I have a few thoughts on the impact of the scholarship increase:
Schools will immediately fill their scholarship limit in the 2025 class (see Michigan).
The 2025 portal will be the biggest ever with schools shedding players to make room for the 2026 class.
Following the law of unintended consequences, mid-major programs are going to discontinue and underfund other men's sports (the Clemson baseball team is going to benefit greatly).
Most ACC programs are going to go the route of redshirting and development. What NIL monies they can muster will be spent on retention.
The coordinator and assistant coach arms race is going to get worse. Teams like Ohio State and Georgia will realize they need coaching to win along with the best talent money can buy. Coaches that can evaluate talent will be bought for the athletic department (NCAA rules for direct coaching staff to do the evaluations is a sham and uninforceable).
Highschool athletes with good agents are going to get contracts that pay out over 3-4 years regardless of whether they stay at the contracted school. That creates a free agent market for slow developing or hit-their-ceiling recruiting "failures". There absolutely will be a nitch for schools that shop the portal for these players. The 105 scholarship limit opens the door for the poorer programs to dable in this market. We can expect contracts that limit the paid players to move outside the given conference.
Schools will immediately fill their scholarship limit in the 2025 class (see Michigan).
The 2025 portal will be the biggest ever with schools shedding players to make room for the 2026 class.
Following the law of unintended consequences, mid-major programs are going to discontinue and underfund other men's sports (the Clemson baseball team is going to benefit greatly).
Most ACC programs are going to go the route of redshirting and development. What NIL monies they can muster will be spent on retention.
The coordinator and assistant coach arms race is going to get worse. Teams like Ohio State and Georgia will realize they need coaching to win along with the best talent money can buy. Coaches that can evaluate talent will be bought for the athletic department (NCAA rules for direct coaching staff to do the evaluations is a sham and uninforceable).
Highschool athletes with good agents are going to get contracts that pay out over 3-4 years regardless of whether they stay at the contracted school. That creates a free agent market for slow developing or hit-their-ceiling recruiting "failures". There absolutely will be a nitch for schools that shop the portal for these players. The 105 scholarship limit opens the door for the poorer programs to dable in this market. We can expect contracts that limit the paid players to move outside the given conference.
