TPM posted:old_school posted:RJM posted:Teams have always overrecruited. The difference now (been about ten years?) is they have to cut players in D1 ball rather than have large rosters.
35 guys on a roster certainly wouldn't be considered small in my opinion. It might the norm, it might even be the right number but it is not small.
RJM is correct, D1 programs before the new rules could have up to 45 on a fall roster. I could name you some but will refrain. 35 is 10 more than the 25 man travel roster. Players get hurt, become ineligible, rosters change all the time. Some of them are on medical waivers. Years ago they just gave players books and sat a year. More than likely let go the following season.
There are 25 men on a ML roster. They keep reserves on the AAA roster, tell me is this any different?
Sometimes in some seasons, even 35 isnt enough.
Pretty sure the rule change started for the 2009-10 school year. Roster limit of 35, and maybe more importantly... upper limit of 27 players who can receive a scholarship, and minimum of 25% scholarship to every player who gets one.
The roster size change only impacted the playing season, not the fall. As of this morning, Arkansas has 44 players listed on their 2017-18 roster. 