For most athletes going through the football recruiting process, snagging a football scholarship to a great school is the ultimate goal. Here’s some good news: there are hundreds of football programs across the U.S., and the majority of them offer football scholarships to talented student-athletes. In this guide, we explain the football scholarship requirements and answer families’ most-asked questions about getting college football scholarships.
On This Page
NCAA Football Scholarship Limits
Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, the NCAA eliminated most D1 scholarship limits, enabling all sports to distribute scholarships more flexibly among athletes. This change made a significant impact on college football recruiting. These changes impacted football recruits in the following ways:
- D1 FBS football programs are able to offer up to 105 scholarships.
- D1 FBS football programs have a maximum roster limit of 105.
- D1 FBS football is now classified as an equivalency sport. This change allows programs to offer a combination of partial and full scholarships to recruits.
Keep in mind, these are the maximum scholarship and roster limits the NCAA allows for each program. Schools are not required to reach these maximums.
How many scholarships are given each year for football?
Thousands of football scholarships are awarded each year, although the exact number is difficult to determine as not every program is fully funded and able to give out the maximum number of scholarships. However, there are certain pieces of information we do know, listed in the table below.
| Number of Teams | Total Athletes in Division | Average Team Size (2025) | Scholarship Limit* | 2026-27 Roster Limit* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1 FBS | 133 | 18,518 | 146.6 | 105 | 105 |
| D1 FCS | 124 | 14,836 | 118.7 | 105 | 105 |
| D2 | 167 | 21,644 | 129.6 | 36 | N/A |
| D3 | 242 | 27,211 | 112.4 | N/A | N/A |
| NAIA | 96 | 9,102 | 107 | 24 | N/A |
| JUCO | 54 | 5,160 | 76 | 85 | N/A |
| CCCAA | 66 | 5,354 | 79 | N/A | N/A |
When it comes to college football scholarships, it’s common for college football teams to extend more offers than roster spots and scholarships than they have available. That’s because they expect some prospects to sign elsewhere and others to not stay with the team all four years. To make room on the roster, teams can extend different types of offers. These include:
- Redshirt: The student-athlete will have a scholarship but can’t compete for one year. They will get an opportunity to play four seasons in five years. In 2026, an NCAA rule change gave Division 1 and 2 athletes five years to compete, with the clock starting either when a student-athlete enrolled in college or their 19th birthday. This rule change is likely to eliminate most cases of redshirting.
- Blueshirt: Like a redshirt, the student-athlete will practice with the team but won’t be allowed to play for a year. Unlike a redshirt, the student-athlete must be unrecruited. The 5-year rule may have a similar effect on blueshirts.
- Grayshirt: The student-athlete postpones enrolling full-time and participating with the team for one semester.
- Greenshirt: The student-athlete enrolls a semester early and participates with the team’
Note: With the NCAA scholarship rules and roster limits that started in 2025-2026 and the 5-year rule that took effect in 2026, the exact impact on walk-ons for D1 FBS football programs varies greatly by team. To understand how these changes might affect you, stay in touch with coaches and ask about their plans for walk-ons and redshirts, as this can differs significantly between programs.
Football scholarships requirements
Athletes must meet both athletic and academic criteria in order to get a football scholarship. The athletic criteria are largely up to the football program at each individual school. Every coach has different methods for determining which athletes are right for his roster, which is why the recruiting process is so crucial. If you’re not sure what a college coach looks for athletically in your athlete’s position, check out the roster. Or, better yet, send the coach an email to ask.
Related Articles
- What is the success that follows college football signing day?
The NCAA Eligibility Center has specific academic requirements that athletes must meet to be eligible to compete at either the NCAA D1 or D2 levels. We’ve included the D1 requirements below. A good rule of thumb is that, if an athlete meets or exceeds the D1 requirements, they will be eligible at the D2 level as well. However, always bear in mind that each individual school has its own set of admissions requirements that athletes will also have to meet.
- The athlete must graduate from high school.
- They must complete 16 core courses and receive a minimum GPA of 2.3 in those courses. The core course requirements are as follows: four years of English; three years of math (Algebra 1 or higher); two years of science (including one year of lab, if offered); two years of social science; and four additional years of English, math, science, religion, philosophy, or foreign language. Athletes need to complete 10 of their 16 core courses before junior year of high school.
- Athletes need to complete 10 of their 16 core courses by the end of their junior year of high school.
How many scholarships do Division 1 football teams get?
Division 1 FBS and FCS teams can give out a maximum of 105 scholarships to athletes. While D1 teams can potentially offer scholarships to all 105 athletes on their team, D1 FBS programs are no longer considered “headcount” programs, meaning they are free to divide up their scholarship pool into full and partial scholarships. The number and size of D1 football scholarships depends on each individual program’s funding, and not all D1 schools offer full scholarships to the full 105-player roster. Additionally, some D1 conferences establish and maintain lower scholarship equivalency limits for teams competing within the conference.
Be sure to talk with college coaches about how the recent NCAA scholarship changes could impact their program and your recruiting plans. Staying informed will help you be prepared for any future changes.
How many scholarships do Division 2 football teams get?
NCAA D2 schools are limited to 36 full or partial scholarships per year. Since a college football team’s roster size is much larger than 36, most D2 programs will decide to divide up the sum of scholarship money so more players can receive athletic aid.
Insider Tip: Looking for scholarships near you? Explore football scholarships by state.
The difference between NCAA football scholarships and NAIA football scholarships
The NCAA and NAIA are the two main governing bodies for college sports, and both have their own specific methods for how they handle football scholarships and regulate the recruiting process.
NCAA football scholarships can be awarded by both D1 and D2 schools—D3 colleges and universities do not give out any athletic scholarships. To receive Division 1 football scholarships or Division 2 football scholarships, athletes must meet or exceed the specific eligibility requirements created by the NCAA, as well as get their amateurism certificate. The NCAA also enforces their recruiting rules and calendar for the D1 and D2 levels, which detail when and how college coaches are allowed to contact recruits.
Insider tip: While NCAA D3 schools do not offer athletic scholarships, most have competitive financial aid packages for students that, in many cases, end up covering a large portion of their tuition and fees. Learn more about how to knock down the price of a D3 school.
NAIA football scholarships can be awarded by any fully funded member college or university. The NAIA does have its own set of academic eligibility criteria that student-athletes must meet, but they don’t have set recruiting rules like the NCAA. The recruiting process is less scripted, and it’s up to the individual schools to determine their own recruiting rules and calendar.
Scholarships are offered on a year-to-year basis, so more can be rescinded in the coming seasons if a program’s budget is cut or rosters become jam-packed with upperclassmen. This doesn’t mean recruits should necessarily take the first offer they get, but they should not wait too long. Sometimes a direct but polite conversation with the college coach is the best way to determine if a recruit is still wanted.
Related Articles:
- Learn about football recruiting rankings
How to get a football scholarship
The short answer: It’s up to the coach of an individual team to award an athlete a scholarship. Athletes must show that they have the ability to make an immediate, positive impact at their position or they need to demonstrate that they have the potential to develop into a key player. This is why finding the right division level athletically is so important. A recruit might technically qualify to play at a D1 school, but they could be a more impactful athlete at a D2 or NAIA school. So, they would likely get more money—and more playing time—at the D2 or NAIA levels, as they will be able to make a bigger impact on those teams.
Layered on top of athletic ability, recruits need to be academically eligible to compete at the school. Not only do they need to meet the NCAA and/or NAIA academic eligibility requirements, but they need to comply with the school’s specific entrance requirements, which are often tougher to meet the NCAA eligibility requirements. In other words, the higher a recruit’s grades and test scores, the more schools will be available to them.
Do walk-ons get a scholarship?
Walk-ons do not get athletic scholarships, but they play crucial roles and are often essential to filling out the roster.
Starting in 2025-2026, the NCAA implemented will implement a new rule for D1FBS programs, removing the scholarship cap and setting a roster limit of 105 players. While it’s still uncertain how this will affect walk-ons over the long term, it may change how scholarships are distributed within these teams and the role of walk-ons.
If you’re considering becoming a walk-on, it’s wise to speak with coaches about their plans, as each program may approach these changes differently. Learn more about being a walk-on.
What’s the difference between a committable offer and a non-committable offer?
Because D1 football programs are so large, coaches will extend verbal offers to multiple athletes at the same position in the same recruiting class. The idea is that they will lose a few of those recruits to other programs, academic ineligibility or other factors. So, when everything shakes out, they should still have all their positions covered. Some programs take this to more of an extreme than others, sometimes extending over 100 offers to a single recruiting class.
When an athlete receives a verbal offer, they can ask the coach where they are at on the coach’s list of recruits. If the coach mentions that the player is after a few top athletes for that position, the recruit knows that they should continue the recruiting process with other schools of interest, as their offer might fall through.
With the NCAA allowing recruiting contact through social media, it’s become common for college coaches, especially at the D1 level, to send out “official offers” via social media to high school juniors and seniors. It’s typically some kind of graphic or image letting you know that you have a scholarship offer from that school. This is great news, but remember: until you sign with that school, it’s still a non-legally binding verbal offer. You need to reach out to the coach immediately to discover what is included in the scholarship offer, where you’re at on the coach’s list of recruits and the coach’s deadline to receive your decision.
How many college football players are there?
According to the NCAA’s most recent participation report, 83,794 athletes participated in football at there are approximately 77,000 college football players that participate in college athletics at NCAA-member schools in the 2024-25. This number is expected to decrease in future seasons, as NCAA D1 teams now face strict 105-player roster limits.
How many players can be on a college football team?
In college football, the number of players on a team can vary depending on the level of competition and the specific regulations of the governing body. Here’s a general breakdown:
- NCAA Division 1
- Starting in the 2025-2026 season, teams will have a roster cap of 105 players, including walk-ons (non-scholarship players).
- NCAA Division 2:
- The average NCAA Division 2 football roster had nearly 130 players in the 2024-25 season.
- NCAA Division 3:
- The total roster size can vary widely, often ranging from 75 to 120 players.
- NAIA:
- The total roster size is usually around 80 to 100 players, including walk-ons.
- Junior Colleges (NJCAA):
- Teams can have up to 85 players on the roster, with a maximum of 55 dressed for any given game.
These numbers can fluctuate based on specific school policies, conference regulations, and the needs of the team.
How hard is it to get a football scholarship?
Earning a football scholarship can be difficult due to the limited number of scholarships available and high level of competition.
To pursue a college football scholarship, student-athletes should focus on improving their athletic performance, maintaining strong academic standing, and actively engaging in the recruiting process by creating highlight reels and reaching out to coaches.
Have more questions?
Your NCSA Recruiting Coach is here to guide you through the football scholarship process. Log in now to schedule a conversation with your coach.
Not a member yet? Start with a free recruiting profile to connect with an NCSA Recruiting Specialist. We’ll help you and your family plan the next steps in your recruiting journey and achieve your scholarship goals.
