NCAA Committee Advances Plan to Raise Hockey Roster Limit to 28
The short version
- Division I Men's Hockey Oversight Committee approved raising the roster cap from 26 to 28.
- House settlement opt-in schools are capped at 26 players but can award full scholarships to all; non-opt-in schools have no cap but only 18 scholarships.
- All National Collegiate Hockey Conference programs have opted in.
- The Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC will discuss amending the House settlement with plaintiffs' attorneys before the NCAA Cabinet gives final approval.
A Division I men's hockey committee has signed off on expanding rosters from 26 to 28 players, but several approval steps remain before the change takes effect.
The NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Oversight Committee has given its backing to a proposal that would raise the roster limit in college hockey from 26 players to 28. The vote is only an initial step, with further approvals required before the new limit becomes official.
The current rules split schools into two groups. Programs that joined the House settlement face a 26-player ceiling but may award every player a full scholarship. Programs that stayed out have no roster cap, though they can hand out no more than 18 scholarships. Every member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference has chosen to opt in.
Coaches have questioned whether 26 spots are enough, arguing that a run of injuries can leave a team with almost no roster flexibility. Health and safety worries, including the number of goalie positions, are part of the push for a larger limit.
NCHC commissioner Heather Weems said the proposal now moves to the four conferences named as defendants in the House case — the Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and ACC — which will negotiate with the plaintiffs' attorneys to amend the settlement. She noted an expansion of roster sizes is unlikely to draw opposition, but the defendant conferences must weigh what precedent it sets for other sports that may seek similar changes.
Should the settlement amendment clear that stage, the proposal heads to the NCAA Cabinet for final approval. Weems said hockey is the first sport to seek a roster-number change through this process.
