SEC sets football scholarship limit at 85 for 2025 season, below House settlement roster structure

The SEC has set a 2025 football scholarship limit in the sport ahead of the House vs. NCAA settlement, giving coaches an idea what they’ll have to work with in the coming years.

According to a report from Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger, the SEC has set a football scholarship limit of 85. That is 20 short of the maximum allowed under the House settlement’s current roster structure.

However, teams will still be allowed up to 20 walk-ons to help make up the gap, per Dellenger.

SEC coaches had been warned in recent days to prepare for 85 scholarships, not 105, so they’ve had at least some advance notice. Auburn coach Hugh Freeze shared that news earlier this week.

Speaking on the SEC coaches teleconference, Freeze said that he’d been informed by Auburn leadership to target 85 scholarships.

“Well that’s just what we’ve heard from our presidents,” Freeze said. “That we need to — I don’t know that that’s fact on it’s going to stay there or not. I just think we were told that we should plan and for our signing day plan on it being the 85 number for scholarships. And I don’t know that that means it’s going to stay there but that’s what I’ve been told to try to base it on come December.”

The House settlement, if approved, is expected to take effect prior to the 2025-26 NCAA seasons.

Coaches face some challenging months ahead as the transfer portal heats up and rosters are once again turned over ahead of the 2025 season. But at least now coaches in the SEC will have a little more clarity.

“We’re signing for an 85-man roster in early December and then the portal opens and you lose some guys and you’re forced, pretty much, the only thing you can do at that point is there’s either some unsigned kids out there, which I think would be very few,” Freeze said. “Or I think you have to go to the portal to replace those. There is no formula that I don’t think anyone could give that is going to be a consistent one in trying to manage your 85-man rosters. It’s very, very difficult.”

On3’s Andrew Graham also contributed to this report.