FCS conference scholarship levels

[PAllen]

The MEAC allows 63, but no MEAC school offers 63.

This is the key. Just because 63 are allowed, very few actually get to 63 every year. Most of the MEAC, SWAC, and I'm sure other conferences are well below 63. This is why basing a judgement on team or program strength on scholarship limits is stupid.

[blackbeard]

Nova is always below the 63 number, playing with 58 and trying to make up the 5 with preferred walk-ons that qualify for financial aid or parents who can pay the full $60,000 with the promise of a scholarship if they earn it later on. It stinks.

This is far more common than most fans realize, even many schools from the so called power conferences play every year with far less than the full 63.

[WestCoastAggie]

I know for certain that FCS teams break their scholarships in half and award partials to players or get their kids on Academic Schollys If they have the grades. Well that's what they do at A&T, at least.

[MR. CHICKEN]

.......ALL KINDS UH WAYS....TA PLAY DUH GAME.......NO SKOLLY'S = GRANT-IN-AID...(PELLS).......ACADEMIC AID......HOW DA YA'LL THINK...DUH PATRIOTS......FIELDED TEAMS......DAT COOD HANG WHIFF EVERAH-ONE ELSE......OTHERAH-WISE...DEY'D.....HAVE BEEN PLAYIN' WHITEWATER & DUH MOUNT................AWK!

[DoubleH]

Nova is always below the 63 number, playing with 58 and trying to make up the 5 with preferred walk-ons that qualify for financial aid or parents who can pay the full $60,000 with the promise of a scholarship if they earn it later on. It stinks.

Why? This is really surprising to me, hearing of top-tier teams like Delaware and Villanova playing with less than 63. There must be a reason.

[DFW HOYA]

ACADEMIC AID......HOW DA YA'LL THINK...DUH PATRIOTS......FIELDED TEAMS......DAT COOD HANG WHIFF EVERAH-ONE ELSE......

Colgate, Georgetown, and Holy Cross do not offer academic aid.

[Go...gate]

Ivy: 0
Pioneer: 0
Northeast: 40
Patriot: Maximum of 60 by 2016 (all except Georgetown)
All others: 63

Clarified it a bit.

[Mattymc727]

isn't it better to take away a few scholarships and spread them out to add depth to your roster?

Depth is key, perhaps adding 10 guys on partial scholarship is better than having 5 full time guys. Especially at this level, where the full scholarship player isnt all that much better than the partial guy. A lot of FCS schools have talented walk-on guys too, happens to UNH all the time (Andy Vailas).

A team could have a roster of 63 guys on full scholarship
A team could have a roster of 58 full scholarship and 10 partial scholarship, adding depth to a few key areas.

perhaps offering those partials to players that would be talented walk-ons at other schools too.

[Anovafan]

Why? This is really surprising to me, hearing of top-tier teams like Delaware and Villanova playing with less than 63. There must be a reason.

Money, money, money. Nova football is a financial loser for the school. Saving $300k on 5 scholarships and playing an FBS game every year for a $300-$500k payday is the only way to keep the program alive. For those who don't remember, Nova dropped then Division I football completely in 1980 for 4 years.

[DoubleH]

Money, money, money. Nova football is a financial loser for the school. Saving $300k on 5 scholarships and playing an FBS game every year for a $300-$500k payday is the only way to keep the program alive. For those who don't remember, Nova dropped then Division I football completely in 1980 for 4 years.

How does not using 5 scholarships save $300k? Not using 5 schollies and having 5 more football players paying tuition is not the same thing as having 5 who aren't because they're on scholarship. It doesn't "cost" the school the tuition they would be paying, and the 5 tuition-paying students could be any 5 students, not just football players.

There's a cost to housing/feeding/insuring the players, but those are group costs and I can't imagine it's anywhere near that figure.