Matt Rhule and Nebraska get massive reprieve for the walk-on program

Since the House settlement started looking like it was going to be the law of the land, the Nebraska football program has been bracing itself for what would essentially be the death of the walk-on program.

On Wednesday evening, Matt Rhule and his staff, who have been loud critics of the way the House settlement deals with the 105-man roster, got a massive reprieve from the judge overseeing the case. And the way that Judge Wilken delivered that reprieve would seem to indicate that far more players will be allowed to stick around the Huskers roster this fall than first thought.

Judge halts 105-man roster rule, giving Nebraska football last-minute reprieve

Wilken issued a ruling that made it clear she was not happy with the NCAA not allowing for some sort of a grandfather or phased reduction of a team’s roster size. For the Cornhuskers, who currently have more than 130 players on the active roster, lack of a grandfather clause meant that around 30 kids would be told by this fall they can no longer play for NU.

However, as Ross Dellenger first reported, Wilken doesn’t believe an immediate drop to 105-man rosters are fair to the people who don’t make the cut. And so she’s given both sides 14 days from today to include some sort of phase in. 

If they don’t, the judge will flat out refuse to accept the House settlement. That is an option that no one, on either side, really thought would happen. It’s pretty clear that both sides believed Wilken was bluffing or would eat a bitter pill when she brought up a grandfather clause or phased roster cuts in the last hearing. Instead, she has drawn her line in the sand.

Now the question is, will the NCAA blink? It was steadfastly against a phased roster cut because it claims schools have already been planning for next year based on their approval. Wilken did not accept that excuse saying, “any disruption that may occur is a problem of Defendants’ and NCAA members schools’ own making."

For Nebraska, it means for at least one more year, the roster will be a little bigger, though obviously it’s going to be at least another week and some change to find out just how big it will be in 2025. 

Make no mistake, this reprieve is not permanent. Even Wilken isn’t saying she’ll never approve the 105-man roster limit. It’s a spot of good news, even if it continues not to be a perfect situation for the Huskers and a tradition that goes back decades.