Roster-Limit Changes Ahead: How Ole Miss Hoops is Adapting to NCAA’s New Scholarship Era
OXFORD, Miss. — A new chapter in college athletics begins next week on July 1 as the NCAA v. House settlement ushers in the long-anticipated revenue-sharing era. But while much of the national conversation has focused on dollars, another major shift is flying under the radar: changes to scholarship limits—particularly in basketball.
For the first time, NCAA basketball programs can now award 15 scholarships instead of the long-standing cap of 13. On paper, that sounds like a win—two more high-level players with scholarship support. But for Ole Miss men’s basketball head coach Chris Beard, the implications go beyond just numbers.
“Well, they’ve basically taken away the walk-ons. We’ve always had really, really quality walk-ons in our program. Guys that are working towards getting a scholarship. We’ve never really had any different expectations for those guys than the guys that are on scholarship. …We’ve had so many guys that weren’t on scholarship be in our rotations and be meaningful players.“
Chris Beard on roster limit changes
Beard has built successful teams in part by developing overlooked players—walk-ons who earned their way into the rotation. The expanded scholarship cap, while seemingly positive, has effectively squeezed out opportunities for those underdog stories.
“If the rule would have been you still can have walk-ons and 15 scholarships, I think it probably would have impacted the overall game a little bit more. Now we still at numbers. So this year, it’s my understanding, you’ll see some teams with more than 15 players on the roster because those guys that were walk-ons in the past are grandfathered in. I think the future of the sport appears to be, you know, we have 15 guys.”
Chris Beard
That’s exactly where Ole Miss finds itself for the 2025–26 season—with 16 players on the roster. Among them is Zach Day, a player Beard previously praised for earning a scholarship after starting as a walk-on. Those kinds of stories, Beard notes, may be harder to come by under the new system.
Additionally, Beard has Hobert ‘Deuce’ Grayson on this year’s team. He’s a walk-on transfer from Ouachita Baptist.
“We’re always looking for guys that have been coached. Deuce and those guys won championships. They played in NCAA Tournaments. He just established himself as a really good player. It’s personal for me, as well, with my Division II background. Some of the best players and best coaches I ever competed against and competed with were in Division II. Knowing where he’s been and the sacrifices he’s made to play college basketball … he’s another guy that’s got a little bit of a chip on his shoulder. We value that around here.”
Chris Beard on walk-on transfer Deuce Grayson
McPhee-McCuin Takes a Different Approach
On the women’s side, head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin sees the situation a bit differently. While aware of the drawbacks, she’s embracing the idea of a smaller, more focused roster.
This season, Coach Yo is working with a 12-player squad—and she’s perfectly fine with that.
“I mean, I think you have to think about injuries per se, but here’s the thing. If you have 15 but, you know, 13, 14, 15 can’t really help you it doesn’t really matter. It just sounds good, you know? I kind of like having a shorter roster just because it’s less people that probably would be angry as far as playing time is concerned.”
Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin
Her philosophy is rooted in maximizing chemistry and ensuring that everyone on the team feels engaged and valued. With fewer players to manage, there’s less friction—and more opportunity to build unity and trust.
“I like to play a lot of people. I really have been trying to get as much depth as possible. This year I think we figured it out as far as who we brought in. Or late get with (Kaitlin Peterson), a late admittance that was huge for us. We just got a little bit of everything.”
Coach Yo
The Bottom Line
As roster rules evolve alongside NIL and revenue-sharing reforms, programs across the country must rethink how they build teams. At Ole Miss, both Beard and McPhee-McCuin are adjusting in their own ways—one lamenting the loss of walk-on culture, the other embracing the benefits of a tighter rotation.
What’s clear: college basketball is entering a new era, and the Rebels are already finding their footing.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
