Max Scholarship Count to Match Roster Size
This one is a bit off the beaten path, I'll admit, but today's headline is relevant to the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics. Many of the sports we cover are some of those impacted most greatly by the draconian rules of scholarship limits. Earlier this week, according to the reporting of many, the NCAA Board of Governors agreed to eliminate the rule setting scholarship limits for each sport. This is, of course, part of the antitrust settlement issues the NCAA is facing with the United States legislature.
The diamond sports look to be among the largest gainers in this shift, as both baseball and softball will more than double their allowable scholarships. Softball, which has a maximum roster size of 25, could previously only offer a combined 12 scholarships. That will increase by 13 (quick math on a Saturday morning) and could make a big difference to a lot of players. Volleyball will also move from its previous max of 12 scholarships to 18. Baseball sees the largest jump, going from 11.7 maximum scholarships to 34.
For the remainder of the sports, there are still significant increases. Field hockey increases to 27 (from 12), lacrosse to 38 (12), rowing to 68 (20), soccer to 28 (14), swim and dive to 30 (14), and track and field to 45 (18). Women's basketball is an outlier, as the scholarship limit already matched the roster limit at 15.
Schools like UofL shouldn't face that issue. When men's basketball is competing at the level that is expected of them, Louisville has one of the most profitable athletics departments in the country. Athletics frequently paid money back into the general fund at the University. That has tipped a bit in recent years, due to outstanding financial obligations and reduced revenue from performance, but it seems likely that the athletics department will reach the light at the end of the fiscal tunnel soon. That means more money available for the new scholarship limits.
How these changes will be implemented and the impact they'll have on the teams we cover here at Cardinal Couple will become clear sooner rather than later. The proposed changes are set to take effect in the 2025-26 school year. I expect it to be an evolving situation, much like the rest of the college athletics scene as the NCAA's "amateurism" model continues to unravel. We'll be here to support the Cards regardless of what comes next.
Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast
Should be a fun show today. You get the opportunity to hear Jeff rant about the NCAA. What could be better than that? We'll have four, as Daryl galivants about at fine clothing establishments. Topics will include the NCAA, the Olympics, and whatever wild tangent we find ourselves chasing this week. You can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!
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Until next time, Go Cards!
Case
A classic case of "rich get richer" How many times have we seen a stuf dent-athlete at a small school rise to nationalm recognition because they were offered a scholarship after the "bu ig schools" ran out of them. Now, larger schools can stuff their rosters and the smaller schools will need a new way to get quality players...in my opinion. I hate this rule. It's the way of making sure UK remains UK nd Berea remains Berea in DI college sports.
ReplyDeleteNick O
I would love to see softball get a full roster of scholarship players. same for field hockey. I do feel though that 14 WBB scholaships will just creeate too many hassles on who should be playing and how many minutes.
ReplyDeleteBlue Lou