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With the start of the new year brings many additional changes to the fluid college baseball recruiting landscape. From new roster limits, to court rulings on eligibility length at the NCAA level, the end of the year leading into 2025 was a whirlwind. The college baseball recruiting process has clearly changed moving forward.
Lets start with the tremendous amount of players in the 2025 class who “reopened their recruitment” this past fall, with some as late as after the rescheduled Jupiter tournament in October. A clear sign of the times with regard to the new roster limitations that the 2025 class will be the first class to feel the effects. The new 34 man roster limit is the culprit (along with the transfer portal). So while many of these players may have been committed for quite some time, if they were deemed not ready to contribute as an incoming freshman next fall, they became expendable, and were thus told the scholarship papers will not be coming on signing day. The colleges have been left no choice. Gone are the days of the incoming developmental freshman who may need a year to either phyically develop and/or be ready for the speed of the game at the D1 level. Those roster spots no longer exist with the 34 man limit. Couple that with the ability of colleges to dip into the transfer portal and get an older, more physical, experienced player, and the projection high school player who may need to to brought along slowly, will in most cases, no longer have a roster spot.
We saw the elimination of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program, thus creating individual school and player financial agreements as a replacement. The creation of revenue sharing in addition to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) compensation for players are all now part of the landscape.
December brought us a court ruling/injunction granting a NCAA D1 football player an additional year of eligibility based off the conclusion in this case and this individual case only, that his junior college playing time will not count against his overall NCAA years of eligibility. Many viewed this incorrectly, as this will allow someone to play two years of NJCAA baseball and then still retain an additional four years of NCAA playing eligibilty. To date, the NCAA has ruled in general that any player whose eligibility was up this past year (2024-2025) due to competing at a non NCAA level (NJCAA), will be granted one additional year of eligibility for the 2025-2026 academic year, as long as certain conditions are met. There still is a long ways to go in the courts to ultimately decide what the final ruling on this senario regarding total years of NCAA eligibilty. For now, only the above mentioned conditional additional year of eligibility is permissible.
This first week of January brought the vote amongst D1 coaches at the ABCA convention to institute a Fall roster limit of 38 players prior to getting down to the mandated December 1st 34-man roster. That proposal is being considered by the NCAA. While this puts schools in a tough roster management situation in the event of injury concerns heading into the spring, it does limit the number of players in the fall who will be told in their exit meetings that they did not make the spring roster and the mad scramble that generally creates with the December transfer portal, along with those with remaining JUCO eligibility filtering down as well. Again, this is another wait-and-see situation.
As previously outlined in prior blog posts, like anything in life, what happens at the top, will generally have a trickle-down effect. In this case, the proposed fall roster limitations and the approved 34 man roster limit for the spring will force a lot of players who in previous years would be on a D1 roster down to all other levels of college baseball. D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO teams will all benefit from the trickle down effect. This also has a clear effect on the high school player aspiring to play college baseball. With fewer opportunities at the D1 level, the opportunities at the other levels will also be harder to come by.
So what is the high school player and family to do? In addition to the obvious, but often overlooked aspect of dedicating the time in a quality strength and conditioning program for reasons outined in previous blog posts, a clear and concise course of action for a recruiting plan must be in place. Starting as early as the summer after freshman year and/or the fall of the sophomore year is not too early, and is more than likely ideal. The earlier the plan is started the wider the scope of schools can be explored. Always keeping in mind, the player doesn’t choose the level of play, the level of play will utlimately choose the player. Heading into the fall of the junior year will usually be a good indicator of whether D1 baseball is in the picture. If it is not, shifting focus (if not done at the outset) is imperative to start aggressively exploring all other levels of college baseball. This is where the process can be at a crossroads. A properly evaluated and projected player will be directed from the onset as to what levels of play should be considered and what levels are more than likely out of reach at the present time. To have a player and family spend time and resources attending the schools camps and/or showcases not only wastes money, but valuable time. What is meant by that, is as opportunities at ALL levels of collegiate baseball are now harder to come by with all the transfer rules and roster limitation changes, looking in the wrong direction, can and most likely will, lead to missed opportunities at the proper levels of play.
The fluid landscape of college baseball recruiting is not going to revert back to the previous model. Players and families now more than ever, need sound, credible advice, evaluation, and direction when trying to find the proper academic, athletic, financial, and geographic fit. Having this will save families money by getting properly evaluated and projected so as to not spin your wheels at camps that are unrealistic levels of play. They may be attainable in a couple of years, but we are talking about the high school player and where he can positively impact a college baseball program as a freshman. Keep in mind, producing at a JUCO or, for example, a D2/D3 or NAIA program may also provide the opportunity to get a higher level. This practice of starting out at a D2/D3 for example, producing, physically maturing, has led to many players entering the transfer portal and finishing their careers at a school that they were not ready to contribute at or even get noticed coming out of high school. This is today’s norm and in most cases is embraced.
Best of luck as the 2025 season is about to begin! To learn more about who we are and if we may be a fit to assist in your sons recruiting process. Contact Us today!
