Wake Forest Adds Two More Players

Roster Numbers

The two additions to the roster bring the unofficial Wake Forest total to 99. Dickert can go as high as 105 scholarship players. Buit there could be other players added on via last minute walk-ons, as part of the House v. NCAA settlement.

Judge Claudia Wilken was expected to finalize the settlement in late April. But she was displeased that most schools had already completed roster reductions in one all-encompassing move. Most football programs had rosters in the 115-120 player range.

As part of the settlement, going forward, schools would be allowed to directly pay their athletes. Most schools quickly moved to trim the rosters to scholarship players only. At last month’s hearings, Wilkens did not sign off on the settlement. Instead, she ordered the NCAA and its member schools to submit a plan that to ensure no athletes would lose out on previously promised roster spots due to new roster limits that would be imposed by the settlement. She submitted that she would not approve the settlement otherwise.

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Those briefs were submitted to the court last Wednesday. The revised plan would allow schools to offer players back their roster spots that have been rescinded in anticipation of the settlement. However, it comes with the caveat that the schools can decide on their own if they want to reinstate the walk-ons. They are not required to do it.

Wake Forest has not yet said whether it is going to add roster spots back. Judge Wilken is expected to rule on the viability of the new plan after opposing counsel has had two weeks to issue a written brief. If she does not validate the settlement, the case will go to trial. All contracts signed by current roster athletes that include direct payments from the schools, contingent upon the legal settlement, would likely be voided.