SEC presidents voted to increase the amount of maximum scholarships that are available to its football rosters from the current amount of 85 to 105, according to a report by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger on Friday morning.
Following the House vs. NCAA antitrust settlement, the NCAA officially took away scholarship limits that were specific to each sport earlier this year. But the SEC said in November of last year that it would remain with the 85-player limit for scholarships for the 2025 season. The SEC said to CBS Sports at that time that the conference’s decision to stay at 85 scholarships was made to give coaches “parameters” with the uncertainty over the issue.
Friday’s Yahoo Sports report on the scholarship vote came on the last day of this year’s Early Signing Period, which started on Wednesday.
The report on the vote also comes on the eve of the SEC Championship Game between Georgia and Alabama, who will collide on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide will kick off at 4 p.m. ET on ABC.
Other Power 4 conferences, including the Big Ten and Big 12, have increased their scholarship limits to 105, so the SEC is reportedly joining those leagues in going up from 85 scholarships.
It still wasn’t clear if Friday’s reported new scholarship limits would take effect for this coming spring semester or for the 2026 season. Programs would not be required to go to the new reported 105 scholarship limit if they chose not to, but this reported vote means they can now do so.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
