Can coaches pull existing scholarships?

[wingsfan055]

The Portal and NIL has changed the sport dramatically. With so many good players becoming "available" and teams limited to 15 scholarships, I bet there are many coaches who wish they had scholarship slots to offer.

Can programs take away scholarships from existing players? I'm assuming academic performance could be an obvious reason. But if a player is a junior or senior and riding the end of the bench and is getting zero minutes, could their scholarship ever be rescinded?

 

[Kaizen]

If a coach pulls existing scholarships without big reasons he/she will have problem to recruit next year's players.

 

[Jim]

Scholarships are renewed annually, so, yes, a coach can pull a scholarship from a player on the roster. But as others have pointed out, that coach gets a reputation which cannot be undone. Top programs wouldn’t remain at the top for long if they were to do that. There are lots of stories online where student-athletes were left scrambling, particularly when a coaching change occurs.

 

[RedStickHusky]

I've heard grumblings on the men's side that coaches want the ability to sign kids to "can't move" contracts for NIL money... Coaches who've always been able to leave for bigger money.

 

[wingsfan055]

If a coach pulls existing scholarships without big reasons he/she will have problem to recruit next year's players.

I agree it wouldnt be a good look. My question was more "can" they pull scholarships versus "should".

The implication may be that for the coaches at bigger schools, they might be more selective/reluctant to give out scholarships to "round out" their bench, especially if they can save that unused scholarship for the Portal.

 

[Ct Dog]

It’s a great way to clear dead weight, fair is fair

 

[Aluminny69]

I strongly suspect that coaches sit down with each player at the end of the season to discuss their future. For end of the bench players, they strongly suggest that the player go elsewhere for playing time. Usually the player will take the hint.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Scholarships are renewed annually, so, yes, a coach can pull a scholarship from a player on the roster. But as others have pointed out, that coach gets a reputation which cannot be undone. Top programs wouldn’t remain at the top for long if they were to do that. There are lots of stories online where student-athletes were left scrambling, particularly when a coaching change occurs.

Coaches don’t need to pull scholarships. They just tell the player that “you’re gonna have to fight for limited playing time, and it would probably be in your best interest to look for transfer options”. It happens all the time. The player can stay and sit on the bench or transfer. Most kids move on.

 

[Rowdy831]

I agree it wouldnt be a good look. My question was more "can" they pull scholarships versus "should".

The implication may be that for the coaches at bigger schools, they might be more selective/reluctant to give out scholarships to "round out" their bench, especially if they can save that unused scholarship for the Portal.

Yes they can opt to not renew a scholarship. It has happened more in football than any other sport but like some said unless you are like Saban you might not want to try it.

 

[JellyBean]

I've heard grumblings on the men's side that coaches want the ability to sign kids to "can't move" contracts for NIL money... Coaches who've always been able to leave for bigger money.

Yikes! That won't go well with some players and with recruiting.

 

[Blueballer]

Rick Pitino just did it at St ohns didn't he?

 

[RedStickHusky]

Yikes! That won't go well with some players and with recruiting.

I don't think it's happening, just some coaches grumbling. It's the wild, wild west on roster building now.

 

[Bald Husky]

The way I see it, if a coach convinces a player to come to that school, the coach OWES that player the scholarship and should not rescind it. If the coach recruits better players in the future, that's his problem. The player could have gone somewhere else but was convinced to go to his school. Unless the player has a character or academic problem, they deserve to stay on the team with the scholarship.

 

[ctkaiser]

Rick Pitino just did it at St ohns didn't he?

Yes and the entire recruiting class decommitted possibly at his urging them to do so.

 

[Jim]

Coaches don’t need to pull scholarships. They just tell the player that “you’re gonna have to fight for limited playing time, and it would probably be in your best interest to look for transfer options”. It happens all the time. The player can stay and sit on the bench or transfer. Most kids move on.

It is more than that. There have been cases due to the limited number of scholarships where coaches did not renew an existing player’s scholarship so that scholly could be given to someone the coach wanted more.

 

[oldhusky]

15 used to be plenty, but the tremendous activity in the portal creates uncertainty. Teams used to stop at 12 or 13, but now they try to have all 15 because for all they know 3 or 4 of them will leave. That creates more of these difficult scenarios where you then need that extra spot because maybe you assumed several would leave but they didn't.

 

[Dublin]

Coach Prime at Colorado has publicly stated that he will change his football roster for 2023-2024 by rescinding some scholarship offers from incoming freshmen and by updating his existing team roster.

According to NCAA rules ( Bylaw 15.5.1.7 “Aid After Departure of Head Coach" ), if a player on an existing scholarship decides to stay at the school and does not play during the season, his scholarship will be honored but his scholarship will NOT count towards the team limit.

For example, if a new basketball head coach has 12 scholarship players on his existing roster and 3 scholarship commitments from incoming freshmen, the HC can rescind 1 or more incoming scholarship commitments and can identify 1 or more existing players that they will not play the next season (the assumption is that the HC will 'encourage' those players to enter the portal so that they can continue playing basketball they love and so that the school does not incur their scholarship cost). The HC can offer new scholarships to other incoming freshmen and incoming transfers.

The HC simply can only play 15 the next season. Existing players will have their scholarships honored, but the only basketball they will be playing is pickup games around campus.

 

[sdhoops]

Well there was this occurrence in the past year: Plot Twist: Fired Grambling Volleyball Coach Who 'Cut Entire Roster' Says She Was Set Up

 

[EdSaid]

The first thing a college coach or student athlete learns is "the business of sports is business." Most college coaches have pulled scholarships (officially they are called athletic grant in aid and they are renewable annually). Aside from the Power 5 conferences, all you have to do is notify the student athlete in writing by July 1 and the scholarship is gone. No reason needed.

About eight years ago, the power 5 conferences agreed to not pull scholarships for athletic reasons. In addition the student-athlete must maintain eligibility and comply by team/college rules. Some athletes don't want to follow rules or go to class. A lot of coaches like to call it addition by subtraction. Some of these kids get on campus and go nuts.

So, the answer to the question is yes coaches can pull scholarships. Today it comes with a nice press release, saying the student is entering the transfer portal and we wish them well, blah, blah, blah. Behind the scenes, student athlete is told your scholarship is gone, good bye. Real world stuff.

 

[Pharos]

Coaches don’t need to pull scholarships. They just tell the player that “you’re gonna have to fight for limited playing time, and it would probably be in your best interest to look for transfer options”. It happens all the time. The player can stay and sit on the bench or transfer. Most kids move on.

It depends on the player's personal vision for their life. Heather Buck is a good example of an "end of the bench" player who knew she was going in another direction after basketball; so staying made sense. Briana Pulido, another example. Not sure of all the details, but I think Pulido was a walk-on who was eventually awarded a scholarship...

 

[CTinLA]

Coach Prime at Colorado has publicly stated that he will change his football roster for 2023-2024 by rescinding some scholarship offers from incoming freshmen and by updating his existing team roster.

According to NCAA rules ( Bylaw 15.5.1.7 “Aid After Departure of Head Coach" ), if a player on an existing scholarship decides to stay at the school and does not play during the season, his scholarship will be honored but his scholarship will NOT count towards the team limit.

For example, if a new basketball head coach has 12 scholarship players on his existing roster and 3 scholarship commitments from incoming freshmen, the HC can rescind 1 or more incoming scholarship commitments and can identify 1 or more existing players that they will not play the next season (the assumption is that the HC will 'encourage' those players to enter the portal so that they can continue playing basketball they love and so that the school does not incur their scholarship cost). The HC can offer new scholarships to other incoming freshmen and incoming transfers.

The HC simply can only play 15 the next season. Existing players will have their scholarships honored, but the only basketball they will be playing is pickup games around campus.

Is this “loophole” something that could be used for the 2024-25 season if some combination of Paige, Aaliyah, and/or Nika decide to stay for their Covid year and we are over 15 players with incoming freshman? Thanks!

 

[UcMiami]

It is not a good look for any coach to get a reputation for messing with scholarships. The covid year created an extraordinary situation where suddenly players were give the option of a fifth year. The NCAA recognizing the immediate problem allowed all schools to exceed the 15 scholarship limit, if those over the limit were exercising their 5th year. That exemption lasted only the one year giving coaches a year to reorganize their recruiting. 15 is now a firm limit to scholarships. I believe Tara told one player that a fifth year scholarship was not available a year or two ago because Stanford was at its limit. This will continue to be an unique, but limited phenomenon until all covid 5th year option have been worked through the system. Paige's red-shirt season for example could extend the covid option an additional year in theory and others like Prince are also in that boat.

 

[temery]

It’s a great way to clear dead weight, fair is fair

That's a disgusting take on why scholarships are offered, and why college sports exist. Coaches aren't buying a lottery ticket, they're buy a majority stake in a stock.

If it doesn't payoff, they still have a responsibility to pay the expected asking price: an education/degree.

If the NCAA wants to allow a school to move such a player 'off books', and not count the scholarship to a school's limit, fine. But every school should honor their commitment.

Fair is fair.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

But googling seems to show that there are "autonomy conferences," which can provide different stipulations for their athletic scholarships. The Power Five seem to be offering four-year scholarships, though the fine print might be problematic.

Pac-12 passes reforms, including scholarships

The Pac-12 passed sweeping changes for athletes in all of the conference's sports Monday, guaranteeing four-year scholarships, improving health care benefits and liberalizing transfer rules.

www.espn.com

 

[Ct Dog]

That's a disgusting take on why scholarships are offered, and why college sports exist. Coaches aren't buying a lottery ticket, they're buy a majority stake in a stock.

If it doesn't payoff, they still have a responsibility to pay the expected asking price: an education/degree.

If the NCAA wants to allow a school to move such a player 'off books', and not count the scholarship to a school's limit, fine. But every school should honor their commitment.

Fair is fair.

And every player should do their best to improve and be a productive member of the team. The knife cuts both ways with the agreement. When the players won the right to transfer to a program that it’s their situation better along with that goes the right for the school to improve their roster. Disgusting as some might see it “fair is fair”.