Big Changes in 2025-26 NCAA Division 1 Baseball and Softball Scholarship Rules
- Mike Brooks
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Big Changes in 2025-26 NCAA Division 1 Baseball and Softball Scholarship Rules, Athlete Payments, Roster Limits, and more.
NCAA Scholarship Rule Changes:
No Scholarship Cap: NCAA D1 schools will be able to offer scholarships to every player on their roster, eliminating previous sport-specific limits. This means schools will have more flexibility in financially supporting their athletes.
New Roster Limits: NCAA is introducing new roster limits for baseball and softball that exceed current scholarship restrictions for each sport. With scholarship caps gone, most programs will be able to offer more scholarships. However, they must follow the new NCAA roster limits for each sport. Note that only the Power Five conferences and Notre Dame are required to opt in to these changes, although a number of other schools have already announced their intention to do so as well.
Baseball: Current Limit 11.7 - New Limit 34.
Softball: Current Limit 12 - New Limit 25.
Scholarship Type: Baseball and softball will still be classified as equivalency sports, allowing schools to offer partial scholarships.
Division II and III schools are not yet affected by these new changes.
Direct payment: Starting in 2025, schools can opt to share a “cap” of up to $20.5 million with their student-athletes, effective July 1, 2025. It is up to schools to decide how that money is allocated, and not all schools will have the necessary funding to do so.
NIL: Student-athletes will still be able to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness, but there will be changes to the regulation and enforcement of the deals.
The new scholarship rules and roster limits for NCAA Division 1 sports will take effect in the 2025-26 academic year and apply to all Division I student-athletes who:
Competed on or after June 15, 2020
Or will compete anytime through June 5, 2035
If a school cuts a student-athlete in preparation for this settlement:
They’re required to offer that roster spot back.
The student-athlete won’t count against team roster limits
Coaches still retain the discretion to determine whether a student-athlete is a fit for their program.
Walk-ons have historically been a significant part of D1 programs due to current NCAA scholarship limitations. However, with the new NCAA scholarship rules and roster limits taking effect in the 2025-26 school year, coaches will need to reassess how they manage scholarships and roster spots. To understand how roster limits might affect you, communicate with coaches. Ask them about their plans for walk-ons, as this can vary widely between programs.
A new governing body, the College Sports Commission, will oversee enforcement.
A tech platform, NILgo, will help schools track athlete compensation and ensure compliance with regulations. Any third-party NIL agreement exceeding $600 will be reviewed, with external arbitration in place to resolve disputes that may arise.
Here’s what you can do right now to prepare:
Stay Informed and Ask Questions:
Keep an eye on updates from schools and the NCAA regarding the new rules. Engage with college coaches to understand how their programs plan to implement the changes.
Show Your Value and Focus on Performance:
Highlight your skills to coaches, demonstrating your versatility and value. Maintain strong academics and athletics, as both are critical in scholarship decisions.
