Scholarship limits for SEC football programs will remain at 85 during the 2025 season, a league official confirmed to CBS Sports Thursday. The news comes as college football programs prepare for fallout from the House v. NCAA lawsuit settlement, which ie expected to standardize roster sizes for college football programs going forward.
"As football coaches recruit now to build rosters for the 2025 season, it was important to provide them with parameters to manage this interim period as we await a final ruling on the House settlement which would address how scholarships are managed going forward," an SEC spokesperson told CBS Sports. "SEC schools will maintain an 85-scholarship limit for the 2025 season, the same as in past years, with an overall roster size to be established by the settlement if it is approved."
The NCAA's groundbreaking $2.8 billion settlement has received preliminary approval. But a hearing to finalize the deal is not scheduled until April 7, 2025.
While programs are currently allowed to provide only 85 scholarships, they are free to supplement their respective rosters with walk-on players. The settlement is expected to do away with walk-ons altogether, while expanding scholarship limits to 105 players. Under the SEC's planned rules for 2025, schools in the conference could fill those 20 extra roster spots with walk-ons for 2025.
When finalized, the House v. NCAA lawsuit will provide transformative change to college athletics heading forward. Most notably, schools will have the ability be able to share up to $22 million each year with players.