Dabo Swinney doubles down on 'unintended consequences' of NCAA's new 105 roster limit for football

On Wednesday it was announced that the NCAA would be increasing the scholarships across several sports and in hand enacting roster limits. Specifically increasing the number of scholarships for each football program from 85 scholarships to 125 with a roster limit of 125 players per roster.

The increase in roster limits and scholarships impacts every sport differently, specifically football where the new format effectively gets rid of walk-on student-athletes. Who are crucial to football rosters as scout team players who play a key role at practice in preparing starting players for Saturdays.

At ACC Media Days on Thursday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was asked about the recent roster limit and scholarship changes. Opening up on what challenges will come as a result of news that may seem positive on paper.

“The crazy thing is there’s not many coaches that want 105 scholarships. We want to keep our walk-ons,” Swinney said. “It’s hard to manage that many guys and when you have that many guys on scholarship, you think you got transfers now, you wait till that number gets there. It’s gonna be a lot, so it’s gonna change a lot of things.”

“Now that’s great for baseball, that’s great for soccer, and some of the sports that take 11 scholarships to spread it out among thirty-something guys. They all have to be on scholarship. But for football, the unintended consequences, it basically eliminates walk-ons. And there’s no coach that wants that, it’s a really sad thing.”

In years past, the football scholarship limit has been set at 85 scholarships with a roster limit of 120. With the 35 vacant scholarships set aside for non-scholarship, walk-on players. Whose primary role on a team is to simulate the opposing team’s offense, defense, and special teams to prepare the team’s starters and backups for game days. With plenty of walk-ons also eventually earning scholarships, providing one of the most special moments in college football locker rooms.

But having a 125-player roster of strictly scholarship players provides head coaches with a new challenge without the presence of walk-ons.

“Yeah, great, we get more scholarships. That’s awesome, but our game is just different. If you think 105 guys, you ought to have plenty of guys, but you have to dive a little deeper into that.”

Swinney talked about how in the NFL, a 53-man roster paired with the practice squad and the ability to sign other practice squad players and free agents gives teams plenty of flexibility and availability for practice and games week in and week out at any position. A luxury that college football will not have

“But in college you can’t grab the guy out of the algebra class over here in the middle of the season and bring him over here and plug him in. And so whatever you start with, it dwindles and this is a game played by big people. You don’t put the corner at nose guard for the week for the scout team, and it’s a complicated game.”

“So it’s frustrating to not be able to be able to have the walk ons.”

It will be fascinating to see how head coaches decide to manage their rosters moving forward under the new rules. Now tasked with balancing developing young players, preparing starters during the season, and building a roster that will allow them to balance the two.

“It’s a challenge for sure, and we’ll figure it out, but how you have to practice to develop these kids at this level … We have to develop these guys,” Swinney said. “It’s just a different type of preparation in college and now when you do away with walk-ons, guys that are just wanting to be a part of it and they want to serve, that 105’s gonna dwindle and we have no way to practice.”