The NCAA Division I Council on Wednesday eliminated the 25-man initial counter limit for the next two years.
The move was widely expected and, assuming all hell does not break loose over the next 24 months, the 25-man limit could officially become a thing of the past.
The 25-man limit was created in 2011 to curb oversigning, a practice that became popular in the late 2000s. Houston Nutt signed 37 recruits to his 2009 recruiting class at Ole Miss, and the 25-man limit was born shortly thereafter.
However, many coaches argued the Transfer Portal made the 25-man limit obsolete and, even further, created a safety issue for players, as many programs lost more players to the Portal than NCAA rules allowed them to replace. Some coaches and administrators argued for a 1-for-1 system in which programs could add one Portal transfer for each transfer they lost, but the NCAA ultimately opted for a simpler solution.
DI football annual signing and initial counter limits removed for next two academic years by DI Council. All Council actions are not final until today’s meeting ends. pic.twitter.com/M0OjNKGNWA
— NCAA News (@NCAA_PR) May 18, 2022
As a counterbalance to curb oversigning, the NCAA hardened the 85-man scholarship cap. Previously, teams had to be at 85 scholarships by the opening of fall camp. With the new rules, teams will not be allowed to go above 85 players at any one time.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.