OPINION | “Finally, Financial Fairness: NCAA Ends Baseball’s Scholarship Struggle”

Sluggers finally hit a homer

The Sports Reporter Collective

Thursday, February 20, 2025

By Raegan Skarda | Columnist

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For years, baseball has been getting the short end of the stick when it comes to scholarships. As an equivalency sport, coaches have had to split 11.7 scholarships across an entire roster, which meant most players were left covering a chunk of their tuition. Meanwhile, football and basketball players were getting full rides left and right. That’s why the NCAA’s decision to finally get rid of the 11.7 scholarship limit starting in 2025-26 is a long-overdue change.

College baseball players put in just as much work as athletes in other sports, dedicating countless hours to training, traveling, and competing – all while juggling school. Sure, NIL money can help, but who wants to spend their hard-earned endorsements on tuition? Despite their commitment, most players still have to figure out how to pay for school themselves, which has never made sense to me. Why should baseball players be treated any differently?

“Sure, NIL money can help, but who wants to spend their hard-earned endorsements on tuition?“

Look at the numbers – Arkansas athletics pulled in over $170 million in revenue in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, a record high, and they still turned a profit of $3.5 million. Clearly, there’s money to go around. Schools have had the funds to fully support baseball players for years, but outdated NCAA rules held them back. Finally, that’s changing.

This move is a no-brainer. Baseball is a huge part of college sports, and its players deserve the same opportunities as anyone else. The NCAA got this one right, and it’s about time.

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Raegan Skarda

REPORTER’S BIO | Raegan Skarda is a junior majoring in journalism in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

Note: Featured photo by Mike Bowman on Unsplash