What New Scholarship Rules Mean for Baylor Baseball Moving Forward

On Wednesday, Ross Dellenger reported that the NCAA is expected to approve increased scholarships for multiple sports starting in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Baseball, which previously had just 11.7 scholarships to divide amongst the roster, saw the biggest jump of all sports involved, with a +22.3 scholarship increase. Moving forward, rosters are expected to be set at 34, and each university will have the option to decide whether to make baseball a full-equivalency sport or agree upon an increased scholarship number that is larger than 11.7.

The new legislation has massive implications for the Baylor baseball program and will level the playing field for the Bears. Regardless of what scholarship amount Baylor decides in the coming months, it will surely increase from the rigid 11.7 number that has handcuffed the program due to high tuition costs to attend the university.

Another potential indirect benefit for Baylor is with roster sizes moving from 40 to 34, high school and junior college prospects, as well as transfer portal talent may be more evenly dispersed across the country.

As Mitch Thompson’s Bears look to improve on the field this spring, the coaching staff will have a full season to evaluate the new legislation and determine how to proceed before it takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year.