Signing and Counter Limits / NCAA Bylaws
NCAA Bylaws sections concerning FBS signing and counter limits are posted below. The basic 25/85 (initial/total) scholarship limits are fairly common knowledge, but to help clear up some common misconceptions about them, here are
six important things to understand:
1) Transfers (all types) do count toward annual signee and initial counter limits. There's nothing in the Bylaws stating that transfers are exempt. Per section
13.9.2.3, both
prospective student-athletes and
student-athletes (all-inclusive) do count toward the signee limits.
15.02.3 defines
"counter" as
an individual (all-inclusive) who is on a countable scholarship.
15.02.3.1 defines
“initial counter” as a
counter (all-inclusive) who is receiving an initial countable scholarship.
2) Non-qualifiers who signed an NLI still count against their original signee spot and then count against the corresponding initial counter spot at that school if/when they enroll there after JUCO.
3) Grayshirts (15.5.6.3.2) — Deferred enrollees (after fall term) may count toward signee and initial counter limits for the next academic year.
4) Blueshirts (15.5.6.3.4) — The signings limit (effective for the 2018 cycle) ends the ability for non-recruited (no OV, no off-campus meeting, no NLI; 15.02.8) players to receive fall scholarships (within the 85 limit) and count toward the next year's initial counters limit because they'll count toward the current academic year signing limit.
5) Early enrollees (15.5.6.3.5) who are midyear replacements for December or prior academic year graduates may be counted against unused prior cycle signee and initial counter spots. FBS schools may only use the midyear replacement option if they had 85 counters in the fall term.
6) Non-athletic aid (15.5.6.3.7) — A recruited player (OV, off-campus meeting or NLI; 15.02.8) on non-athletic scholarship only counts toward signee and initial/total limits if/when he plays in a game. Exception (15.5.1.2.1) — A recruited player on academic scholarship, after one year with a 3.0/4.0 GPA, may then play and remain a non-counter. Apparently, a non-recruited player on non-athletic aid may play as a non-counter.
Helpful articles: Asking for NLI Release - FAQs;
A deep dive inside the NCAA's tweaked 25-man signing limit...
NCAA Bylaws: (PDF - free download)
13.9.2.3 Limitation on the Number of National Letter of Intent/Offer of Financial Aid Signings. [FBS] For the football bowl subdivision, there shall be an
annual limit of 25 on the number of
prospective student-athletes who may sign a National Letter of Intent or an institutional offer of financial aid
and student-athletes who may sign a financial aid agreement for the first time. (Revised: 4/26/17 effective 8/1/17 for signings that occur on or after 8/1/17)
13.9.2.3.1 Application. [FBS] A prospective student-athlete who signs a National Letter of Intent (NLI) or an institutional offer of financial aid or student-athlete who signs a financial aid agreement that specifies financial aid will be initially provided in the fall term of an academic year shall count toward the annual limit on signings for that academic year. A prospective student-athlete who signs a National Letter of Intent (NLI) or an institutional offer of financial aid or student-athlete who signs a financial aid agreement that specifies financial aid will be initially provided during the second or third term of the academic year may count toward the limit for that academic year or the next academic year. (Revised: 4/26/17 effective 8/1/17 for signings that occur on or after 8/1/17)
15.02.3 Counter. A “counter”
is an individual who is receiving institutional financial aid that is countable against the aid limitations in a sport.
15.02.3.1 Initial Counter. An “initial counter” is a counter who is receiving countable financial aid in a sport for the first time. (See Bylaw 15.5.6.3 in football for instances in which the institution is permitted to defer the counting of such financial aid until the following academic year.)
15.02.8 Recruited Student-Athlete. For purpose of Bylaw 15, a recruited student-athlete is a student-athlete who, as a prospective student-athlete: (Adopted: 1/15/11 effective 8/1/11)
(a) Was provided an official visit to the institution’s campus;
(b) Had an arranged, in-person, off-campus encounter with a member of the institution’s coaching staff (including any such encounter with the prospective student-athlete’s parents, relatives or legal guardians); or
(c) Was issued a National Letter of Intent or a written offer of athletically related financial aid by the institution for a regular academic term.
The NCAA Bylaws concerning how players are counted against the 25 initial counters and 85 total counters limits are in the next post.
