ROSTER LIMITS
Roster and Scholarship Limits
On June 23, 2025, the Division I Board of Directors adopted changes to NCAA rules about scholarship limits as part of the settlement of a class-action lawsuit.
Beginning with the 2025-26 school year, rules for Division I programs will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits. Instead, schools that opt in to the settlement rules will have roster limits, and schools will have the option to offer scholarships to any and all of those student-athletes.
The change dramatically increased the number of scholarships potentially available to Division I student-athletes, as seen in the table below.
Division I Roster Limits
* Note: The new scholarship number assumes that schools that opt in to the agreement will fully fund each of their teams. In reality, each school determines its own athletic budget, so that even within the same conference there can be wide fluctuations on the number of scholarships that member-schools offer to each of their teams.
| Sport | Roster Cap 2025-26 | Roster Size 2022-23 | Difference | Scholarship Limits 2024-25 | Difference* |
| Acro & Tumbling (W) | 55 | 38.3 | +16.7 | 14 | +41 |
| Baseball (M) | 34 | 39.7 | -5.7 | 11.7 | +22.3 |
| Basketball (M) | 15 | 15.7 | -0.7 | 13 | +2 |
| Basketball (W) | 15 | 14.5 | +0.5 | 15 | 0 |
| Beach Volleyball (W) | 19 | 17.8 | +1.2 | 6 | +13 |
| Bowling (W) | 11 | 8.9 | +2.1 | 5 | +6 |
| Cross Country (M) | 17 | 15.8 | +1.2 | 5 | +12 |
| Cross Country (W) | 17 | 16.6 | +0.4 | 6 | +11 |
| Equestrian (W) | 50 | 39.2 | +10.8 | 15 | +35 |
| Fencing (M) | 24 | 18.3 | +5.7 | 4.5 | +19.5 |
| Fencing (W) | 24 | 18 | +6 | 5 | +19 |
| Field Hockey (W) | 27 | 25 | +2 | 12 | +15 |
| Football (FBS) (M) | 105 | 128.2 | -23.2 | 85 | +20 |
| Golf (M) | 9 | 9.8 | -0.8 | 4.5 | +4.5 |
| Golf (W) | 9 | 8.5 | +0.5 | 6 | +3 |
| Gymnastics (M) | 20 | 20.8 | -0.8 | 6.3 | +13.7 |
| Gymnastics (W) | 20 | 20.7 | -0.7 | 12 | +8 |
| Ice Hockey (M) | 26 | 28.4 | -2.4 | 18 | +8 |
| Ice Hockey (W) | 26 | 25.8 | +0.2 | 18 | +8 |
| Lacrosse (M) | 48 | 50.8 | -2.8 | 12.6 | +35.4 |
| Lacrosse (W) | 38 | 34.3 | +3.7 | 12 | +26 |
| Rifle (M/W) | 12 | 6.7 | +5.3 | 3.6 | +8.4 |
| Rowing (W) | 68 | 57.1 | +10.9 | 20 | +48 |
| Rugby (W) | 36 | 38 | -2 | +36 | |
| Skiing (M) | 16 | 14.5 | +1.5 | 6.3 | +9.7 |
| Skiing (W) | 16 | 13.3 | +2.7 | 7 | +9 |
| Soccer (M) | 28 | 31.7 | -3.7 | 9.9 | +18.1 |
| Soccer (W) | 28 | 30.4 | -2.4 | 14 | +14 |
| Softball (W) | 25 | 22.8 | +2.2 | 12 | +13 |
| Stunt (M/W) | 65 | 56 | +9 | 14 | +51 |
| Swim & Dive (M) | 30 | 29.2 | +0.8 | 9.9 | +20.1 |
| Swim & Dive (W) | 30 | 30.7 | -0.7 | 14 | +16 |
| Tennis (M) | 10 | 10.1 | -0.1 | 4.5 | +5.5 |
| Tennis (W) | 10 | 9.2 | +0.8 | 8 | +2 |
| Track & Field Indoor (M) | 45 | 39.1 | +5.9 | 12.6 | +32.4 |
| Track & Field Indoor (W) | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 | 18 | +27 |
| Track & Field Outdoor (M) | 45 | 39.1 | +5.9 | 12.6 | +32.4 |
| Track & Field Outdoor (W) | 45 | 39.9 | +5.1 | 18 | +27 |
| Triathlon (W) | 14 | 8.9 | +5.1 | 6.5 | +7.5 |
| Volleyball (M) | 18 | 21.1 | -3.1 | 4.5 | +13.5 |
| Volleyball (W) | 18 | 17.3 | +0.7 | 12 | +6 |
| Water Polo (M) | 24 | 25.6 | -1.6 | 4.5 | +19.5 |
| Water Polo (W) | 24 | 22.7 | +1.3 | 8 | +16 |
| Wrestling (M) | 30 | 34.7 | -4.7 | 9.9 | +20.1 |
| Wrestling (W) | 30 | 16.5 | +13.5 | 10 | +20 |
Other Scholarship Limits
All Division II programs and Division I schools that do not opt in to the new agreement will continue with the NCAA’s previous scholarship limits.
| Sport | Scholarship Limits 2025-26 |
| Acro & Tumbling (W) | 14 |
| Baseball (M) | 11.7 |
| Basketball (M) | 13 |
| Basketball (W) | 15 |
| Beach Volleyball (W) | 6 |
| Bowling (W) | 5 |
| Cross Country (M) | 5 |
| Cross Country (W) | 6 |
| Equestrian (W) | 15 |
| Fencing (M) | 4.5 |
| Fencing (W) | 5 |
| Field Hockey (W) | 12 |
| Football (FBS) (M) | 85 |
| Golf (M) | 4.5 |
| Golf (W) | 6 |
| Gymnastics (M) | 6.3 |
| Gymnastics (W) | 12 |
| Ice Hockey (M) | 18 |
| Ice Hockey (W) | 18 |
| Lacrosse (M) | 12.6 |
| Lacrosse (W) | 12 |
| Rifle (M/W) | 3.6 |
| Rowing (W) | 20 |
| Rugby (W) | |
| Skiing (M) | 6.3 |
| Skiing (W) | 7 |
| Soccer (M) | 9.9 |
| Soccer (W) | 14 |
| Softball (W) | 12 |
| Stunt (M/W) | 14 |
| Swim & Dive (M) | 9.9 |
| Swim & Dive (W) | 14 |
| Tennis (M) | 4.5 |
| Tennis (W) | 8 |
| Track & Field Indoor (M) | 12.6 |
| Track & Field Indoor (W) | 18 |
| Track & Field Outdoor (M) | 12.6 |
| Track & Field Outdoor (W) | 18 |
| Triathlon (W) | 6.5 |
| Volleyball (M) | 4.5 |
| Volleyball (W) | 12 |
| Water Polo (M) | 4.5 |
| Water Polo (W) | 8 |
| Wrestling (M) | 9.9 |
| Wrestling (W) | 10 |
