The NCAA Division I baseball season is less than a week old, but coaches are already planning for 2026, when it’s all but certain scholarship limits will be removed, rosters will be downsized and players will have opportunities to make more money.
Coaches expect the fallout to be fewer opportunities for high school recruits at the highest levels of college baseball, especially if the NCAA adopts a proposal that would extend eligibility from four to five years. They also predict a greater imbalance in competition.
All is contingent on a federal judge approving the settlement of antitrust allegations against the NCAA and the nation’s biggest conferences. A hearing is set for April 7 on the House v. NCAA settlement, and changes would go into effect July 1, a few days after the College World Series is set to end.
The framework for D-I baseball would cap rosters at 34 players with no scholarship limit for schools that opt in to the revenue-sharing model tied to the House settlement. There’s currently a 40-man limit during the season and a maximum of 11.7 scholarships that can be spread among up to 32 players.
“I still think the majority of teams are going to be giving partial scholarships to at least part of their roster,” Nebraska coach Will Bolt said. “Reading the tea leaves, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to come up with 34 fulls.”