College football new roster limit: Tony Petitti reportedly vouches for bigger numbers amid Big Ten expansion moves

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti is campaigning for bigger roster sizes in college football as his league looks for expansion. Cutting players to college football teams has been talked about recently, but nothing has come to fruition yet.

Yet, according to ESPN college insider Pete Thamel, it is being discussed that the college football team would go to 105 players. It hasn't been finalized, but the commissioners are discussing it.

"Sources: The number for college football roster limits that’s being socialized this week from the commissioners to the campus level is 105. That has yet to be accepted, but it’s the number that commissioners have brought back to athletic directors for discussion," Thamel reported on X.

Thamel also reported that the Big Ten is a conference who is pushing against that as instead, they want an increase in roster sizes.

The Big Ten is one of the more powerful conferences in college football, so if they push for it, it could come to fruition. Right now, roster sizes for D1 college football teams allow a maximum of 85 scholarship players.

College football coaches against reduced roster sizes

After the news came out that the plan is for college football teams to reduce their roster by 30+ people, several coaches were frustrated by it.

The loss of the players would be walk-ons, which Texas A&M Aggies head coach Mike Elko is not a fan of (via ESPN):

"I think it's absolutely against college football, what it stands for and what it's about. I think that would be a major problem, especially when you look at legacies of Texas A&M kids that are going to get the opportunity to play football at Texas A&M potentially taken away from them. I think that's something really bad for the school."

Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz was also not a fan of the reduced roster sizes, as he believed it would hinder player safety:

"First and foremost is player safety. And it's about being able to maintain the health and safety of your players throughout the season... With what they are trying to impose on us with roster limits, you would be set with a number of players. There's no ability to add or subtract from that team for your entire season. I don't think that's a practical way to go about it."

It's clear many coaches don't like the reduced roster sizes, which is why Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has been campaigning for adding more players.