NCAA Settlement Puts Thousands of Roster Spots at Risk
A recent Runner’s World article explores how the proposed NCAA House settlement—meant to allow schools to share revenue with athletes in football and men’s basketball—could have wide-ranging and uneven consequences across college sports. In particular, non-revenue sports like track and cross-country, and especially distance runners, are likely to be disproportionately impacted.
Under the proposed terms, cross-country teams would be capped at 17 athletes per gender, and track and field teams at 45 total—with cross-country athletes counting toward that limit. These caps are already leading some schools, like Virginia Tech, to begin cutting athletes in anticipation of the changes. If the settlement is approved in court on April 7, the roster limits would take effect in the 2025–2026 academic year. Estimates suggest over 4,000 athletes from Power-4 schools could lose their spots, with cuts potentially exceeding 15,000 across Division I.
The article highlights a few of the affected athletes and serves as a reminder that behind every roster cut is a human story—a student losing out on a chance to grow, compete, and be part of a college team experience.
