NCAA to increase scholarships for sports, including football limit going from from 85 to 105

If you thought 85 scholarships wasn’t enough for college football, get ready for a major change.

On Tuesday, the power conference commissioners finalized new roster-size limits that will allow for athletic departments to distribute more scholarships and resources to athletes, as schools are permitted to offer scholarships to the entirety of their rosters, according to Yahoo Sports’s Ross Dellenger.

As a result, football is expected to see an increase in scholarships from 85 to a maximum of 105, which may only take into effect at the start of the season, as is the case currently.

Additionally, scholarship spots for softball and volleyball, which are each currently 12, are expected to increase to 25 and 18, respectively.

Now, teams aren’t entitled to using the entirety of the scholarships for their rosters, but it provides extra flexibility and signals another change in college sports where more players can receive resources to play at the next level.

The change in football scholarships seems to be the most drastic and could be a differing part of college football, as teams can now increase their recruiting classes to accommodate for more athletes should they choose to.

That may lead to even more recruits choosing the top schools and, in return, a potential increase in the transfer portal with more scholarship players available now.

The changes are set to take place for the 2025-2026 season.