NCAA Rule Changes You Should Know

The latest NCAA recruiting rules as of 2025 feature major changes that reshape college athletics recruiting. Here are 7 you should know.

1. Elimination of Scholarship Caps:
   NCAA Division I schools can now offer scholarships without fixed sport-specific limits. Instead, they will have roster limits for each sport, increasing the number of athletes on teams. For example, football rosters can increase from 85 to 105 players. This opens greater opportunities for more athletes to receive scholarships, though full scholarships may be less guaranteed as funding is spread across more players.

2. Roster Limits Replace Scholarship Limits:
   Schools have the option to offer scholarships to any or all athletes within set roster caps. This shift allows more flexible scholarship distribution across players and sports.

3. Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Expansion:
   The NCAA-approved House settlement permits direct payments to athletes, with schools able to distribute up to $20.5 million annually, increasing 4% yearly. Athletes can now earn from their NIL rights more lucratively, impacting recruiting and athlete decisions.

4. Relaxed Academic Eligibility:
   Standardized test requirements (SAT/ACT) have been eliminated for NCAA eligibility since 2023, favoring GPA benchmarks (2.3 GPA in 16 core courses for Division I). However, many academically selective schools still require standardized tests.

5. Transfer Portal Flexibility:
   Athletes can transfer multiple times without penalty, with defined 30-day transfer windows for football and basketball, which has led to increased movement and roster volatility.

6. New Recruiting Periods and Contact Rules:

• Recruiting contact periods generally start August 1 of the athlete’s junior year.
• Dead periods prohibit in-person contact with recruits.
• Quiet and evaluation periods specify when coaches may observe athletes.
• Official and unofficial visits cannot occur before the junior year in many sports.

7. Sport-Specific Recruiting Calendars:
   Recruiting timelines vary by sport. For football, dead periods occur in August and December, with active evaluation and contact periods in fall and spring.

Overall, the 2025-2026 season ushers in a more open, flexible recruiting landscape supported by increased roster sizes and athlete revenue opportunities, but also comes with greater strategic demands on athletes, families, and programs to navigate evolving rules and heightened competition.