roster limits for 2025-2026:
| SPORT | SEX | OLD ROSTER # | NEW ROSTER # | INCREASE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | Men | 11.7 | 34 | 22.3 |
| Basketball | Women | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Basketball | Men | 13 | 15 | 2 |
| Beach volleyball | Women | 6 | 19 | 13 |
| Bowling | Women | 5 | 11 | 6 |
| Cross country | Women | 6 | 17 | 11 |
| Cross country | Men | 5 | 17 | 12 |
| Equestrian | Women | 15 | 50 | 35 |
| Fencing | Women | 5 | 24 | 19 |
| Fencing | Men | 4.5 | 24 | 19.5 |
| Field hockey | Women | 12 | 27 | 15 |
| Football | Men | 85 | 105 | 20 |
| Golf | Women | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Golf | Men | 4.5 | 9 | 4.5 |
| Gymnastics | Women | 12 | 20 | 8 |
| Gymnastics | Men | 6.3 | 20 | 13.7 |
| Ice hockey | Women | 18 | 26 | 8 |
| Ice hockey | Men | 18 | 26 | 8 |
| Lacrosse | Women | 12 | 38 | 26 |
| Lacrosse | Men | 12.6 | 48 | 35.4 |
| Rifle | Both | 3.6 | 12 | 8.4 |
| Rowing | Women | 20 | 68 | 48 |
| Skiing | Women | 7 | 16 | 9 |
| Skiing | Men | 6.3 | 16 | 9.7 |
| Soccer | Women | 14 | 28 | 14 |
| Soccer | Men | 9.9 | 28 | 18.1 |
| Softball | Women | 12 | 25 | 13 |
| Stunt | Both | 14 | 65 | 51 |
| Swim | Women | 14 | 30 | 16 |
| Swim | Men | 9.9 | 30 | 20.1 |
| Tennis | Women | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| Tennis | Men | 4.5 | 10 | 5.5 |
| Track | Women | 18 | 45 | 27 |
| Track | Men | 12.6 | 45 | 35.4 |
| Triathlon | Women | 6.5 | 14 | 7.5 |
| Tumbling | Women | 14 | 55 | 41 |
| Volleyball | Women | 12 | 18 | 6 |
| Volleyball | Men | 4.5 | 18 | 13.5 |
| Water polo | Women | 8 | 24 | 16 |
| Water polo | Men | 4.5 | 24 | 19.5 |
| Wrestling | Women | 10 | 30 | 20 |
| Wrestling | Men | 9.9 | 30 | 20.1 |
For schools, students, and their families, this presents an exciting development but also underscores the importance of being academically eligible to take advantage of these new opportunities.
Why Academic Eligibility Matters More Than Ever
With larger rosters and more scholarships available, academic eligibility is now in the spotlight because more is at stake. The NCAA requires student-athletes to meet certain academic standards to participate in college sports. These standards include a minimum NCAA Core GPA and completion of 16 NCAA-approved Core Courses, among other requirements.
Failing to meet these requirements can prevent a student-athlete from competing, regardless of their athletic abilities. Honest Game’s Academic Eligibility Guide outlines the steps to maintain eligibility, from planning out high school courses early to staying on top of academic performance throughout the school year. With increased opportunities to play, ensuring academic readiness is vital to prevent missing out due to eligibility issues.
Preparing for the Future: A Unified Approach
As the NCAA expands opportunities, the importance of academic preparation cannot be overstated. Honest Game provides guidance and resources to help student-athletes navigate this complex eligibility landscape, ensuring they are prepared to succeed both in the classroom and on the field.
Stay ahead of the curve with Honest Game! Let’s work together to ensure that you give your students the tools they need to succeed in this new era of college athletics.
By Joyce Anderson, Honest Game Co-founder and COO
Having served on the NCAA Eligibility Center High School Advisory Board and as the College Bound Student-Athlete Advisor at Evanston Township High School (Evanston, IL), Joyce has advised more than 2,000 high school student-athletes and families on academic eligibility and recruiting.
