One Coach’s Candid Explanation of 2026 Recruiting Challenges

There’s been a lot of discussion about new NCAA roster limits and how they’re affecting college soccer teams, particularly in women’s soccer. I recently came across an explanation from a coach who emailed a prospective player about the challenges these limits pose for the 2026 recruiting class. It’s impressive how transparent the coach was—many others likely share similar concerns but haven’t been as open in communicating them to recruits.

For privacy reasons, I won’t name the school or the player, but I believe the coach’s message speaks for itself. It’s both informative and candid, and they deserve credit for providing such a clear window into the current challenges. Here is the email:

{Player Name Removed},

Thank you for your continued interest and communication.  As you may have heard, the NCAA has been in an ongoing legal settlement that, once concluded, will lead to the implementation of a roster cap of 28 players.  With an extremely young squad (19 freshmen & sophomores) for the upcoming fall 2025 season and only 3-5 players graduating, and after much deliberation as a staff, we have decided as a staff to slow down our recruiting process concerning the 2026 class to give ourselves more time to evaluate our current roster and best identify our positional needs moving forward.

I tell you all of this so you understand our situation and to give you as much clarity as possible about where we are in the process.  I don't anticipate being able to make any further decisions on 2026 prospects until next fall, and I don't want you to miss out on other opportunities you may have while waiting for us.  That being said, we will continue to evaluate your development over the upcoming months, and if you are still uncommitted this fall and if we feel you are a good fit for our program's needs, we will continue our dialogue with you.  

I hope this explains our situation clearly, and if you remain interested in {School Name Removed}, please continue to send us updates on your season and schedules for the events you will be attending.

All the best,

{Coach Name Removed}

Now, this could be one coach using roster limits as “aircover” for a “no” and an attempt to let the player down gently. However, compared to other communications—or the lack thereof—this explanation appears genuine. And it might be especially helpful for parents of 2026 recruits who are navigating a slower recruitment process or facing limited information.