In May, the SEC discussed potential roster limits for men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs with coaches ahead of the conference’s spring meetings. Today, sources told SwimSwam that the SEC has finalized the men’s roster cap at 22 athletes—the same number proposed in May. An official announcement is expected soon.
Current NCAA rules limit women’s swimming and diving teams to 14 scholarships and men’s programs to 9.9. While there are roster limits for conference and NCAA championships, there is no cap on overall roster size.
Part of the House v. NCAA settlement, granted preliminary approval this month after Judge Claudia Wilken set parties back to the drawing board in September, eliminated scholarship caps, replacing them with roster limits.
In July, The Athletic reported that the football team roster cap will be 105, which is up from the current scholarship limit of 85, which has been in place for decades. The SEC is cutting men’s roster spots in its other sports to offset this increase and stay compliant with Title IX.
Sources also told SwimSwam that neither the ACC nor Big Ten will follow the SEC in setting the men’s swim and dive roster caps at 22. Both conferences sponsor 28 sports, seven more than the SEC, which gives them more flexibility over their roster limits than the SEC.
Last season, the average men’s roster was approximately 26 swimmers. The Florida Gators had the biggest roster with 41 athletes.
The final approval hearing for the House v. NCAA settlement is scheduled for Apr. 7, 2025. While there is the possibility that more legal appeals will arise before then, if final approval is granted, direct revenue sharing will be implemented in July 2025.
Say goodbye to teams having distance swimmers and divers!
It’s way too early to know for certain how this will impact swimming overall as the remaining conferences will have to decide their own plans. The House settlement actually allowed for up to 24 male swimmers, the SEC likely reduced 2 spots to make up for women’s scholarships. The point to note here is the mens team are going from 9.9 to 22 full scholarships. The swimmers that went elsewhere in the past for financial reasons can now go to the school of their choice. You could very likley end up with super teams for the schools able and willing to fund 22 or more full rides. You will likely end up with the same amount of kids on scholarship… Read more »
Hey nice name
It is more than time to address spots given to international kids. How do our largely tax funded schools skip our own USA swimming kids to strengthen national teams for other countries? As long as no limits are placed, coaches desperate to win to keep their jobs will give these spots away. 1 or 2 per team?
Boo hoo, cry harder. If your kid wants to get a scholarship, they should swim faster.
I agree and have always felt this way. America first! Foreigners should have to pay their way (or their government does since we are training them for their country’s Olympic team),
You can’t have a national collegiate athletic system that is based on market forces and not expect programs to seek a market advantage.
NAIA swimming 📈📈📈📈
Likely not NAIA, but D-2 and D-3. NAIA has a roster of mostly religiously-affiliated colleges in some very out-of-the-way places and rural settings.
You clearly have no experience with NAIA
They need to impose these limits on women’s swimming, also. Some of these programs have way too many and there’s a ridiculous disparity of talent and commitment levels, The bloat needs to be eliminated and some people need to better themselves in club swimming before tackling college swimming.
Since football is going up 20, this affects non football men’s sports to keep Title 9 balance
As if it wasn’t already difficult enough to swim in college. This will just swimming even less popular if this trend continues. Exactly what the sport did not need.
All my homies are not fans of Grant House amirite
That takes effect next season I assume? That would be a huge butt kick if it takes effect now…