📝 Update: NCAA Submits Roster Limit Brief — Some Hope, But More is Needed.
Yesterday, the NCAA and plaintiff attorneys submitted their joint brief in response to Judge Wilken’s concerns about the harmful impact of roster limits on student-athletes. On paper, it sounds like progress:
- The NCAA and its member schools have agreed to allow student-athletes who were cut or told they would be cut to be grandfathered in.
- Member conferences have also agreed to waive their conference-imposed roster caps to enable this.
But here’s the catch — and it’s a big one:
👉 The decision is left entirely up to each individual school.
While we’ve already seen strong leadership from Notre Dame — which publicly announced it will welcome back all athletes who were cut — other schools are going in the opposite direction. Some athletic directors have explicitly said they will not bring student-athletes back, even if space has now been made available.
So yes, this update is a win — but it’s a win for some.
And heartbreak still looms for far too many.
We’re already hearing from families and athletes who were cut prematurely, only to now be told their spot has been filled. Coaches have acted opportunistically, and many athletes are paying the price — financially, emotionally, and academically.
If schools can grandfather athletes in, then they should.
And if it can be optional, it can be mandatory.
There is no legitimate difficulty in doing the right thing.
Judge Wilken will hear from the Objectors — They will most certainly continue to push for a requirement that schools honor the roster spots of those unfairly cut.
✅ What We’re Asking For:
Every school must follow Notre Dame’s lead — commit publicly to grandfathering in all affected athletes.
📬 Action Items:
*Email your school’s President and Athletic Director. Ask them directly:
Will you follow Notre Dame’s lead and bring back all the student-athletes who were impacted by these premature cuts?
Let’s be clear: this is not just about logistics — it’s about leadership, fairness, and integrity.
It’s not too late to do the right thing.
#GrandfatherThemAll #RosterLimits #NCAA