SEC coach says expectation is rosters remain at 85 scholarship players in 2025

Football rosters, at least per a prominent coach in the Southeastern Conference, are likely to remain status quo in 2025.

Well, from a scholarship standpoint, that is.

Overall? Sources tell FootballScoop that, borrowing from Seinfeld, there's likely to be some shrinkage.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze on Wednesday admitted roster management has become a virtually unanswerable proposition in the sport's current format and landscape, particularly with a new, shortened NCAA Transfer Portal window next month and after an advanced early-signing period.

While college football parameters have shifted to allow schools, as part of the ongoing House-NCAA settlement and expected revenue-sharing distribution, to expand from 85 scholarships to a fully funded 105-man squad, Freeze said it has been indicated that the model has not advanced to that point.

"My understanding is they're going to, we're still going to be at 85 (scholarship players) for next year," Freeze, in his second-year on the Plains, said. "So, that, while I don't think that's the right move, for us, I do think we should have gone up to at least 90 to 95; we're being asked to play more games, there's no room to replace people is my understanding from your roster limit. 

"So, I wish we would have went up a few scholarships. My understanding is we're still going to be at 85, so you're signing based on that."

The new truncated December window for the Transfer Portal has been established to run from Dec. 9-28; early signing has been scheduled for Dec. 4-6. 

Sources Wednesday night indicated to FootballScoop that, with questions left unanswered on exactly when revenue distribution would begin and what model would be deployed, the 85-person scholarship roster was expected to stay in place but that also the 105-man roster would be implemented. That scenario, two sources explained, would mean schools, at least in the SEC, would not have any fewer shcolarship players but would likely have 15 fewer walk-on members on their roster.

It's not yet clear if other Power Conferences also would hold to those parameters, at least in 2025. 

Freeze was asked how certain he could be with roster needs in the current environment and how much that would help a coach navigate program needs.

His answer was basically not at all and a lot.

"As you know, I don't care what the roster number is, it's impossible for us to figure out exactly what the plan is because you don't know how many you're having leave," said Freeze, whose current 2025 recruiting class has been tabbed as the nation's No. 5 group of commitments by 247Sports. "So, it's almost impossible to know how many you should sign, truthfully. 

"That would be really good to know. I mean, it would be really, really, really helpful if you knew those things.

I don't think there's any way that any one of us know exactly what our roster is going to look like. I mean the signing period's going to come and go in early December, and then the Portal is going to open and you know, most everyone is going to already be signed."

Freeze indicated the sport's current dynamics, coupled with the roster challenges and discrepancy in when players have been scheduled to sign versus when the Portal has been slated to operate, make it impossible to build an organic, prep-based roster. 

"You're left with, and as much as I would love to build this program heavily through the high school ranks, which I'm sure trying to do, that requires a little patience, which not many people want to have patience in today's time," Freeze said. "And, I don't know that it's really realistic that you can continue to do that because we're signing for an 85-man roster come early December and then the Portal opens and you lose X amount. You're forced pretty much, the only thing you can do at that point is there's either some unsigned kids out there at that point, which I think will be very few, or you have to go to the Portal to replace those. There is no formula that I don't think anyone can give that is going to be a consistent one in trying to manage your 85-man roster. It's very, very difficult."

Freeze emphasized SEC coaches had not been formally informed that the rosters would remain at 85 scholarship players in 2025, not yet, anyway, but that it had been directly indicated from institutional leaders. 

"That's just what we've heard from our presidents. I don't know that it's fact that it's going to stay there or not; we were told that we should plan for our signing day, plan on it being the 85-number for scholarships.

I don't know that it means it's going to stay there, but that's what I've been told to try to base it on come December.