At many small colleges and universities, football plays a significant role, both on the field and on the balance sheet. And the roster size can have a significant impact on retention and revenue.
As the largest roster sport in the NAIA, football has a unique ability to influence enrollment, student retention, and institutional finances. However, recent research suggests that there’s a delicate balance to strike. Bigger football rosters may bring in more money, but they don’t always keep students around.
A Return on Athletics (ROA) research brief looks at four years of data to better understand how team size affects student-athlete retention, and the overall financial return football brings to a college.
Updated October, 2026: Retention and Roster Size: Finding the “Sweet Spot” for Football
This research highlights the real trade-offs college leaders must consider when managing athletics. It also suggests there’s no one-size-fits-all solution: some schools with very large or small teams still manage to keep student-athletes engaged and enrolled, thanks to strong coaching, support systems, and campus culture.
Learn how ROA’s research offers a fresh perspective on the factors that impact student success and institutional sustainability. Download the research brief for a deep dive into the correlation between team sizes and revenue.
See related: University of Sant Francis: Revitalizing Athletics with Data-Driven Insights
Each year, Return on Athletics® (ROA) captures data from across the organization to track what’s trending across NAIA athletics and how those trends can be used by institutions to make decisions. From emerging sports to the amount of financial aid awarded, sports expenses, and net return, these trends are the benchmarks NAIA institutions can use […]
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Return on Athletics® (ROA) is a free NAIA member resource that helps institutions make more informed, data-driven decisions about their athletics programs. By bringing together institution-, sport-, and student-level data, ROA provides insights into enrollment, retention, financial aid, and athletics finances, enabling campus leaders to evaluate performance, identify opportunities, and strengthen long-term financial sustainability. How […]
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