Roster FAQs

Q: How many players are allowed on the roster?

A: NCAA rules allow for 105 players to be rostered before the first day of class or the first game, whichever comes first. When school is in session, there is no limit to the number of players on the roster, but BYU maintains a maximum of 123 (17.9.2.1.2).

Q: How many players are on scholarship?

A: At a given time, a team is limited to a maximum of 85 players on scholarship (15.5.6.1).

Q: How long does a scholarship agreement last?

A: A scholarship is only valid for one year, renewable on an annual basis (15.3.3.1).

Q: What is the difference between a walk-on and a preferred walk-on?

A: A Walk-on is any non-scholarship athlete. The standard Walk-on is not recruited, but makes the team during tryouts, usually held the first day of school in the fall. A Preferred Walk-on has been recruited, but the coaches don’t have a scholarship to offer, so they guarantee a roster spot without having to tryout. A total of 20 Walk-ons are given to opportunity to participate in preseason camp to make up the 105-man roster. The only difference between these 20 players and the other 85 on the roster is the scholarship. They are considered equal in every other aspect. When a need presents itself on the Depth Chart and a scholarship becomes available, the Preferred Walk-ons are generally first in line. Chris Rubio said, “If you are a full scholarship athlete, they are flat-out handing you the keys to the car. If you are a Preferred Walk-on, they are holding the keys out in front of you while they keep walking away from you. You can get them but you are going to have to work to get them from their grasp. If you are a Walk-on, they hid the car keys and have Ray Charles help you find them.”

Q: How does a player’s missionary service affect eligibility?

A: In most cases, a player has a five-year clock in which to complete his eligibility. This clock is paused when the player withdraws from school for missionary service and re-starts when the player returns to school as a full-time student (14.2.1).

Q: What is a Redshirt?

A: A Redshirt is an athlete who is enrolled as a full-time student, participates in practice and team events, but does not play in any games. Redshirting is done to provide an opportunity for the player to learn schemes and techniques, rehabilitate from injury or missionary service, learn a new position, or develop physically without losing a year of eligibility. A player can redshirt at any time during their eligibility (a player basically is given a 5 year clock in which to complete their eligibility). In the event a player is injured in the first half of the season and has played in four games or less, NCAA rules allow for the submission of a medical hardship waiver. If approved, a redshirt season can be granted. A hardship waiver is not normally granted if a player has already used his voluntary redshirt season. A player can typically receive up to two hardship waivers in his career (14.2.4).

Q: What is a Greyshirt?

A: A Greyshirt is an athlete who enrolls at the school as a part-time student (less than 12 credit hours) or delays enrollment until the Winter Semester in order to extend their eligibility. The five-year eligibility clock does not begin until a student enrolls full-time. Greyshirts do not participate in any games, practices, or team events. They are essentially not a member of the team until they enroll as a full-time student.

Q: How many coaches can a team have?

A: Per NCAA rules, a team is allowed one Head Coach, nine assistants, four graduate assistants, and five strength and conditioning coaches.

Source: 2014-15 NCAA Division I Manual

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