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Scholarships and roster in Track & Field: D1 / D2 / NAIA / JUCO
Track is an equivalency sport: the coach splits a budget into partial awards. After the House settlement, D1 is governed by roster caps.
Guidance only — not legal advice nor an eligibility guarantee. Binding decisions rest with the NCAA Eligibility Center and US authorities.
Track is an equivalency sport in ALL associations (D1, D2, NAIA, JUCO): the coach does not award full head-count scholarships, he splits a budget into partial awards. After the House settlement (effective Jul 1, 2025), opted-in D1 schools (mandatory for Power conferences: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC) replaced scholarship-number caps with roster caps: what matters is making the roster.
Key for Europeans: Cross Country and Track are SEPARATE sports. Run both and you occupy a spot on each roster and count against both budgets. Indoor and outdoor are one "Track & Field".
| Division | Cap / scholarships |
|---|---|
| D1 T&F (roster) | 45 (men = women) |
| D1 XC (roster) | 17 (men = women) |
| D1 SEC men | T&F 35 / XC 10 |
| D2 men | ~12.6 equiv. (T&F+XC) |
| D2 women | ~18 equiv. (T&F+XC) |
| NAIA | 12 per team |
| JUCO (NJCAA) | varies — verify at njcaa.org |
The pre-settlement D1 caps these replaced were 12.6 men / 18 women. Realistic for a European: target D2, NAIA and JUCO (the latter a "second-chance" route into NCAA), where partial splits leave more room. Whether a school funds up to the cap depends on budget and Title IX: always confirm the real number with the coach.
Sources
- NCAA.org — DI Board adopts changes to roster limits (June 2025)
- Streamline Athletes — NCAA D-I Track & Field 2025: Roster Caps & Scholarship Changes
- NAIA — Financial Aid (equivalency model)
- ScholarshipStats — Track & Field/Cross Country limits
Last reviewed: June 2026
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