Clemson Baseball Coach Sees ‘Huge Win’ in Revenue Sharing, Scholarships

The Clemson Tigers baseball coach should have a lot more to offer his players starting with the 2026 season.

Jun 2, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Head Coach Erik Bakich hits to infielders before the game with Clemson and Coastal Carolina University the NCAA baseball Clemson Regional at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson. / Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

The House vs. NCAA settlement has been reported and discussed in many different ways. But much of that has revolved around what it means to college football — and it means a lot.

But it could mean a lot to college baseball and other Olympic sports, if the settlement is finally approved by a federal judge to start in the fall of 2025.

The potential for revenue sharing between schools and student athletes has been one of the core conversations. But so has scholarship limits. While some football coaches are grinding their teeth about losing roster numbers, baseball coaches like Clemson’s Erik Bakich could see a drop in roster numbers as well.  

But it could come with a potential boost — fully-funded scholarships.

College baseball, right now, allows for just 11.7 scholarships for a 40-player roster. Coaches have to divide that money up among as many players as possible and few actually get the full rides fans see college football and basketball players get.

If the settlement is approved, then schools will be required to fully fund scholarships for all sports. That includes baseball.

The current proposals would reduce college baseball rosters to between 32 and 35 players, according to a story in D1 Baseball.

But, coaches like Bakich could start offering those 32 to 35 players full scholarships as soon as the 2026 season.

“College baseball has historically been synonymous with student loan debt. Any increase in scholarships is a huge win for the sport,” Bakich said in the story. “I’m over the moon about this news, and I’m ecstatic to hear there’s going to be more scholarship availability for baseball players. We have a long history of taking out sizable loans to cover the costs of college.

Schools can opt in or opt out of revenue sharing and fully-funding scholarships. It’s expected that schools like Clemson will opt in, given the Tigers are part of a power conference that receives hundreds of millions in revenue from television contracts.

That isn’t expected to change if Clemson ends up leaving the ACC, as the Tigers would likely land with one of the remaining power conferences — the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the SEC.

Bakich knows he’s landed in a favorable spot.

“Being at one of the schools that is going to fully fund everything, it’s an exciting day,” he said.

Bakich just signed a new contract extension that will pay him will earn $8.4 million over the six years. The deal includes a bump from $950k to nearly $1.3 million in 2025. He has won 88 games since taking over at Clemson two seasons ago.

Clemson went 44-16 last season, won the ACC’s Atlantic Division title and claimed the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They also reached the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010.