Morpheus

From The D1Baseball Podcast

How NIL, 34 Scholarships & the Portal Changed College Baseball Roster Building with Justin Seely [D1 Daily]

Published
September 22, 2026
Length
44:19

Audio is streamed from the publisher.

Chapters

Read from the show notes

  1. 0:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
  2. 0:12 Thank You AstroTurf!
  3. 0:30 How Omaha Rosters Were Built
  4. 3:29 Scholarship Math Explained
  5. 6:34 34 Scholarships and NIL Era
  6. 8:14 Recruiting Without Geography
  7. 10:52 Blueprint for Elite Rosters
  8. 12:29 Old Roster Limits and Walk Ons
  9. 13:36 Big Rosters and Draft Reality
  10. 16:07 New Roster Math
  11. 17:02 Scholarship Rules Shift
  12. 17:43 December 1 Roster Deadline
  13. 20:11 Retention Versus Portal
  14. 22:47 Culture Risks of Transfers
  15. 25:01 Three Program Tiers
  16. 27:15 Top-Tier Blueprint
  17. 31:49 Middle-Tier Strategy
  18. 35:59 Bottom-Tier Models
  19. 39:06 Geography and Recruiting
  20. 41:34 Paths for Players
  21. 44:06 Wrap Up

Not from the publisher — times may be approximate.

Burkie and Roons welcome Justin Seely to discuss how college baseball roster construction has changed from the 11.7-scholarship era to today’s 34-scholarship, revenue-share and NIL landscape. Seely explains how in-state vs. out-of-state tuition once shaped recruiting, how fully funded programs can now erase geography and build more like football, and how DSAs and strict roster deadlines are pushing smaller fall rosters with less margin for error. They outline what top programs prioritize (targeted portal additions, high-ceiling recruits, retention, impact starting pitching and elite pitching coaches) versus how mid-tier and lower-resourced programs lean more on older transfers, JUCO pipelines, and regional recruiting. The conversation closes on the non-linear path for players and how mid-majors can embrace development and upward movement as part of their identity. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 00:12 Thank You AstroTurf! 00:30 How Omaha Rosters Were Built 03:29 Scholarship Math Explained 06:34 34 Scholarships and NIL Era 08:14 Recruiting Without Geography 10:52 Blueprint for Elite Rosters 12:29 Old Roster Limits and Walk Ons 13:36 Big Rosters and Draft Reality 16:07 New Roster Math 17:02 Scholarship Rules Shift 17:43 December 1 Roster Deadline 20:11 Retention Versus Portal 22:47 Culture Risks of Transfers 25:01 Three Program Tiers 27:15 Top-Tier Blueprint 31:49 Middle-Tier Strategy 35:59 Bottom-Tier Models 39:06 Geography and Recruiting 41:34 Paths for Players 44:06 Wrap Up For athletes and sports programs of all levels, AstroTurf has managed the entirety of the synthetic turf manufacturing process for decades. By focusing on quality, safety, and performance, AstroTurf continues to provide customized surfacing solutions for baseball and softball programs across the professional and collegiate ranks, including being the Official Synthetic Turf of MLB®. For more information, please visit https://astroturf.com/ Kerriston Coffee is proud to be the official coffee of D1Baseball. With over 30 years in the business, this family-owned roastery delivers fresh, small-batch coffee made for college baseball fans, coaches, and everyone in between. Kerriston Coffee ships nationwide, and as a listener to The D1Baseball Podcast, you can use code D1 at https://kerristoncoffee.com to receive 15% off your first order! SUBSCRIBE Apple: https://d1ba.se/Pod-Apple Spotify: https://d1ba.se/40Ne9Dq YouTube: https://d1ba.se/yt-sub See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.