Walker Gantt’s Halloween wasn’t about candy and costumes. Instead, the high school senior got a phone call that would turn his world upside down.
The Greenbrier High student from Evans, Georgia, had been all set to play golf at Augusta University. He’d committed five months earlier and was just weeks away from making it official.
Then came the bombshell.
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His future coach, Steven Paine, was calling to take it all back. There wasn’t room for him anymore.
“It was a huge surprise,” Gantt said. “Those next couple days were brutal for me, I’m not going to lie. I was panicking.”
But Gantt isn’t alone in this nightmare scenario. Thousands of student-athletes across the country are facing similar situations thanks to a massive shake-up in college sports.
Here’s what’s happening: A $2.78 billion legal settlement is changing everything in college athletics. While it might mean future players could get paid, it’s also forcing schools to slash their roster sizes – and fast.
For golf programs, it’s particularly tough. Teams will soon be limited to just nine players, with some conferences going even lower. The SEC, for example, is capping rosters at eight players.
That’s creating a major headache for programs like Oregon, which currently has 15 players on its men’s team. Oklahoma, ranked fourth in the country, has 13 players and three more recruits ready to sign.
“Worst week of my coaching career,” admitted one Power-4 men’s coach who had to cut a recruit.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Many coaches are having to make impossible choices just days before signing day. Some are cutting current players, while others are breaking promises to recruits who’ve been committed for over a year.
“Was told an hour ago that I can only sign one kid, and I committed to two over a year ago,” one Power-4 women’s coach shared. “Imagine making this phone call. Heartbreaking.”
There’s a silver lining for some schools, though. Smaller programs are suddenly finding themselves with access to talent that would’ve been out of reach before.
“These top schools have been plucking guys from our rosters for years,” one mid-major coach said. “It’s funny how the tables have turned now.”
As for Gantt, his story has a happy ending. After Augusta pulled his offer, he quickly reached out to other schools. Kennesaw State, currently ranked much higher than Augusta, jumped at the chance to sign him.
“When Kennesaw said they had a spot open, I knew I had to jump on it,” Gantt said.
But with more roster cuts coming and the transfer portal about to explode in April, not everyone will be as lucky as Gantt in finding a new home for their college dreams.
