SEC Votes to Expand Football Scholarships From 85 to 105
Image: Mike Ehrmann
By Aidan Sidoti
SEC presidents have voted to increase the maximum number of football scholarships from 85 to 105, per Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
The move aligns the conference with changes permitted under the House settlement earlier this year, which allowed schools to expand scholarship limits but left the SEC at the traditional 85 last season.
Division I FBS football, once classified as a headcount sport, will now be considered an equivalency sport.
That shift allows programs to distribute a mix of partial and full scholarships to recruits, rather than being restricted to full scholarships only.
While the increase provides more opportunities to scholarship athletes, the strict 105-player cap raises concerns about the future of walk-ons.
The new scholarship limit includes both scholarship players and walk-ons, meaning roster spots will be tighter than ever.
Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham voiced frustration with the policy earlier this year, noting that he had to tell some walk-ons to enter the transfer portal.
“You’re just gonna tell a kid in August that he can’t play football? That’s wrong,” Dillingham said in April.
The change could mark the beginning of the end for traditional walk-on stories in college football, long celebrated as part of college football’s culture.
