A scant two days from the close of the NCAA’s Spring Transfer Portal Window, there remains no resolution on roster sizes across myriad sports - but most specifically college football.
On Wednesday, United States Federal Judge Claudia Wilken made clear she’s ready to formally pass the House-NCAA Settlement - with a major caveat
Wilken told both sides that she wanted them to revisit the proposed roster-size limits, even as both sides had made concessions to reach those agreed-upon limitations as part of the settlement.
The two sides last were in Wilken’s Oakland, California, court room April 7. She indicated then a preliminary approval for the House Settlement but also had sounded her concern over the impending roster-limit mandates.
For example, college football programs could elect to fund up to 105 scholarships but the agreement would have eliminated the standing 120-player rosters that included as many as 35 walk-on players.
College baseball, in another case, would have rosters shortened from 40 to 34 but with the ability to fund more scholarships than the current allowance.
“The Court finds that the decision by Defendants and NCAA member schools before the Court granted final approval of the settlement agreement is not a valid reason for approval of the settlement agreement in its current form,” Wilken wrote.
“Any disruption that may occur is a problem of Defendants’ and NCAA member schools’ own making.”
She added, “The fact that the Court granted preliminary approval of the settlement agreement should not have been interpreted as an indication that it was certain that the Court would grant final approval.”
As he wrapped up the end of his team’s spring camp Wednesday, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman outlined the difficulty of the unknown. He noted the Irish have a plan in place for a 105-player roster or the traditional 120.
“I think the conversation with those guys is that hey, there could be roster cuts to 105,” Freeman said. “We will have to make decisions to get our roster to 105 [if roster-limit measures garnered approval] and there are going to be guys that have to be cut from the football team. …
“We tell those guys, ‘We understand if you need to make a decision to get into the Transfer Portal and not knowing what the future holds.”
Leaders from across the college athletics landscape have been meeting this week in Dallas to discuss myriad topics pertaining to the House Settlement, and earlier this week the NCAA announced its preliminary approval and removal of more than 150 rules for its member institutions.
Wilken is giving the two sides 14 days to present her with a compromised agreement on the roster limits in order to grant her final approval.
"We are closely reviewing Judge Wilken’s order," said a joint statement on behalf of the NCAA and the defendant conferences, received by FootballScoop from Chandler Wills of FGS Global. "Our focus continues to be on securing approval of this significant agreement, which aims to create more opportunities than ever before for student-athletes while fostering much-needed stability and fairness in college sports.”