TEMPE — Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham made an honest decision to inform some walk-on players they will not make the 105 cap, allowing these athletes to look into the portal.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This was a difficult but very necessary move, and Dillingham did not hold back in his comments on the situation.
“You don’t have to tell them till August,” he said. “Well, they can’t transfer in August. So you’re just gonna tell a kid in August that he can’t play football? And it uses a year of eligibility? That’s wrong.”
Starting in the 2025-26 season, the NCAA is implementing a 105-player roster cap for college football teams — the limit comes as part of the House v. NCAA lawsuit settlement. Even though there is no real set cap for number of players for camps, Dillingham expressed his feelings on the injustice that brings to the that end up stuck after being used through spring and summer. He opted to have the hard conversations now and give the players a chance.
This display of transparency may not help to soften the blow, but it will give the non-scholarship athletes a little bit of control over their future and have a better shot at playing come August.
Walk-ons bring vital parts to the table, from contributing on scout teams to earning major roles in rotation — but the 105 cap brings forth the harsh realities of juggling a roster.
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Reporter Reyna Stanley covers the Phoenix Mercury and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on X @rey_stanley776.
