In Op-Ed for the San Francisco Chronicle, President Thompson Argues NCAA Rule Changes Will ‘Quietly Hurt Thousands of Student-Athletes’
With the proposed roster limits, President Roger Thompson contends, the NCAA is poised to change the face of college athletics. Without walk-ons, you don't get a Rudy—or a Luke Barrett.
As Gaels everywhere prepare for March Madness and the SMC Men’s Basketball team's first-round matchup today against Vanderbilt, it seems fitting to share an op-ed piece I wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle. It appears in the March 21 edition (the full text can be found below). You can also watch an interview where I talk with KTVU TV about the concerns I raised.
Though the piece lays out an argument for why the NCAA should reconsider its plans to reduce roster sizes for a number of Division I sports, the underpinning theme is opportunity and the broader student experience. Whether it is athletics, academics, the performing arts, research, studying abroad, or other aspects of the student experience, there are a multitude of reasons why students enroll in college. The NCAA—or other governing bodies, for that matter—should not impose restrictions that reduce those opportunities.
Thanks for all you do to make the Saint Mary’s community so special. I hope to see you at today's Watch Party beginning at 12 p.m. (Dryden Hall / 1928 Pub). Go Gaels!
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE OPINION / OPEN FORUM
New NCAA rules changes are going to quietly hurt thousands of student-athletes
By Roger J. Thompson March 21, 2025
In a quiet development receiving scant public attention, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is expected to soon implement changes to its scholarship rules and roster limits. Those of us who care about providing exceptional experiences and opportunities for all of our students should be sounding the alarm bells.
The NCAA has proposed new legislation that would—beginning in the 2025-26 academic year—expand roster sizes for various sports and increase the number of athletic scholarships that universities can offer to student-athletes. That may sound good, but for 19 of the 43 NCAA sports, the new maximum roster size would be smaller than the current average roster size in those sports. According to ESPN.com, Division 1 student-athlete opportunities could be reduced by at least 4,739 nationwide.
The changes are the result of a three-pronged class action lawsuit involving the NCAA and several of the nation’s top D-1 conferences. Most observers are focused on those issues that deal with a student-athlete’s right to control and profit from the commercial use of their name, image, and likeness.
But the section of the pending settlement that outlines the elimination of student-athlete scholarship limits—and the setting of new roster limits—barely gets a mention on sports talk radio and television programs.
Yes, men’s basketball would grow from 13 players to 15—but why impose roster limits at all? Because they’ve been in place for decades? That makes no sense.
Instead, the NCAA is missing an opportunity to put roster limits for all sports in the hands of the colleges and universities. There might need to be input from their respective conferences, but roster decisions are best made locally, not nationally.
My colleagues and I around the country want to expand opportunities for our students; we want to create more opportunities to study abroad, participate in the arts, conduct research in our labs, and learn from top educators. Why, then, would we sit back and allow the NCAA to intentionally restrict opportunities for students to play on a competitive sports team?
College administrators are not the only ones who want more opportunities and experiences; students do, too. We know that students enroll at our institutions for a variety of reasons and opportunities, including academics, enriching and multifaceted student experiences, and yes, opportunities to compete in collegiate athletics.
Saint Mary’s, as collegiate basketball aficionados in the Bay Area and nationwide well know, is extremely proud of its men’s basketball program. One of the key players on this year’s team is a young man named Luke Barrett, who attended Piedmont High School and was an unheralded Saint Mary’s walk-on at the beginning of the 2020-21 season. Hard work eventually earned him a scholarship, and today he is an indispensable starter on Coach Randy Bennett’s March Madness-bound team. Had the NCAA’s roster limits been in place when Luke entered college, he may never have had the opportunity to play and grow as a person and player the way that he has.
Walk-ons embody a key aspect of our national spirit, reflecting our shared perseverance, resilience in the face of hardship, and capacity to overcome difficult challenges. For many in my generation, the story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger stands out — a young man who, despite the odds, was determined to play football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the 1970s. His journey, immortalized in the film “Rudy,” shows how unwavering determination can turn dreams into reality. Do we want to abandon all the other inspiring walk-on stories that will continue to unfold across the country?
The fact that colleges and universities can fill current roster sizes with so many non-scholarship players speaks to our students’ desire to be part of a team.
"My colleagues and I around the country want to expand opportunities for our students; we want to create more opportunities to study abroad, participate in the arts, conduct research in our labs, and learn from top educators. Why, then, would we sit back and allow the NCAA to intentionally restrict opportunities for students to play on a competitive sports team?"
The Saint Mary’s Division 1A rugby team, administered by USA Rugby and not the NCAA, features more than 80 players — not one of them on an athletic scholarship — who came to our school in large part because they wanted to be part of a rugby squad. Many will see little or no playing time. But in 30 years, I guarantee you that every student-athlete who was a part of our national championship-winning team last season will still be talking about the camaraderie they experienced, the trip they and their teammates took to Houston for the final match, and the hard work and long practices that ultimately brought them to the rugby mountaintop.
Our school’s baseball, men’s and women’s soccer track and field, and cross-country teams — and perhaps others — are currently exceeding the roster limits that are due to be put in place by the NCAA this spring. When I attended a Saint Mary’s women’s D1 soccer match last October, we had a large number of non-scholarship players suited up and ready to play. Like their classmates on the rugby pitch, these student-athletes were there because they wanted the opportunity to be on a sports team. Why should we—or the NCAA—deny them of that experience?
It’s imperative that someone advocate for the students, especially those without scholarships who are simply seeking a chance. Isn’t that—opportunity — what higher education is meant to provide?
I strongly encourage college presidents and supporters of collegiate athletics to join me in urging the NCAA to reconsider their proposed changes to roster limits.
Roger J. Thompson is president of Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga.
Story updated March 25, 2025 to include video link.
