105 Scholarships for UK FB in 2026?

[Jaxcat]

In previous eras, having >100 scholarships allowed the elite teams to stockpile quality depth and reload every year. With the portal, though, it is increasingly difficult to maintain high quality depth even for the elite teams. If a highly rated HS kid sees that he may have to wait 2+ years to see significant PT, he'll bolt for money and playing time almost every single time. I wonder if the additional scholarships will actually help teams like UK who can recruit some developmental HS players and not have them bolt just as we're counting on them to make a contribution.

And, do the extra FB scholarships change Title IX requirements? Do more of 'minor' men sports get relegated to club level rather than varsity to comply? Of course, some of those enterprising men may decide that they identify as a female and dominate their varsity sport with a full scholarship. I hope that doesn't happen but I expect it will in a few cases.

[Pobilly]

For the big guys that are straight out of HS, except the 2% that can start as freshman), you will see teams do a different timeline. They will just have the guys in the weight room year one, not learning specific techniques, running, learning how to eat and such. Then year two they will start working them along with weight room. It will be an attempt to keep the 4 + lineman at their program. If they leave after year one they have not done much of anything with them besides teach them how to better their bodies. Like the old school 100 scholarship days. With 85 you have to develop and develop bodies all in year 1 and two. In case you need them a game or 3 during injuries.

[bthaunert]

Believe it or not, most schools will be cutting their roster size in football because it's based on roster size and not scholarships. In their 23-24 budget, UK says football carried 145 guys on the roster. Page 12 in this document https://www.uky.edu/trustees/sites/w...%202024%29.pdf

113 of those 145 guys had at least a partial scholarship according to that document. In the new world, you can only carry 105 guys total. It's actually going to reduce the number of kids playing FBS football drastically...maybe as much as 3,500 players.

I'm not sure if UK will carry 105 guys. Carrying more guys means the possibility of having to revenue share with more guys.

As for Title IX, UK will have 293 available roster spots for male athletes and 282 available roster spots for female athletes, so they are pretty good there.

The bigger thing is the money. UK pays the university for scholarships. In 23-24, they had 265.7 NCAA equivalency on scholarship. The increase in the available scholarships for UK athletics in the new roster limit world is 291 new scholarships available. In 23-24, UK budgeted $22.1 million for those 265.7 scholarships and awards. In the new world, if they filled all possible scholarships, they would be doubling that amount of money they paid the university and we know they can't afford it. So, they are going to have to tell most sports that they can't fill all of their available roster spots.

I know I went into a lot of detail, but it's a lot trickier than it sounds. Lots of decisions to be made around roster sizes.

[Jaxcat]

^Really good info, BT.