Power conference commissioners finalized new roster-size limits which will increase scholarship counts for multiple sports – notably including football, baseball, softball, volleyball, and small increases for men’s and women’s basketball.
The figures were told to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo! Sports under condition of anonymity.
The new revenue-sharing model going into effect in 2025-26 will eliminate by-sport scholarship restrictions, meaning schools can offer scholarships to the entire of their rosters – although this will not be final until the approval of settlement terms with the House.
Football is expected to see an increase in roster limit from 85 up to 105, while baseball goes from 11.7 to 34, softball from 12 to 25, and volleyball from 12 to 18.
Basketball on both the men’s and women’s side will increase from 13 to 15.
Details for other sports are expected in the settlement paperwork for three antitrust cases, including the House v. NCAA lawsuit.
Another key change will be the scholarship structure, where all sports will now be considered equivalency sports. This means partial scholarships can be distributed to players in all sports. Previously football and basketball were considered ‘head-count sports’ which meant players had to be on full scholarship.
These and other key changes have a dramatic impact on budgets all across the college athletics landscape, and the full scope of these ramifications – positive or negative – will start to be felt soon as lawsuits begin to get settled.