DESTIN – SEC Football Coaches and Administrators spent the last two days discussing the possibility of smaller NCAA rosters and, perhaps, eliminating visitors.
At least one powerful person doesn’t understand this.
“Killing Rudy solves nothing,” president of the University of Florida Ben Sasse he said. “Don’t steal the joy from the athletes and don’t steal the drama from the fans.”
The issue arises from the imminent agreement in the House v. NCAA antitrust process. Although it has not been finalized, all parties and their lawyers have agreed on a framework with some relevant points.
The first would eliminate limits on scholarships in certain sports. Baseball would no longer need to split 11.7 scholarships among 32 players; each player could get one.
But instead of a cap on scholarships, the deal could set a cap on the size of rosters. While football teams are limited to 85 scholarships, rosters grow to around 110 or 120 players. In the new scenario, rosters could remain stagnant at 85 – and, Sasse fears, without the possibility of immediate successes like that of the Florida State coach Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas) and Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield (Texas Tech/Oklahoma).
“It’s just a bunch of lawyers who’ve never seen ‘Rudy,’” Sasse said of the decision-makers. “We have a lot of people reshaping the future of college football who have no problem eliminating walk-ons from the picture.
“Some of the best unscripted moments come from future insurance agents who risked everything to compete alongside their brothers in a game they’ve loved since they were in third grade.”
The coaches spent the two days at SEC Spring Meetings sharing valid, practical concerns that go beyond Hollywood endings. alligator trainer Billy Napier pointed out that most backup punters and kickers are not on scholarship.
“What do you do in Week 7 if your kicker gets hurt?” Napier asked.
That’s what happened in 2015 when Florida’s Jorge Powell suffered a season-ending knee injury. The Gators’ other kicker, Austin Hardin, missed time with a leg injury, so Florida held tryouts. Chamberlain High alumnus Neil MacInnes – an aspiring dental student who coach Jim McElwain nicknamed “the Dentist” – earned a spot on the roster. He appeared in three games and earned an extra point in the SEC championship.
MacInnes’ story fuels concern over shared lineups in the Hilton Sandestin’s meeting rooms and hallways. What if the lineup limits are too small?
While 85 players seems like a lot compared to the NFL’s traditional 53, that number is misleading. The Bucs had an unusually low number of injuries last season, but still had 85 players on the active roster/practice squad. None were redshirting.
NFL teams also have more flexibility if, say, two kickers injure their legs.
“If the NFL hurts a player, they sign another player,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “We hurt a player, it’s not like we just called NC State in Raleigh and traded a player. It doesn’t work like that.”
Even at current sizes, friction can be problematic. Injuries, opt-outs and transfers left FSU with about 53 scholarship players heading into the Orange Bowl. O The Seminoles lost to Georgia by 60.
Florida opened McElwain’s first spring with just seven healthy offensive linemen on scholarship. The Gamecocks were left with two running backs against Kentucky. Wildcats coach Mark Stoops had to restructure spring practices because some groups were so depleted due to new injuries and postseason surgeries.
“To say it wouldn’t happen this season would be crazy…” Stoops said.
It is true that these situations are atypical. But they may become more common as the Expanded College Football Playoff extends the season and postpones recoveries until spring.
Even if burnout doesn’t increase, coaches worry about more unintended consequences. College football, Napier often says, is a game of development.
“Our practice environment is a critical piece of the puzzle,” Napier said. “I think we need people to do that.”
Without more staff, how will backups pit valuable reps against each other to help them become starters?
But these personnel have a cost, which leads to one last relevant point in the Chamber’s agreement. Its structure allows schools to share more than $20 million annually with players. The money has to come from somewhere. And if other teams are adding scholarships and no one wants to cut sports, there are so many options for athletic directors to consider.
“Sometimes the way you did things doesn’t have to be the way you’re going to do things,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said.
Like almost everything discussed at these spring meetings, it’s unclear where things will end. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey suggested there was some wiggle room in the structure. Perhaps there is a number between 85 and 130 that makes sense developmentally and financially while also addressing player safety.
And – perhaps – a way to keep Rudy’s spirit alive.
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