Major increase in available athletic scholarships at NCAA I Schools:
As part of the House v NCAA settlement, scholarship limits have been removed, and roster caps have been established for each sport. As a result, participating schools can effectively offer full scholarships to all athletes up to the specific sport’s roster limit. Here is how the new scholarship and roster limits apply to each NCAA I Sport:
| Scholarship Limits per NCAA I Sport | Team | Prior limit | New limit | Increase Per team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's NCAA I Sports | ||||
| Baseball | M | 11.7 | 34 | 22.3 |
| Basketball | M | 13 | 15 | 2 |
| Cross Country | M | 5 | 17 | 12 |
| Fencing | M | 4.5 | 24 | 19.5 |
| Football | M | 85 | 105 | 20 |
| Golf | M | 4.5 | 9 | 4.5 |
| Gymnastics | M | 6.3 | 20 | 13.7 |
| Hockey | M | 18 | 26 | 8 |
| Lacrosse | M | 12.6 | 48 | 35.4 |
| Skiing | M | 6.3 | 16 | 9.7 |
| Soccer | M | 9.9 | 28 | 18.1 |
| Swimming | M | 9.9 | 30 | 20.1 |
| Tennis | M | 4.5 | 10 | 5.5 |
| Track & Field | M | 12.6 | 45 | 32.4 |
| Volleyball | M | 4.5 | 18 | 13.5 |
| Water Polo | M | 4.5 | 24 | 19.5 |
| Wrestling | M | 9.9 | 30 | 20.1 |
| Women's NCAA I Sports | ||||
| Acrobatics | W | 14 | 55 | 41 |
| Basketball | W | 15 | 15 | - |
| Beach Volleyball | W | 6 | 19 | 13 |
| Bowling | W | 5 | 11 | 6 |
| Cross Country | W | 6 | 17 | 11 |
| Equestrian | W | 15 | 50 | 35 |
| Fencing | W | 5 | 24 | 19 |
| Field Hockey | W | 12 | 27 | 15 |
| Golf | W | 6 | 9 | 3 |
| Gymnastics | W | 12 | 20 | 8 |
| Hockey | W | 18 | 26 | 8 |
| Lacrosse | W | 12 | 38 | 26 |
| Rowing | W | 20 | 68 | 48 |
| Rugby | W | 12 | 36 | 24 |
| Skiing | W | 7 | 16 | 9 |
| Soccer | W | 14 | 28 | 14 |
| Softball | W | 12 | 25 | 13 |
| Swimming | W | 14 | 30 | 16 |
| Tennis | W | 8 | 10 | 2 |
| Track & Field | W | 18 | 45 | 27 |
| Triathlon | W | 6.5 | 14 | 7.5 |
| Volleyball | W | 12 | 18 | 6 |
| Water Polo | W | 8 | 24 | 16 |
| Wrestling | W | 10 | 30 | 20 |
| Mixed / Coed Sports | ||||
| Rifle | Mix | 3.6 | 12 | 8.4 |
| Stunt | Mix | 14 | 65 | 51 |
Participation in the new scholarship and roster limits is optional. However, schools opting not to be subject to roster limits must adhere to the prior (lower) scholarship limits. Participating schools must submit certified rosters to the College Sports Commission. Additionally, all athletic scholarship awards are optional. Schools can fully fund a sport or award less than the maximum allowed.
The NCAA recognizes that revenue sharing will primarily benefit athletes in only a few sports. One of the primary objectives of the new scholarship model is to provide additional monetary awards for student-athletes participating in limited revenue sports. While Football and Men’s basketball will receive close to 90% of revenue sharing payments at most FBS schools, conversely, about 90% of the additional scholarship awards will go to athletes in Women’s and Men’s sports other than football and basketball.
We didn’t just make this stuff up … see our page on methodology and sources of information. Questions on our data? Contact us at: NIL-NCAA.com Statistics compiled & edited by Patrick O’Rourke, CPA Washington, DC 