Annual FB Signing Limit Increase
Interesting Article from The Athletic Shown Below: This should help HS and JC guys who have had number of scholarship opportunities reduced due to the portal
The NCAA’s Division I Council voted Tuesday to approve a one-year waiver that will allow college football programs to increase the 2022 signing class limit by up to seven additional spots. The decision will officially take effect at the conclusion of Wednesday’s council meeting.
The waiver was initially proposed to help coaches with roster management months after the NCAA passed the one-time transfer rule, which allows all athletes to transfer once and play right away without penalty. That, coupled with the implementation of the transfer portal in 2018, has made it easier than ever for players to move freely around the sport. Coaches have asked for guardrails and relief to try to restock their rosters and have some semblance of control.
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Why now?
Will this become permanent?
"We believe schools should have temporary flexibility to help address possible roster depletion due to transfers," said Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour, the chair of the Division I Football Oversight Committee. "This one-year waiver enables schools to properly utilize their scholarship limitations."
Current NCAA rules allow programs to sign up to 25 players in a new football signing class — termed “initial counters” — which includes high school players and transfers. Each FBS program also has a maximum of 85 total scholarship players. This means a coach could lose players to graduation and the transfer portal and then sign 25 initial counters but still be below the 85-scholarship player maximum.
This waiver will allow those programs to replace up to seven departing transfers above the 25-player limit. Schools will only be allowed to replace players who enter the portal after either the end of the institution’s fall term or Dec. 15, 2021, whichever is earlier, a source told The Athletic. Schools will only be allowed to replace players who are academically eligible at their new school.
(Photo: Brian Bahr / Getty Images)
Why now?
Chris Vannini, National writer: Coaches have been asking for signing class relief for a while now, especially since the implementation of the transfer portal made moving a bit easier. There’s also been concern over a loss of opportunities for high school players as some schools take more transfers. The coaches association pushed this proposal to the football oversight committee, which battled over the details.
“This isn’t perfect, I don’t think anybody on the committee thinks it’s perfect, but it’s the only thing everyone could coalesce behind,” AFCA executive director Todd Berry told The Athletic last month.
Will this become permanent?
Vannini: This is a one-year waiver, but Berry said the oversight committee will continue to work on a long-term solution. Berry is a non-voting member on the committee.
“The committee is going to be right back on something everyone can get around that’s more permanent,” he said. “I don’t think this discussion is ever going to end. I don’t think anybody believes we’re anywhere close to where we need to be.”
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Originally Posted by Cajunsmike
