Clemson baseball coach sees ‘huge win’ in revenue sharing, scholarships

The House-NCAA settlement has been reported and discussed in many different ways. But much of it has revolved around what it means for college football — and it means a lot.

But it could mean a lot for college baseball and other Olympic sports if the settlement is ultimately approved by a federal judge so it can go into effect in the fall of 2025.

The ability to share revenue between schools and student-athletes has been a major topic of conversation. But so have scholarship caps. While some football coaches gnash their teeth over the loss of roster numbers, baseball coaches like Clemson’s Erik Bakich could see a drop in roster numbers as well.

But there could be a potential boost: fully funded scholarships.

College baseball currently allows just 11.7 scholarships per 40-player roster. Coaches have to distribute that money to as many players as possible, and few actually get the full rides that fans see with college football and basketball players.

If the settlement is approved, schools would have to fund full scholarships for all sports, including baseball.

According to an article in D1 Baseball, the current proposals would reduce college baseball team rosters to 32 to 35 players.

But coaches like Bakich could offer those 32 to 35 players full scholarships starting as early as the 2026 season.

“College baseball has historically been synonymous with student debt. Any increase in scholarships is a huge win for the sport,” Bakich said in the story. “I am thrilled with this news and excited to hear that more scholarships are becoming available to baseball players. We have a long history of taking on significant loans to cover the cost of college.

Schools can opt in or out of revenue sharing and full scholarship funding. It’s likely that schools like Clemson will opt in, since the Tigers are part of a powerful conference that receives hundreds of millions in revenue from television contracts.

That’s not expected to change if Clemson leaves the ACC, as the Tigers will likely end up in one of the remaining top conferences: the Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC.

Bakich knows he has landed in a favorable position.

“Being at one of the schools that fully funds everything, this is an exciting day,” he said.

Bakich just signed a new contract extension that will pay him $8.4 million over six years. The deal includes a raise from $950,000 to nearly $1.3 million in 2025. He has won 88 games since taking over at Clemson two seasons ago.

Clemson went 44-16 last season, won the ACC’s Atlantic Division title and claimed the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They also reached the Super Regionals for the first time since 2010.