NCAA Scholarship Limits Are Now Roster Limits
Starting with 2025-26, Division I schools in the House settlement stopped counting scholarships by sport. Here is the official roster-limit table, who it covers, and what it means for a recruit.
The House settlement in plain language
On June 6, 2025, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken gave final approval to the House v. NCAA settlement. It lets schools share up to $20.5 million with athletes in 2025-26, and pays $2.8 billion over 10 years to athletes who missed out on NIL money in the past. CBS Sports
On June 23, 2025, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors adopted the rule changes, effective July 1, 2025. In the NCAA's words, Division I rules "will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits." Each sport has a roster limit instead, and schools may offer scholarships to any athlete on that roster. NCAA.org
Who the limits apply to
The roster limits bind Division I schools in the five defendant conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) and other Division I schools that opt in to the settlement. Roster limits do not apply in Division II or Division III. NCAA settlement Q&A
A Division I school that does not opt in may still give aid in any amount per athlete, but if its team total goes above the old 2024-25 limit (for example, 11.7 equivalencies in baseball), it becomes subject to the settlement terms. NCAA settlement Q&A
Division I roster limits by sport
These are the limits in NCAA Bylaw 17.2 as adopted in Proposal 2025-11 (adopted final June 6, 2025, effective July 1, 2025). A roster limit is the most athletes a team can carry; it is not a promise of that many scholarships. NCAA legislative database
| Sport | Men's roster limit | Women's roster limit |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics and tumbling | Not a men's/women's sport here | 55 |
| Baseball | 34 | Not a men's/women's sport here |
| Basketball | 15 | 15 |
| Beach volleyball | Not a men's/women's sport here | 19 |
| Bowling | Not a men's/women's sport here | 11 |
| Cross country | 17 | 17 |
| Equestrian | Not a men's/women's sport here | 50 |
| Fencing | 24 | 24 |
| Field hockey | Not a men's/women's sport here | 27 |
| Football | 105 | Not a men's/women's sport here |
| Golf | 9 | 9 |
| Gymnastics | 20 | 20 |
| Ice hockey | 26 | 26 |
| Indoor track and field | 45 | 45 |
| Lacrosse | 48 | 38 |
| Outdoor track and field | 45 | 45 |
| Rifle (men's and women's) | 12 | 12 |
| Rowing | Not a men's/women's sport here | 68 |
| Rugby | Not a men's/women's sport here | 36 |
| Skiing | 16 | 16 |
| Soccer | 28 | 28 |
| Softball | Not a men's/women's sport here | 25 |
| Stunt | Not a men's/women's sport here | 65 |
| Swimming and diving | 30 | 30 |
| Tennis | 10 | 10 |
| Triathlon | Not a men's/women's sport here | 14 |
| Volleyball | 18 | 18 |
| Water polo | 24 | 24 |
| Wrestling | 30 | 30 |
Football's single limit of 105 covers the sport as listed in the bylaw. Rifle is one co-ed sport with a limit of 12. Indoor track, outdoor track and cross country are separate sports with separate limits.
Grandfathered athletes
Athletes who were on a 2024-25 roster or recruited before April 7, 2025, and who would have been cut because of the new limits, can be named "designated student-athletes." They don't count against the limit for the rest of their eligibility.
Full or partial is up to the school
The NCAA's Q&A says Division I schools are not required to give full scholarships in any sport. Aid can be full or partial, up to the individual limit.
Conferences can go lower
A Division I conference may set a lower roster limit than the settlement's, but not below that sport's old Division I scholarship limit.
Questions to ask a Division I coach now
- Is your school opted in to the settlement? That decides whether roster limits or the old scholarship caps apply.
- How many scholarships does this program actually fund? The cap is gone, but budgets aren't unlimited. A sport with a 28-player roster limit might fund some, all or none of those spots.
- Is the offer full or partial, and for how many years? The NCAA says Division I can offer multiyear, cost-of-attendance scholarships. NCAA guide
- Where would I sit on the roster? Every spot counts toward the limit, including walk-ons, so walk-on roles may be scarcer than before.
- What happens if the school wants to reduce or cancel my aid? The NCAA requires written notice by July 1 and an on-campus appeal process. NCAA guide
The NCAA says the changes will "more than double" the possible number of scholarships for women. Whether that happens on a given team depends on how each school spends. NCAA.org
Not aiming for Division I?
Division II, NAIA and junior colleges still use per-sport aid limits. Compare them side by side.
Common questions
What are the NCAA scholarship limits for 2025-26?
At Division I schools in the House settlement, there are no sport-specific scholarship limits for 2025-26. Each sport has a roster limit instead, such as 34 in baseball, 28 in soccer, 15 in basketball and 105 in football.
Does a roster limit mean every player gets a scholarship?
No. A roster limit is the most athletes a team may carry. The school decides how many of those athletes get aid, and how much.
Do roster limits apply to Division II and Division III?
No. The NCAA's settlement Q&A says roster limits apply to Division I schools in the defendant conferences and to Division I schools that opt in.
What is a designated student-athlete?
An athlete a school says was or would have been removed from its 2025-26 roster because of the new limits, and who was on the 2024-25 squad list or recruited before April 7, 2025. They don't count toward the limit for the rest of their eligibility.