Name, Image, and Likeness #5

College basketball (and football) is now a purely professional enterprise. According to AI research, in the current college athletic landscape, NIL is the baseline, not the bonus.

For the 2026-27 season, NIL valuations and the landmark House v. NCAA settlement have fundamentally altered scholarship limits and roster structures. Schools like Louisville that opt into the settlement are shifting from a "scholarship limit" model to a "roster limit" model. 

Elimination of Scholarship Caps 

The traditional NCAA cap on the number of scholarships a team can offer (e.g., 13 for men's basketball) is being abolished. 

Universal Aid: Schools can now offer a scholarship to every player on their roster.

Equivalency Model: Men's basketball will transition from a "headcount" sport (where only full rides were allowed) to an equivalency sport. This allows coaches like Pat Kelsey to divide scholarship funds into partial awards to maximize talent, similar to how college baseball has traditionally operated. 

2. New Roster Limits

While scholarship caps are gone, they have been replaced by strict roster caps that limit the total number of players a team can carry.

Men's Basketball: The roster limit is expanding from 13 to 15 players.

IMPACT ON WALK-ONS: BECAUSE EVERY PLAYER NOW COUNTS TOWARD THE HARD CAP OF 15, TRADITIONAL "NON-SCHOLARSHIP" WALK-ONS ARE EXPECTED TO DISAPPEAR, AS COACHES WILL LIKELY USE ALL 15 SPOTS FOR RECRUITED, AID-RECEIVING ATHLETES. 

An 8-part series