As of December 15 2024, there has been reports indicating that the Clemson Tigers football program has been sanctioned by the NCAA, resulting in the loss of 15 scholarships and bowl eligibility. The most recent developments involving Clemson pertain to their proactive measures in response to anticipated changes in NCAA policies regarding athlete compensation and scholarship allocations.
In November 2024, Clemson University announced its commitment to fully funding the NCAA’s revenue-sharing settlement and plans to add 150 scholarships across all sports for the 2025-26 academic year. Athletic Director Graham Neff stated that Clemson athletes are expected to receive up to $20.5 million under this initiative. The university intends to collaborate with its collective, the “110 Society,” and IPTAY, its scholarship fundraising arm, to facilitate donor contributions. Head football coach Dabo Swinney expressed optimism that these actions would help level the playing field against better-funded institutions and bring more normalcy to college sports.
These developments are part of broader changes within the NCAA, following a significant antitrust settlement and proposed athlete revenue-sharing plan. The settlement, which addresses antitrust claims related to athlete compensation, is awaiting final approval. Schools are preparing to adjust scholarship limits and roster sizes across various sports, with scholarship limits for individual teams expected to be lifted. This could lead to more scholarships for major sports like football and basketball, but may also require financial decisions impacting other sports. Institutions will need to determine how to allocate the nearly $2.8 billion in damages over 10 years, which could affect smaller sports programs.
Historically, the Clemson football program has faced NCAA sanctions. In 1982, the NCAA imposed a two-year probation on Clemson, including a reduction of 20 scholarships over two years, due to numerous recruiting violations. These sanctions also included a ban on bowl appearances and live television broadcasts for the 1983 and 1984 seasons.
However, there have been no recent sanctions of a similar nature imposed on the Clemson football program. The current focus is on adapting to forthcoming NCAA policy changes aimed at enhancing athlete compensation and adjusting scholarship frameworks across collegiate sports.
