NCAA considering expansion on 25-man signing classes, per report

The immediate, one-time transfer rule is already making an impact on how recruiting classes add up, and the NCAA is looking to act.

According to a report by Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated, the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee is close to approving a proposal that would allow schools to recruit over the maximum number of 25 student-athletes permitted per recruiting cycle.

This has been a long, long time coming. It was clear after the one-time transfer exception passed that the signing limit would be increased to offset transferring players & keep teams closer to the 85.

A deep dive from February on all of that – https://t.co/vBXiBDapyJ

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) August 20, 2021

According to Dellenger’s reporting, there are multiple proposal ideas in place, with the most popular being that a school can sign 25 new players while also adding more spots for every player who transfers out of the same program. For example, if a team has five players put their name in the portal, that school would then be allowed a 30-man signing class.

Other proposals include raising the overall number to something such as 30 or 35, or simply giving an allotted amount of spots specifically for transfers.

Due to the explosion of transfers following the NCAA’s approval of an immediate, one-time transfer rule along with the extra year of eligibility granted due to COVID-19 implications, many football programs are falling short of the 85 scholarship limit.

The idea behind this proposal is that college coaches won’t have to decide between recruiting from the transfer portal or high school ranks, which could severely affect the number of players that are recruited and scouted overall. With extra cushion to sign players, coaches can take from both groups and more easily reach the 85-man threshold.

The committee is expected to meet again on Thursday and potentially approve the proposal. If it were to be accepted, the increased signing classes would go into effect for the class of 2022, which is roughly four months from the beginning of the early-signing period.

Dellenger has plenty more information from his report, which you can read here.