Teams opted in and not yet in - list

[HRRBM]

Of course the power 5 FOOTBALL teams had to opt in.  We have some affiliate wrestling teams in the football conferences that don't square perfectly.  Like the California and Little Rock in the Pac 12.  So I presume as they are not Pac 12 FOOTBALL, maybe they get to decided to opt in or not.  

Many schools have come out publicly to affirmatively announce that their College or University is opting in.  Others, like the Ivy have say they will not opt in.  And a group have not yet commented.  

With just google search of individual schools I wasn't sure of (got some of the recent Flowrestling article) and see what the AI of yahoo told me.  Here is the list as of today. 

Opting In       Not yet In   1 Duke ACC   1 Air Force Big 12 2 NC State ACC   2 N. Colo Big 12 3 Pitt ACC   3 ND St Big 12 4 Stanford ACC   4 SDSU Big 12 5 UNC ACC   5 Utah Val Big 12 6 UVA ACC   6 American EIWA 7 VA Tech ACC   7 Army EIWA 8 Illinois Big 10   8 Binghamton EIWA 9 Indiana Big 10   9 Bucknell EIWA 10 Iowa Big 10   10 F&M EIWA 11 Maryland Big 10   11 Lehigh EIWA 12 Mich St Big 10   12 LIU EIWA 13 Michigan Big 10   13 Navy EIWA 14 Minn Big 10   14 Brown Ivy, Said NO 15 Nebraska Big 10   15 Columbia Ivy, Said NO 16 Northwest Big 10   16 Cornell Ivy, Said NO 17 OH St Big 10   17 Harvard Ivy, Said NO 18 PSU Big 10   18 Penn Ivy, Said NO 19 Purdue Big 10   19 Princeton Ivy, Said NO 20 Rutgers Big 10   20 Bloomsburg MAC 21 Wisconsin Big 10   21 Buffalo MAC 22 Arizona State Big 12   22 C. Mich MAC 23 Iowa St Big 12   23 Clarion MAC 24 OK St Big 12   24 Edinboro MAC 25 WVU Big 12   25 Kent State MAC 26 Cal Baptist Big 12 (Big West)   26 Lock Haven MAC 27 Wyoming Big 12 (Mt West)   27 N. Ill MAC 28 N. Iowa Big 12 (MVC)   28 Ohio MAC 29 Missouri Big 12 (SEC)   29 Rider MAC 30 Oklahoma Big 12 (SEC)   30 SIUE MAC 31 Drexel EIWA   31 CSU Bakersfield Pas 12 (Big West) 32 Hofstra EIWA   32 App State So Con 33 Morgan St EIWA   33 Bellarmine So Con 34 Sacred Heart EIWA   34 Chattanooga So Con 35 George Mason  MAC   35 Gardner-Webb So Con 36 Mercyhurst n/a   36 Presbyterian So Con 37 Oregon St Pac 12   37 The Citadel So Con 38 Cal Poly Pac 12 (Big Sky)   38 VMI So Con 39 Little Rock Pac 12 (OVC)     Cleveland St. MAC dropping team   40 Campbell So Con         41 Davidson So Con

[gimpeltf]

My understanding is that Lehigh will not opt in.

[flyingcement]

  On 4/6/2025 at 3:30 AM, gimpeltf said:

My understanding is that Lehigh will not opt in.

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if you wouldn't mind educating me what would that mean? allowance for larger roster with less revenue sharing?  I honestly have no clue

[HRRBM]

If you opt in you have a roster cap of 30 wrestlers AND you are allowed up to 30 full scholarships if the institution wants to do that.  Plus they can pay their wrestler cash payments as part of athletic department revenue sharing amongst an institutions athletes IF they want (most of this revenue money will go to football and men's basketball - the revenue generating sports).  

 

If you do not opt in (like the IVY League) they you can have as many wrestlers on your roster as you want.  But you are bound by the NCAA Division 1 scholarship limit of 9.9 scholarships across the entire roster.  

 

So as examples:

Lehigh does not opt in.  They go business as usual.  About 40 kids on the roster.  A limit of 9.9 scholarships, meaning lots of partial scholarships (think 20%, 30%, with a few start higher, and some lower folks with nothing).  They cannot pay their athletes.  Just the normal family financial aid calculations and athletic scholarships.  

 

Penn State opts in:  They are no longer limited to 9.9 scholarships.  They must get there roster down to 30 wrestlers.  They can give up to 30 full scholarships if they want.  AND they can pay the guys revenue sharing (The universities are capped at like $22 million this first year across all the athletes on campus).  Outside of Iowa, OK St, Penn State, I would be shocked to see more than maybe 15-20 scholarships maximum.  Plus not much revenue sharing unless the other All American level guys.  

[Wrestleknownothing]

  On 4/6/2025 at 3:34 AM, flyingcement said:

if you wouldn't mind educating me what would that mean? allowance for larger roster with less revenue sharing?  I honestly have no clue

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Opting out means you operate by existing rules. Scholarship limit instead of roster limit. No payments from school to athlete.

[gimpeltf]

  On 4/6/2025 at 3:34 AM, flyingcement said:

if you wouldn't mind educating me what would that mean? allowance for larger roster with less revenue sharing?  I honestly have no clue

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You'll note that at no time did I move my lips during the below answers.

  On 4/6/2025 at 3:49 AM, Wrestleknownothing said:

Opting out means you operate by existing rules. Scholarship limit instead of roster limit. No payments from school to athlete.

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  On 4/6/2025 at 3:48 AM, HRRBM said:

If you opt in you have a roster cap of 30 wrestlers AND you are allowed up to 30 full scholarships if the institution wants to do that.  Plus they can pay their wrestler cash payments as part of athletic department revenue sharing amongst an institutions athletes IF they want (most of this revenue money will go to football and men's basketball - the revenue generating sports).  

 

If you do not opt in (like the IVY League) they you can have as many wrestlers on your roster as you want.  But you are bound by the NCAA Division 1 scholarship limit of 9.9 scholarships across the entire roster.  

 

So as examples:

Lehigh does not opt in.  They go business as usual.  About 40 kids on the roster.  A limit of 9.9 scholarships, meaning lots of partial scholarships (think 20%, 30%, with a few start higher, and some lower folks with nothing).  They cannot pay their athletes.  Just the normal family financial aid calculations and athletic scholarships.  

 

Penn State opts in:  They are no longer limited to 9.9 scholarships.  They must get there roster down to 30 wrestlers.  They can give up to 30 full scholarships if they want.  AND they can pay the guys revenue sharing (The universities are capped at like $22 million this first year across all the athletes on campus).  Outside of Iowa, OK St, Penn State, I would be shocked to see more than maybe 15-20 scholarships maximum.  Plus not much revenue sharing unless the other All American level guys.  

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[wrestle87]

Legitimate question, why does the NCAA even bother with the “scholarship” verbiage anymore.  Is there really a scenario in which a kid will be getting NIL money and the institution paying him will say “now pay us that in tuition”?

The charade continues as always.  The NCAA are still gross.

[Dark Energy]

Question - will the schools split up into their own divisions?  Those that accept and those that don’t?  
 

Seems to make sense.  Seems like the ones that don’t accept, given the examples above, are more academic oriented and aren’t big money sports schools. 

[MethaneMan]

Also, opting out does not absolve a school from paying their part in the House vs NCAA class action $2.8 billion settlement. Each of those schools will have an individualized payment contribution to make in the settlement with former athletes.

[roguetrader]

THIS WILL NOT STAND !

What about reparation payments to former collegiate athletes ? I've had 3 hip surgeries, two knees and & ankle re-do and my shoulder is ready to go anytime now. In fairness -- You'd think those who went before and paid the price should get a little something... for the effort, anyway.

[Dark Energy]

  On 4/6/2025 at 4:46 PM, roguetrader said:

THIS WILL NOT STAND !

What about reparation payments to former collegiate athletes ? I've had 3 hip surgeries, two knees and & ankle re-do and my shoulder is ready to go anytime now. In fairness -- You'd think those who went before and paid the price should get a little something... for the effort, anyway.

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Amen … freaking goes back to 1800’s.  I know people whose great great great grandparents suffered and led a lesser life, resulting in lesser lives for their offspring through multiple generations.  Impaired their wealth and happiness.  They are due!!!!

[Cornell Kevin]

IVY league teams will not opt in and it’s already been stated that they will in fact be able to participate in the same NCAA tournament. I know that was a great concern for a little bit. 

[flyingcement]

So Sacred Heart opted in?  And will be cutting 13 students who were previously paying close to full tuition?  odd

[wrestle87]

  On 4/6/2025 at 4:46 PM, roguetrader said:

THIS WILL NOT STAND !

What about reparation payments to former collegiate athletes ? I've had 3 hip surgeries, two knees and & ankle re-do and my shoulder is ready to go anytime now. In fairness -- You'd think those who went before and paid the price should get a little something... for the effort, anyway.

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Except when we went through, an undergrad degree was a significant step up in life and actually got you in the door at most places.  Unless you go to an ivy anymore, it's basically a participation tax that has to be completed to gain access to master's degrees which are the entry-level expectation in many places.

Edit: I don't say this to diminish the toll that sport has put on your body.  I've only had a fraction of the surgeries you've had, and would not wish a single one on anybody.

Edited April 7 by wrestle87

[Jim L]

  On 4/6/2025 at 3:49 AM, Wrestleknownothing said:

Opting out means you operate by existing rules. Scholarship limit instead of roster limit. No payments from school to athlete.

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Can a college mix and match what sports they opt-in on? OR if you are in on one sport you have to be in on all sports?

[Wrestleknownothing]

  On 4/7/2025 at 4:56 PM, Jim L said:

Can a college mix and match what sports they opt-in on? OR if you are in on one sport you have to be in on all sports?

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If a school pays even a single athlete any of the enhanced benefits allowed in the settlement, then the entire school has opted in. No picking and choosing.

[CHROMEBIRD]

Remember, non-P5 teams have until June 15 to confirm whether they're opting-in or backing out. Some of the non-power conference teams on the OP's list are a little surprising, though. Unless there's some deep pocketed booster pushing the athletic department around, I can't imagine that revenue sharing will be worth the tiem or effort for FCS programs like Morgan State, Sacred Heart, Davidson, and Mercyhurst (currently transitioning from D2?). They'll all end up being feeder schools on the wrong end of the transfer portal, and I can't imagine they'd have the staffing or resources to deal with whatever overhead comes with revenue sharing. At least the math makes a little more sense for schools like Drexel, Hofstra, and George Mason who don't have football. But still.

[HRRBM]

Davidson blew my mind.  But, I read their comments from the Athletic Director.  They are opting in so they can pay the basketball teams.  This was the home of Steph Curry and this is their sport.  They felt since they are just paying basketball they don't have to spend the $22 million like the power 5 conferences are likely going to do.  I read somewhere they could spend like $3-$5 million and get top tier basketball talent (if they can meet the academic rigor).   

[CHROMEBIRD]

  On 4/7/2025 at 7:09 PM, HRRBM said:

Davidson blew my mind.  But, I read their comments from the Athletic Director.  They are opting in so they can pay the basketball teams.  This was the home of Steph Curry and this is their sport.  They felt since they are just paying basketball they don't have to spend the $22 million like the power 5 conferences are likely going to do.  I read somewhere they could spend like $3-$5 million and get top tier basketball talent (if they can meet the academic rigor).   

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Yeah, not having football is a huge savings for a program, even without the inflow of football revenue. It's also a great pull for basketball (and other sports) coaches to not have to play second, third, or xth fiddle to football. Bill Self is basically a king at KU with a lifetime contract, but has mentioned that he's tired of Kansas' crummy football team being the AD's top priority. It's estimated that the non-football schools that opt-in will spend between 90-95% of their revenue sharing budget on basketball though, so that still leaves wrestling with a pittance.

I also don't know how the numbers will work out for mid-major programs like Davidson, Marquette, or even Gonzaga who have small athletic departments without the staff or knowledge to administer athlete's NIL deals, payroll, and all the tasks of a professional sports enterprise, which is what they'd essentially become. They also compete in conferences that get few postseason opportunities, are frequently poached by bigger programs, and haven't had much luck against the power conferences lately. This year's March Madness had zero Cinderella teams after the first weekend of the tournament, and the Final Four were all 1-seeds (Elite Eight was 1 vs. 2, 1 vs. 2, 1 vs. 2, 1 vs.3).

[CHROMEBIRD]

Forgot to include a link earlier, re: advantages of schools without football opting-in: https://usatoday.com/story/sports/college/columnist/dan-wolken/2025/03/19/ncaa-tournament-revenue-sharing-basketball-only-compete-football/82539403007/