How Many Players on a College Soccer Roster?
As you probably know, teams have eleven players on the field at once. But, college soccer teams have a lot more than eleven.
In fact, most D1, D2, and D3 college rosters range from 25-30 players! This is what is shown on their website but don’t get alarmed, not all the players will enter into the match.
Out of the 30ish players, there is usually a practice squad and a batch of redshirt freshmen.
Let’s break it down further.
What Does a College Roster Consist Of?
When it comes to college soccer, the size of the roster can vary depending on the division and the school.
The following are the types of players on a college roster.
Scholarship Players
Scholarship players are athletes who receive financial aid from the university to play soccer. Depending on the division, most partial and a few full scholarship players.
These players are typically recruited by coaches and their scout team. They are considered to be some of the most talented and impactful on the team.
The number of scholarship players allowed on a college soccer team varies depending on the division and the school. Here is a breakdown…
| Division | Max Scholarships per School |
|---|---|
| D1 – men’s | 9.9 |
| D1 – women’s | 14 |
| D2 – men’s | 9 |
| D2 – women’s | 9.9 |
| D3 – men’s | N/A |
| D3 – women’s | N/A |
| NAIA – men’s & women’s | 12 |
| NJCAA – men’s & women’s | 18 |
Walk-On Players
Walk-on players try out for the soccer team without receiving any financial aid from the college or university. Most of these players are lightly recruited or not recruited at all.
The number of walk-on players allowed on a college soccer team varies depending on the school.
The bigger the school, the more budget may be allocated to the program so the team can have more walk-ons.
How Many Players Actually Play?
The reality is, that just because a player is on the roster does not necessarily mean they will see any playing time.
Usually, the top 16-18 players will play in a game.
This means a little more than half will be warming the bench through the match.
A lot of the playing time is dependent on the coach’s strategy and the type of game. For example, the coach may only play 14 players if it is a single-elimination playoff game. Or, they’ll go 18 deep for a conference game.
It’s worth noting that injuries and academic ineligibility can impact the number of players who play.
What Are the NCAA Rules and Regulations for Rosters?
From my research, there are no rules surrounding how many players a college team can roster. This includes men’s and women’s soccer teams.
Furthermore, under Rule 3.2.1, a completed roster form must be completed no later than 30 minutes before game time.
The game roster is then given to the scorekeeper only, rather than also the opposing coach and referee. This helps streamline the game roster exchange process.
How Many Players Can Travel with the Team?
Again, there is no limit on how many players can travel with the team for away games.
Some schools and coaches will want to travel lighter for away games because of their travel budget.
The more players, the higher the travel budget like food expenses.
Also, for practice and redshirt freshmen, sometimes it doesn’t make sense to travel a couple of days knowing they won’t play.
NCAA College Cup Roster Restrictions
According to the NCAA, each team can have a maximum of 22 players on its roster for the College Cup.
It’s important to note that these designated players cannot be changed once the tournament begins.
This means that if a player gets injured during the tournament, they cannot be replaced on the roster.
The rules are hard to find and vague but this is my understanding. Let me know your thoughts or questions in the comments!
Looking to Play in College? Understand What You Are Getting Into
As you just learned, colleges can roster as many players as they want. This can make you think a little longer as to which school you should attend.
For the top players in the country (the 1%), the roster size shouldn’t have much of an impact on your decision.
For the rest of the high school players, the roster size can influence how much time you get. If you are a middle-of-the-pack type of player, I would avoid teams with 35+ players. That’s if you want to make a big impact right away.
I think the sweet spot for a college roster is 22-25 players. This gives enough wiggle room for injuries and provides enough opportunities for most players.
Good luck in your recruiting process! We’ll be providing more content around this topic so stay tuned 🙂
Written By: Beau Bridges
Founder of SoccerNovo
I’m Beau 👋 a proud dad of an MLS NEXT player, former soccer coach, soccer enthusiast, and board member of our local youth sports program. I created soccernovo.com to share my knowledge of the game and help parents learn more about youth soccer in the U.S. I also authored an eBook ‘Soccer Coach Made Simple‘. Learn more about Beau.
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