D1 Baseball Roster Counter Rules

What happens in the Fall is irrelevant - rosters are set the day before that team's first intercollegiate contest. That being said, any scholarship recipent, regardless of playing circumstance, must be "counted". As to waivers, an SA "quitting" or otherwise leaving the team doesn't matter, as that has no impact on the current expenditure (scholarship). Waivers are generally granted for extreme (season ending) injury prior to the start of the season, and issues w/military service (recall of NG, for example). There's a powerpoint @ ncaa.org on D1 waivers, but (IIRC) there's something like 800 waivers granted for all sports at all levels (D1,2,3) per year. Also check out informedathlete.com - most info there is pretty good.

Hope that helps.

First of all, thanks to Jess1 for the reference to our website!

IsItJustaGame?, to follow up on what Jess1 stated, the best chance for a waiver request to be approved is when the circumstances are "beyond the control of the student-athlete or coach."  So, as pointed out, a season-ending injury or serious illness incurred by the athlete and supported by required medical documentation might be grounds for the NCAA to approve a waiver request.

If a counter quits the team, becomes ineligible, or is cut from the team, it would be highly unlikely for a waiver request of that type to be approved.  In addition, the waiver request must be submitted by the school.  An athlete can't submit a waiver request on their own.

In my opinion, the move to a 35-man limit in 2007 was misguided and unfortunate. The product of the lone mid-major coach on the committee, it was intended to prevent the major programs from loading up on talented players to the detriment of mid-majors. In effect, the rule was expected to create a "trickle down" effect within Division I.

However, it seems to have had the unintended effect of funneling a disproportionate number of players to the JUCO ranks. After all, JUCO transfers need not sit out a year, and they become eligible for the next draft; unlike those who transfer within Division I. As a result, the rule doesn't seem to have met its proponent's objective.

Meanwhile, Division I coaches have been stripped of any latitude they might have had in the past to retain a few players who were at the margin of making the roster. Before the imposition of the 35-man rule, it wasn't unusual to see rosters end up in the neighborhood of 35-40 players. Now, coaches have no choice but to pare down to the 35-player figure before the beginning of each regular season.Then, to add insult to injury, they're prevented from taking back a previously released player in the event that a "counted" player is lost for the season.

Of course, not all players want to hang around if it's evident that they are considered to be on the roster cusp. However, there have been plenty of players in the past who would have preferred to remain on their original school's roster for any number of baseball and/or non-baseball-related reasons.

It seems to me that if the NCAA had simply imposed the 25% minimum scholarship/27 players-on-scholarship rule, roster sizes would have pretty well taken care of themselves. Some players not making it into the 27-scholarship category would have voted with their feet and transferred, while some would have stayed on as athletic walk-ons; fully cognizant of the implications. If this had been done, I think the results would have been much more satisfactory for players and coaches, alike.

(Ironically, the mid-major coach who pressed for the 35-player limit was subsequently relieved of his responsibilities after his players pulled off a virtual mutiny. What a legacy.)

Does anyone knowif a D1 player (counter) becomes academically ineligible,  is the player able to still practice and participate in team activities?  (excluding competition of course).   With the player receiving athletic aid, I am also presuming they will be on the 35 man roster regardless of losing academic eligibility. 

Don't know, but I would think not...

Do any other old timers have any knowledge on this?  Is an academically ineligible player allowed to practice and participate with the team, other than in actual games.  Player is on the 35 man roster.

I think that's up to the school.

"14.4.2 Eligibility for Financial Aid and Practice. Eligibility for institutional financial aid and practice during each academic year after a student-athlete’s initial year in residence or after the student-athlete has used one season of eligibility in a sport shall be based upon the rules of the institution and the conference(s), if any, of which the institution is a member."

I read this thread through twice and still have questions.

Background: The small D1 college where my son has walked on to pitch (from out of state) has lost 5 players this fall, four of which which signed NLIs this year (HS class of 2015), according to the web, so I assume they were on scholarship. The 5th was a sophomore that red-shirted last year, so I know nothing of his scholarship status. Four of the five, including the sophomore, left the school altogether--packed up and went home.  One freshman stayed at the school, but decided not to play baseball. This leaves exactly 35 players on the team.

Question:  A) Does the freshman who remains at the school, but left the team count as a roster spot in the spring since he's still enrolled?  B) Do all of the players who've left who were on scholarship count in the 27 that must be on the roster, even though they are not enrolled for the spring, thus pushing the roster back up to 39-40?  C) Since at least 4 scholarship recipients walked away, does that free up money for the spring or does the NCAA consider that locked up for the year?  Thanks in advance for your help.  This seems very complicated.

Don't assume that all players who sign NLI's are automatic counters.  

Some schools get preferred walk-ons to sign NLI's in exchange for an unenforceable "guarantee" of either fall or spring roster spots. Without scholarship money, those NLI's are one-way instruments: they bind the student to the school for one year, but they do not oblige the school to give them a roster spot. 

The two things that determine counters are 1) who enrolled at the beginning of the fall and received athletic scholarship money, and 2) who is on the squad list submitted to the conference/NCAA when the season begins.

The only thing you know for sure is that at least 8 of the 35 remaining players are not on scholarship and won't be counters unless the coach puts them on the squad list in February.

As to the money, coaches have no incentive to re-allocate scholarship money mid-year when scholarship players leave the school in the first semester. Coaches spend a lot of time trying to convert scholarship dollars into wins. Giving money to players who are already on campus doesn't make the team better. It doesn't happen very often.

Swampboy, thank you very much for the reply which did answer some questions.  I just don't have the nerve to ask the coach about money.

The #1 goal for my son is a great education, which he'll get at this school with or without baseball.  There are benefits which come with being an NCAA athlete, but it's also a huge commitment, time-wise.  I've told him that if his grades take a hit this spring because of baseball, with no scholarship, I can't justify him being on the team and putting academic scholarships out of reach. I was told that if he was an in-state athlete, this wouldn't be an issue, but without being fully funded, the team can't afford the 25% mandated scholarship (out-of-state tuition is 4X higher).

Over the break he told me that it looks like he's earned a spring roster spot with his fall work. With that opportunity, I hope he can help his team out and build some scholarship leverage for next fall.  In other words, if he performs well, maybe they will find the money.  Writing that 5-figure check for spring tuition and fees has me thinking about this stuff all over again.