Report: Notre Dame becomes first school to commit to ‘grandfathering-in’ athletes.
Bevacqua’s public stance is important because, as Dellenger explained on social media, the revision to the settlement only permits — not requires — schools to exempt current athletes from impending roster limits. Football programs, for example, will be capped at 105.As debate over the House vs. NCAA settlement that could introduce full-blown revenue sharing to college football continues to rage, Notre Dame athletics director Pete Bevacqua made his stance on roster limits public.
Bevacqua told Yahoo Sports college football writer Ross Dellenger that the Irish will “honor the roster spot of all current athletes and permit those who were cut this year to return.” According to Dellenger, this makes Notre Dame the first school to fully commit to “grandfathering-in” current players.
The California judge overseeing the case, Claudia Wilken, told all parties involved that she will not approve the settlement unless some sort of grandfather clause is included to protect athletes in danger of losing their roster spots — and, crucially, those who already did.
“According to a filing made Wednesday in the House settlement case, schools will be permitted to grandfather-in a range of athletes: (1) those currently on a roster; (2) those athletes who have already been cut this year; and (3) those high school recruits who enrolled at a school after committing to a roster position only to see it eliminated,” Dellenger wrote Wednesday.
The most high-profile potential victims of roster caps are walk-on football players, 21 of whom play for Notre Dame. The projected roster, including summer enrollees, sits at 114. Bevacqua’s pledge would allow nine of the 21 walk-ons to remain with the program.
