The NCAA will allow Designated Student-Athletes, which is athletes who were cut from their NCAA teams because of new roster limits, to enter the transfer portal from July 7-August 5, 2025. This is a one-time window that is being opened only for these designated athletes as defined by the House v. NCAA settlement. The blanket waiver is being issued by the NCAA DI Committee for Legislative Relief.
There is a new, one-time transfer portal window.
NCAA Committee on Legislative Relief has issued a waiver to permit athletes who schools place on “Designated Student-Athlete” lists to enter the portal July 7-Aug. 5.
DSAs are grandfathered-in athletes exempt from roster limits.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 2, 2025
The House settlement was approved on June 6, 2025. Included with the settlement was a note on athletes that were cut due to the newly imposed roster limits. The NCAA Q&A document states, “A current or incoming student-athlete may be identified as a “Designated Student-Athlete”, if they were removed from the roster, or would’ve been removed, for the 2025-26 academic year, due to the implementation of roster limits.”
The opening of the transfer portal window on July 7 comes right as the window for schools to identify the “Designated Student-Athletes.” Even if athletes transfer, they will not count against the roster cap at the new school they transfer to. Roster limits stand at 30 on both the men’s and women’s sides for swimming and diving.
In addition to not counting against the roster limit, athletes that were cut because of roster limits, go in the portal, but decide to return to their original school can still keep their scholarship. This is different than other years when athletes who enter the portal and decide to return to their original school can have their scholarship canceled after entering the portal.
The Division I women’s swimming and diving window opened on March 12th and closed on April 25th while the men’s window opened on March 19th and ended May 2nd. Other exceptions that allow athletes to enter the portal after these dates include transferring as a graduate student-athlete as well as if there is a head coaching change.
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How does the NCAA know which athletes are losing their spot due to roster limits. Does old school have to give them a list for an athlete to obtain DSA status?
Yes, the school has to. I presume an athlete can challenge it if they think the school isn’t treating them right.
Schools have no real reason to fib about it, because they don’t have to keep the swimmers just because their DSAs. I guess in some bizzarro world, you could say that “limiting other teams’ roster sizes helps my roster,” but IDK that seems like a level of pettiness that I would hope wouldn’t come into play.
At this point, I think schools are doing everything they can to minimize the number of lawsuits they face, so I think they’ll be fair/liberal with their application of DSA status.
When will the designated athlete clause be removed? Is it just for the 2025-2026 year?
Only athletes cut ahead of the 2025-2026 season can be Designated Student Athletes, but they remain Designated Student Athletes until their eligibility expires.
So I’m still not clear on the grandfathered in clause….
As someone who was cut, I was NOT offered my spot back.
1. Not required, but they can give them a spot back.
2. See 1.
The logic the judge stated in approving this as the compromise was that schools previously could cut swimmers for underperforming, so requiring them to take swimmers back was not necessary to make sure that the settlement didn’t harm the settlement class. In brief.
Doesn’t seem like much time to talk to coaches and figure everything out if you’ve been cut and are starting school late August…
It’s not. This is one of those cases where the NCAA has done the best it’s able to given the circumstances. They were kind of hamstrung until the settlement was approved.
Which swim programs will value DSAs enough to recruit them above their team roster limits? Swim programs are cutting costs left and right, and many coaches are happy about the roster limits. Which ones will fork out the extra money to expense a larger roster when even walk-ons cost them money? I’m sure football programs will love taking on DSAs, but I’m curious if swim programs will.
I know if at least one. Big 12.
Who is designated as a DSA?
Is all student athletes that were on a D1 team last year?
They are the grandfathered in student-athletes that are exempt from roster limits, likely the ones that would have been impacted by roster limits for teams that had not yet made cuts.
does the “old school can’t cut your scholarship if you were cut for roster limits” rule continue to apply if you list on transfer portal but don’t find a new home in time?
That’s a great question. I’ll ask.
Got the answer: different from a normal year, they keep their scholarship if they choose to stay at their current school even after entering the portal. That’s a great question.
At least that is good news for the athlete