Neff, Swinney Still in Active Talks Regarding New Roster Limit

CLEMSON — Very early on, after the NCAA-House settlement was filed on July 26, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff called a meeting with head football coach Dabo Swinney.

The settlement documents address three cases – House v. NCAA , Hubbard v. NCAA and Carter v. NCAA – involving back damages and future benefits for Division I student-athletes.

The settlement addresses three primary issues: payment of back damages for claims relating to name, image and likeness (NIL), academic-related awards and other benefits; increased benefits from institutions to student-athletes going forward, including additional NIL opportunities for student-athletes directly with the institution; and eliminating scholarships limits in favor of roster limits.

One of the things Neff wanted to discuss with Swinney was how he wanted to handle the no scholarship limit, which means taking away walk-ons, something dear to Swinney’s heart.

“He was one of the first coaches where we talked on the realities of maybe where this was headed,” Neff said. “He and I had an hour mutually blocked off on my calendar, and two and half hours later I was late for a staff meeting, so that was my mistake. I am better than that with him.”

Swinney, of course, was a walk-on at Alabama, where he eventually earned a scholarship and later became a starter on the Crimson Tides’ 1992 National Championship Team.

Despite Swinney’s concerns for the walk-ons, Neff said they landed at the notion they will use all 105 scholarships that will be allocated for football, confirming what The Clemson Insider reported on Aug. 3.

Neff says Swinney is still working on how to deploy a plan on how to transition and balance the current roster with recruiting and the transfer portal.

“This affects all of our fall sports, soccer and fall volleyball, too,” Clemson’s Athletic Director said. “Their seasons end in the fall semester and that is where a lot of their roster changes happen with transfer portal windows at that point. Certainly, high school signing in football and obviously, a lot of them enroll early in January.

“But, at this point, we project from the House Case that in January that number might still be at eighty-five. That (105) may not be added until later on or until the next academic year. So, there is a timing strategy and uncertainty with it.”

Neff reports Swinney is sitting on the 105, but it has been a very active and ongoing conversation. Besides football, Clemson plans to fully supply baseball with 34 scholarships. The Tigers have been trying to find a way to help baseball families be debt free for more than a decade.

Clemson and other universities might still have the option to use partial scholarships, as well.

–Ken Ruinard / USA TODAY NETWORK