The process of securing college scholarships for athletes has always been complex but relatively stable. That stability has been disrupted by the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement, which introduces new roster limits for college teams. These changes have already impacted athletes, such as an Atlantic 10 soccer player who recently lost his roster spot. With a transfer portal expected to grow significantly and roster spaces shrinking, the situation is making it increasingly difficult for high school athletes to enter college sports.
The settlement replaces scholarship caps with roster limits, fundamentally changing how teams allocate resources. While schools can now choose to offer scholarships to all players on a team, the financial burden is immense. For example, Michigan’s athletic director estimated that fully funding all roster spots could add $29 million to already increasing expenses. Schools are now faced with difficult choices: fund fewer scholarships, reduce the size of teams, or seek additional funding from outside sources.
Smaller sports programs, often referred to as Olympic or non-revenue sports, are especially vulnerable under these new rules. Programs that traditionally relied on dividing scholarships among many athletes and supplementing rosters with walk-ons may now be forced to cut back or eliminate teams altogether. Wisconsin’s athletic director has estimated that the changes could result in the loss of 80 to 100 athletes on campus, while some schools are contemplating cuts to entire sports to balance their budgets.
Football and basketball, which generate most of the revenue for college athletic departments, continue to be treated differently. For instance, the SEC has chosen to maintain the 85-scholarship limit for football while allowing additional roster spots to be filled by walk-ons. Even so, these adjustments mean many football teams will end up with smaller rosters overall. This shift may diminish opportunities for walk-ons, potentially ending the tradition of underdog athletes earning their way onto teams.
The impact of these changes extends beyond college sports to international competitions, particularly the Olympics. The NCAA serves as a major talent pool for Olympic athletes, with many U.S. medalists and international competitors coming from collegiate programs. Shrinking rosters in Olympic sports could weaken this pipeline, potentially affecting the U.S.’s ability to maintain dominance in events like the Summer Games and reducing opportunities for athletes worldwide.
Despite the challenges, some observers see potential positives. Athletes who might not make it onto rosters at large programs could find success at smaller schools, and there is increasing awareness of the value of preserving Olympic sports. However, uncertainty looms as athletic departments adapt to the new rules. Most experts predict that stability will return in the years following the full implementation of the settlement in 2025-26, though the immediate future remains fraught with difficult decisions and unanswered questions.
