In a landmark settlement agreement, the NCAA has increased college scholarship ice hockey numbers, and put strict limits on NCAA roster sizes beginning in the 2025-2026 season as it relates to ice hockey.
The settlement is expected to receive approval between September 5th, or later than the spring of 2025 in United States District Court by Judge Claudia Wilkin.
Beginning in 2025-2026 NCAA ice hockey programs will be allowed to provide for twenty six full scholarships for each team. That is twenty six full rides which dramatically improves conditions for player who earn the opportunity to play Division One hockey.
With that increase in scholarships, comes strict roster limits for each team that will be set at twenty six player as well. This is important to note because teams have at times been known to roster as many as thirty players who may or may not have been active at any point during a season.
The NCAA will also be paying financial penalties as part of this deal as it effects all NCAA sports, and all Name Image and Likeness deals in the future.
What is very important to note here is the timing of this deal for ice hockey.
As the CHL/NHL development agreement expires in 2026, NCAA hockey has just increased the number of scholarships each school can use.
With the expectation of drastic changes to the CHL/NHL agreement including minimum numbers of games and or seasons played required by the CHL for Major Junior players to earn any scholarship packages starting in 2026, the change will be big.
Also notable concerning timing, is that starting in 2025-2026, by way of these increased scholarships and roster limitations, the NCAA will be allowing CHL players to play NCAA hockey.
Does this mean every NCAA program will increase scholarships? No. They will have the option to do that. What it definitely means is that players need to be a lot more prepared and educated on the process, and schools will be a lot more competitive.
Those schools not going all in on these initiatives will likely see themselves fall far behind those that do go all in. This likely makes the rich richer, while still allowing smaller programs the ability to improve. This could also finally usher in the expansion of Division One hockey we have been waiting for in the Western and Southern United States which will likely be needed should the Major Junior players look to come south in big numbers.
In short, this is the window opening for big changes to NCAA hockey and Major Junior hockey over the next twenty four months.
To talk about how these changes could potentially effect you, please feel free to email.
