NCAA Division I roster limits for track and field and cross country

What changed in Division I track and cross country, and when?

On July 1, 2025, Division I schools in the House settlement switched from scholarship limits to roster limits: up to 45 athletes in track and field and 17 in cross country, with no cap on scholarships. Schools that didn't opt in keep 12.6 scholarships for men and 18 for women.

To carry out the court-approved House v. NCAA settlement, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors adopted roster limits in 2025, and they took effect July 1, 2025. The Division I rulebook no longer has sport-by-sport scholarship limits. Instead, schools that take part in the settlement follow a maximum roster size for each sport.

Which schools opted in, and how do you check?

Schools in the conferences that were defendants in the case are covered, and every other Division I school chose for itself, giving notice by March 1 each year. The NCAA doesn't publish an easy list, so ask the coach whether the school has opted in and what the roster limit is for your event group.

Schools in the conferences that were defendants in the case are covered. Every other Division I school chose for itself whether to opt in, first for the 2025-26 school year. Schools that plan to take part give the NCAA notice by March 1 each year, so a school's status can change from one year to the next.

The NCAA doesn't publish an easy list for families. The simplest way to know is to ask the coach: "Has your school opted into the House settlement, and what's your roster limit for my event group?" Conference and school athletics announcements also say it. If you're still sorting out the levels themselves, D1 vs D2 vs D3 vs NAIA vs JUCO explains how each one works.

Can you still walk on to a D1 track team?

Yes, but there are fewer spots. Opted-in teams must fit everyone, scholarship or not, into 45, so walk-on marks there are tighter than before. If you're near a school's walk-on standard, also look at Division I schools that didn't opt in, Division II, Division III and the NAIA.

Yes, but there are fewer spots. Teams that used to carry large rosters now have to fit everyone, scholarship or not, into 45. Coaches fill those spots with the athletes most likely to score, which means walk-on marks at opted-in schools are tighter than they used to be.

Some rosters can sit above 45 for a while. Athletes a school named as designated student-athletes, people who were on or would have been cut from a 2025-26 roster because of the limits, don't count against it for the rest of their eligibility. As they graduate, those extra spots go away.

If you're near a school's walk-on standard, also look at Division I schools that didn't opt in, Division II, Division III and the NAIA, where these limits don't apply.

Do D1 track teams have more scholarship money now?

More is possible, but nothing is promised. Without a scholarship cap, an opted-in school can give aid to every athlete on its roster, but many track programs haven't added money. Ask each coach how many athletes in your event group get aid, and compare your cost after all aid.

More is possible, nothing is promised. Without a scholarship cap, an opted-in school can give aid to every athlete on its roster. Whether it does depends on its budget, and many track programs haven't added money. How athletic scholarships work explains how athletic aid combines with academic and need-based aid.

Ask each coach how many athletes in your event group receive aid, and how much. Then compare what you'd pay after all aid, not the size of the athletic award.

Do distance runners count on both rosters?

Yes. At an opted-in school, a distance runner who competes in both cross country and track takes one of the 17 cross country spots and one of the 45 track and field spots. That makes distance spots especially competitive, so ask whether a coach is recruiting you for both teams or track only.

The rule behind it: at an opted-in school, an athlete has to be on the roster of each sport they take part in, so a runner who competes in both seasons uses a spot on each list.

It also means a coach may recruit a runner for both teams, or for track only. Ask which one the coach has in mind for you.

Did Division II, Division III, NAIA or junior college change?

No. The roster limits apply only to Division I schools that opted into the House settlement. Division II and the NAIA keep their scholarship limits, Division III still gives no athletic aid, and junior colleges aren't affected. What you sign changed separately, when the National Letter of Intent ended.

No. Division II, Division III, the NAIA and junior colleges aren't affected. The change applies only to Division I, and only to schools that opted in. Division II and the NAIA keep their scholarship limits, and Division III still gives no athletic aid.

The written agreement you sign is a separate change. What replaced the National Letter of Intent covers what athletes sign now at each level.

How REACH handles scholarship money

REACH never counts on athletic money it can't see. In your cost after aid, it only factors in a possible athletic scholarship when your marks are at a program's recruit level, and at Division I it estimates that money the same way it does at Division II, because few track and cross country programs have added scholarships since the change. That possible money only lowers the low end of your cost range, never the high end, because no one is promised athletic aid. REACH doesn't track which schools opted in, so ask each coach.

Questions

How many scholarships does a D1 track team have now?

It depends on the school. Division I schools that opted into the House settlement have no scholarship cap but a 45-athlete track roster. Schools that didn't opt in keep 12.6 scholarships for men and 18 for women, shared between track and cross country.

Can D1 track teams still have walk-ons?

Yes, but fewer. At opted-in schools, walk-ons count toward the 45-athlete limit, so coaches have less room for athletes who aren't likely to score. Schools that didn't opt in have no NCAA roster limit, so walk-on chances there are closer to what they were before 2025.

What is the cross country roster limit?

Seventeen athletes per team at Division I schools that opted into the House settlement. A runner who competes in both cross country and track counts toward both the 17-athlete cross country limit and the 45-athlete track and field limit.

Did Division II, Division III or NAIA rules change?

No. The roster limits and the end of scholarship caps apply only to Division I schools that opted into the settlement. Division II and NAIA keep their scholarship limits, and Division III still gives no athletic aid.

How do I find out if a school opted in?

Ask the coach directly, and check the school's or conference's athletics announcements. Schools in the conferences named in the House case are covered; other Division I schools each made their own choice and tell the NCAA by March 1 each year.

Why do some D1 track rosters have more than 45 athletes?

Designated student-athletes, people a school says were on or would have been cut from its 2025-26 roster because of the limits, don't count against the roster limit for the rest of their eligibility. Those extra spots go away as they graduate.