NCAA baseball rule changes

Hadn't seen this until yesterday when I read it someplace.

The NCAA is making some significant changes in baseball soon.

Starting in 2008-09, rosters will be capped at 35 players, and only 30 of those can receive athletic scholarship money.

Starting in 2009-10, rosters still capped at 35 but only 27 players can receive athletic scholarship money, and each must get at least one-third of a full scholarship. That's nine scholarships total; the other 2.7 (NCAA allows 11.7 scholarships for baseball) can be divided among the 27, I guess, or given to the stars.

Plus starting next year, transfers must sit out a year instead of having immediate eligibility, as is the case now. I think that's a good rule.

 

Another case of another non-money-making sport getting shafted by the NCAA Cartel

 

So, let's MLB rosters are 25... but colleges need 35?

NFL rosters are 45 active on game day but colleges need 80 or 85?

Explain, please.

 

Colleges don't have a minor league, or can't pick up players from the waiver wire, or sign free agents at midseason.

Over the course of a season the average major-league team will use at least 35 players.

Same with football. Take away the 10-to-20 players who redshirt and that leaves a squad of about 65-75 for a 12-game season. NFL teams often use that many players over the course of a season.

 

Actually these rules were implemented because baseball coaches were looking for help in retaining players because a lot of baseball teams were suffering in the APR reports -- which are essentially 1/2 about retention -- since so many guys were leaving to go to other programs.

By giving more scholarship money to the core players and forcing those who transfer to sit out -- like they do in just about every other sport -- the hope is that players will be less likely to transfer and thus the baseball programs will get a boost in the APR.

 

I believe a lack of a minor league system would be the case for baseball. You have to have all the players on the team via scholarship or walk-on dressed for each game.

NFL rosters, including practice squads, players who don't dress for the game etc. would jump the 45 number up. Not as high as college, but high enough. Again, think of the number of players you see on the sidelines each game in shirts and street clothes. The rulebook I found says there can be up to 60 people other than dressed players and coaches in the sideline area during game time, so I doubt all 80-85 players are dressed, what with the red-shirts for injuries or youth. They need those players for further down the line, which is why they're on the squad.