Report: Pitt Athletics Increasing Scholarship Numbers

A number of sports the Pitt Panthers compete in will see increase in scholarship numbers, due to an NCAA ruling.

Nov 12, 2022; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers mascot \"ROC\" looks on from the sidelines prior to the game against Virginia Cavaliers at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports / Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will see a number of changes to certain sports in the future, especially when it comes to scholarships.

Ross Dellenger, senior college sports reporter for Yahoo Sports, reported that the NCAA is looking to increase the amount of scholarships for a number of sports starting with the 2025-26 season. A meeting of power conference comissioners met this week and will allow more money to fund scholarships.

A new revenue-sharing model will eliminate by-sport scholarship restrictions and schools will have the opportunity to offer scholarships to their entire roster for each sport.

Pitt has 85 scholarships for their football team, but under the new model, they would have a 20 scholarship increase, for 105 scholarships. Coaches would also have the opportunity to go higher than that during preseason camp, but would have to cut down prior to the start of the season, just like it is now with 85 scholarships.

Baseball, which has just 11.7 scholarships per restriction, would have 34 scholarshisp. Softball would increase to 25 scholarships and volleyball would increase to 18 scholarships, with both currently at a 12 scholarships limit.

Schools will likely still offer partial scholarships or walk-ons for certain players, especially for the non-revenue sports like baseball, softball and volleyball.

The option to use full scholarships is a benefit, which, undoubtedly, Pitt volleyball, who has made four straight Elite Eights and three straight Final Fours, will take advantage of.

The roster figures for other sports will reportedly come out with a landmark settlement of three antitrust cases, which deal with $2.77 billion backpay to former college athletes and a new revenue-sharing model.

The numbers for the scholarships for each sport will either stay the same or increase with no reductions. There is also the addition of "equivalency scholarships," which will allow all sports to offer partial scholarships, which will factor into football/basketball, where scholarships are a full grant.

Scholarship financial increases in men's sports will lead to increase's in women's sports, in compliance with federal Title IX law. This may lead to some colleges and universities chosing to depriortize or even drop certain programs/sports in favor of putting more investment in others.

For Pitt, the increases in scholarships will come as a benefit for the football and volleyball programs. Baseball and softball will surely benefit as well, as athletic director Heather Lyke will want to improve those programs for the future.

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