There are several layers to the landmark NCAA v. House settlement, and although it won’t be up for final approval until April, some of its effects are already been felt by prospective student-athletes.
The impact of the proposed roster limits across all sports, which comes as the settlement removes caps on scholarships, was immediately felt last month during National Signing Day, with teams telling recruits guaranteed roster spots were no longer available.
Although roster limits will surely be impacting swimming & diving in future seasons, are there other collegiate sports being hit harder by the new guidelines?
Diving deep into the numbers, using research provided by Opendorse‘s Braly Keller, we can take a look at the proposed roster limits across each sport along with the average roster sizes for the 2022-23 season.
PROPOSED ROSTER LIMITS VS AVERAGE ROSTER SIZE (22-23)
| Sport | Proposed Roster Cap | 2022-23 Average Roster Size | Difference |
| Acro & Tumbling | 55 | 38.3 | +16.7 |
| Baseball | 34 | 39.7 | -5.7 |
| Men’s Basketball | 15 | 15.7 | -0.7 |
| Women’s Basketball | 15 | 14.5 | +0.5 |
| Women’s Beach Volleyball | 19 | 17.8 | +1.2 |
| Women’s Bowling | 11 | 8.9 | +2.1 |
| Men’s Cross Country | 17 | 15.8 | 1.2 |
| Women’s Cross County | 17 | 16.6 | +0.4 |
| Women’s Equestrian | 50 | 39.2 | +10.8 |
| Men’s Fencing | 24 | 18.3 | +5.7 |
| Women’s Fencing | 24 | 18 | +6 |
| Women’s Field Hockey | 27 | 25 | +2 |
| Football (FBS) | 105 | 128.2 | -23.2 |
| Men’s Golf | 9 | 9.8 | -0.8 |
| Women’s Golf | 9 | 8.5 | +0.5 |
| Men’s Gymnastics | 20 | 20.8 | -0.8 |
| Women’s Gymnastics | 20 | 20.7 | -0.7 |
| Men’s Ice Hockey | 26 | 28.4 | -2.4 |
| Women’s Ice Hockey | 26 | 25.8 | +0.2 |
| Men’s Indoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.1 | +5.9 |
| Women’s Indoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 |
| Men’s Lacrosse | 48 | 50.8 | -2.8 |
| Women’s Lacrosse | 38 | 34.3 | +3.7 |
| Men’s Outdoor Track & Field | 45 | 39 | +6 |
| Women’s Outdoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 |
| Rifle | 12 | 6.7 | +5.3 |
| Women’s Rowing | 68 | 57.1 | +10.9 |
| Women’s Rugby | 36 | 38 | -2 |
| Men’s Skiing | 16 | 14.5 | +1.5 |
| Women’s Skiing | 16 | 13.3 | +2.7 |
| Men’s Soccer | 28 | 31.7 | -3.7 |
| Women’s Soccer | 28 | 30.4 | -2.4 |
| Softball | 25 | 22.8 | +2.2 |
| Stunt | 65 | 56 | +9 |
| Men’s Swim & Dive | 30 | 29.2 | +0.8 |
| Women’s Swim & Dive | 30 | 30.7 | -0.7 |
| Men’s Tennis | 10 | 10.1 | -0.1 |
| Women’s Tennis | 10 | 9.2 | +0.8 |
| Women’s Triathlon | 14 | 8.9 | +5.1 |
| Men’s Volleyball | 18 | 21.1 | -3.1 |
| Women’s Volleyball | 18 | 17.3 | +0.7 |
| Men’s Water Polo | 24 | 25.6 | -1.6 |
| Women’s Water Polo | 24 | 22.7 | +1.3 |
| Men’s Wrestling | 30 | 34.7 | -4.7 |
| Women’s Wrestling | 30 | 16.5 | +13.5 |
The data tells us that the roster limits are negatively impacting a few select sports as a whole, while nearly two-thirds (29 of 45) actually had a lower average roster two seasons ago than what the proposed limit will be.
Football is far and away the sport with the biggest roster in the NCAA with an average of 128.2 players on each team in 2022-23, and it will be hit hardest with the proposed limit of 105 meaning more than 23 players will lose a spot per team next season.
Another one of the major college sports, baseball, is also getting hit by losing nearly six roster spots per team, down from an average of 39.7 two years ago to 34.
SPORTS LOSING ROSTER SPOTS (V. 22-23)
| Sport | Proposed Roster Cap | 2022-23 Average Roster Size | Difference |
| Football (FBS) | 105 | 128.2 | -23.2 |
| Baseball | 34 | 39.7 | -5.7 |
| Men’s Wrestling | 30 | 34.7 | -4.7 |
| Men’s Soccer | 28 | 31.7 | -3.7 |
| Men’s Volleyball | 18 | 21.1 | -3.1 |
| Men’s Lacrosse | 48 | 50.8 | -2.8 |
| Men’s Ice Hockey | 26 | 28.4 | -2.4 |
| Women’s Soccer | 28 | 30.4 | -2.4 |
| Women’s Rugby | 36 | 38.0 | -2 |
| Men’s Water Polo | 24 | 25.6 | -1.6 |
| Men’s Golf | 9 | 9.8 | -0.8 |
| Men’s Gymnastics | 20 | 20.8 | -0.8 |
| Men’s Basketball | 15 | 15.7 | -0.7 |
| Women’s Gymnastics | 20 | 20.7 | -0.7 |
| Women’s Swim & Dive | 30 | 30.7 | -0.7 |
| Men’s Tennis | 10 | 10.1 | -0.1 |
SPORTS GAINING ROSTER SPOTS (V. 22-23)
| Sport | Proposed Roster Cap | 2022-23 Average Roster Size | Difference |
| Acro & Tumbling | 55 | 38.3 | +16.7 |
| Women’s Wrestling | 30 | 16.5 | +13.5 |
| Women’s Rowing | 68 | 57.1 | +10.9 |
| Women’s Equestrian | 50 | 39.2 | +10.8 |
| Stunt | 65 | 56.0 | +9 |
| Women’s Fencing | 24 | 18.0 | +6 |
| Men’s Outdoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.0 | +6 |
| Men’s Indoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.1 | +5.9 |
| Men’s Fencing | 24 | 18.3 | +5.7 |
| Rifle | 12 | 6.7 | +5.3 |
| Women’s Indoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 |
| Women’s Outdoor Track & Field | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 |
| Women’s Triathlon | 14 | 8.9 | +5.1 |
| Women’s Lacrosse | 38 | 34.3 | +3.7 |
| Women’s Skiing | 16 | 13.3 | +2.7 |
| Softball | 25 | 22.8 | +2.2 |
| Women’s Bowling | 11 | 8.9 | +2.1 |
| Women’s Field Hockey | 27 | 25.0 | +2 |
| Men’s Skiing | 16 | 14.5 | +1.5 |
| Women’s Water Polo | 24 | 22.7 | +1.3 |
| Women’s Beach Volleyball | 19 | 17.8 | +1.2 |
| Men’s Cross Country | 17 | 15.8 | +1.2 |
| Men’s Swim & Dive | 30 | 29.2 | +0.8 |
| Women’s Tennis | 10 | 9.2 | +0.8 |
| Women’s Volleyball | 18 | 17.3 | +0.7 |
| Women’s Basketball | 15 | 14.5 | +0.5 |
| Women’s Golf | 9 | 8.5 | +0.5 |
| Women’s Cross County | 17 | 16.6 | +0.4 |
| Women’s Ice Hockey | 26 | 25.8 | +0.2 |
On paper, swimming & diving teams aren’t being affected significantly, as their average roster size from the 2022-23 season is very similar to the new limit of 30 per team.
However, zooming in, some teams will obviously be affected more than others. The average men’s roster size in 2023-24 was approximately 26, but the Florida Gators, for example, had 41 men on their team. The average women’s roster was closer to 33 athletes, so women’s teams will be required to cut an average of three athletes next season, and it will be a lot more for some.
Looking at other Summer Olympic sports, men’s wrestling, soccer, volleyball and water polo are all expected to lose more than one roster spot per team, while for the women, soccer and rugby are the two sports hit the hardest.
According to ESPN, football, baseball and women’s soccer will all need to shed more than 1,000 athletes from their Division I ranks if the settlement goes through.
As outlined by Keller on X, if we take out football, the average roster size change is an extra 2.3 spots per team. More than a third of the 62 total roster spots being lost come from football, while there are 140 roster spots being added.
•Avg Roster Size Change: +1.7
•Avg Roster Size Change (minus FB): +2.3
•Tot Roster Spots Added: +140
•Tot Roster Spots Lost: -62
•Most Added: Acro & Tumbling (+17), W Wrestling (+14), W Rowing / W Equestrian (+11)
•Most Lost: Football (-24), Baseball (-6), M Wrestling (-5)— Braly Keller (@BralyKeller) October 25, 2024
There could be an overall reduction of close to 10,000 roster spots in Division I, according to ESPN, if all of the sports that are gaining roster spots (relative to the previous average) don’t actually get any bigger and stay the same.
The roster limits were determined in the summer, as the commissioners of the Power conferences met in late June to compare roster numbers gathered from their members before they met with NCAA lawyers in early July to negotiate the final roster limits.
Steve Berman, the co-counsel of the plaintiffs’ attorney Jeffrey Kessler, told ESPN they were hoping for roster sizes to be as big as possible and were pleased where the final numbers landed.
“I think what we’ve negotiated is fair because on the whole more athletes are going to get more money than before in those sports,” Berman said.
The NCAA v. House settlement was granted preliminary approval in October and will be up for final approval in April 2025.
