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NCAA announces college baseball roster changes for 2021 season
By SDS Staff
Published:
Division I college baseball teams are officially allowed to carry larger rosters next season.
Kendall Rodgers, a managing editor of the D1 Baseball publication, shared that the 35-man roster cap has been lifted with no new limitation for the 2020-21 academic calendar (2021 college baseball season). He also shared that the annual counters have increased from 27 to 32 and the 25 percent scholarship minimum will be eliminated for a year.
The news appropriately came ahead of the 2020 MLB Draft, which begins Wednesday night. College baseball is dealing with a unique situation due to the coronavirus pandemic early shutdown of this year’s college spring sports season and the MLB Draft’s massive reduction to just 5 rounds. In late March, it was announced that spring-sports athletes, such as baseball players, would be allowed an extra season of eligibility due to the coronavirus shutdown.
Factor incoming recruiting classes into the mix of fewer players drafted and some taking extended eligibility, it became clear that the NCAA needed to lift the 35-man roster cap for 2021. Unfortunately, however, this means baseball scholarships will be spread even further than usual. College baseball teams are allowed only a total of 11.7 scholarships. Rodgers reported that the SEC proposed increasing that number to 13.7 for 2021 but other conferences were not on board.
BREAKING: The @NCAA Division I Committee for Legislative Relief has given D1 Baseball relief. Includes (for the 2020-21 academic year):
* 35-man roster cap lifted. No limitation.
* Annual counter has increased from 27 to 32
* The 25% scholarship minimum eliminated for a year.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 10, 2020
MORE NCAA NEWS: The @SEC proposed increasing the scholarship total from 11.7 to 13.7 for the 2020-2021 academic year. That measure was not passed as a separate piece away from the other two proposals.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 10, 2020
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
