A major shift appears to be coming to Division I men’s and women’s college golf, and it isn’t clear yet whether the change will benefit or hurt aspiring collegiate golfers.
The NCAA announced an estimated 750 additional scholarships are being added to the Division I sports landscape.
The new structure, set to take effect in the 2025-26 academic year, replaces scholarship limits with roster limits, and allows schools to offer scholarships to every rostered player.
Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said the expansion of scholarships gives schools “all kinds of opportunities,” which possibly includes additional women’s scholarships to balance out Title IX in a revenue-sharing model.
Under the new rules, Division I men’s and women’s golf programs, which are currently capped at 4.5 and 6 scholarships per year, respectively, would be allowed to carry up to 9 players, all of which would be eligible for full scholarships if the school elected to fully fund the program.
According to a Yahoo Sports calculation, there are approximately 500 scholarships available across 40 sports in the current NCAA model. Under the new legislation, that number would increase to more than 1,200 scholarships.
While the details will continue to unfold in the coming months, not everyone shares Petitti’s optimism. In fact, critics of the new roster limit legislation voice multiple concerns.
“We have limited time to prepare for these changes,” says Illinois Athletic Director, Josh Whitman. “All athletic programs, including those in the Big Ten, face very real financial constraints. On our campus, we must determine what we can afford, who will receive these new scholarships or revenue-sharing benefits, and in what amounts.”
Coaches in non-revenue sports like golf, softball, and tennis, fear the new limits could cause too much of a financial burden, which could lead to their programs being dropped altogether.
“That’s the reality,” says University of Florida softball coach, Tim Walton. “We’re just not going down a sustainable model for every athlete, every coach, every university, every program.”
In golf, where many Division I teams roster 10-12 players and travel with half or fewer to compete in tournaments, new roster limits would increase scholarships but decrease roster opportunities for prospective junior golfers.
Additionally, roster limits could make it more difficult for schools with deeper pockets to stockpile players, which in turn could help level the playing field. Players who might choose to walk-on at an elite school, and see little or no playing time, might now opt for a mid-major with scholarship money.
While current high school athletes might see this as an expansion of new scholarship opportunities, others have expressed concerns about how the changes might affect Title IX, which gives women equal opportunities in sports at institutions receiving federal funds.
“I believe both men and women should have the exact same opportunity and benefit of sports scholarships,” says junior golfer and HJGT tour player, Bailey “BB” Baio. “(Under the new rules) the men would get a 100% increase in golf scholarships, and the women would only get 50% more. It greatly benefits the men more than women and provides them with more of an opportunity.”
