National Survey of Youth Sports Families Highlights Impacts of Shifting NCAA Realities, With a Clear Culprit: Too Few Roster Opportunities

BRADENTON, Fla. (March 9, 2026) – As the future of college athletics is debated in boardrooms, courtrooms and on Capitol Hill, a new national survey of youth sports families suggests there is a disconnect between the national conversation on college sports and the priorities of families around the country.

According to new research conducted by IMG Academy, 83% of youth sports families say expanding college roster opportunities for high school athletes should be the top priority as the NCAA continues to evolve.

By comparison, 14% said new compensation opportunities for student-athletes are their primary concern, while only 4% prioritized the question of whether student-athletes should be classified as employees.

The findings come from a survey of more than 1,650 youth sports families nationwide, offering one of the clearest snapshots to-date of what families truly want as college athletics undergoes sweeping changes.

Concern About Playing in College – More than Compensation – Is Driving New Decisions by Families

The survey also reveals how the pressure around collegiate roster opportunities is already shaping family decisions.

Nearly 23% of youth sports families say they are considering reclassifying or extending high school – such as repeating a grade or pursuing a post-graduate year – to improve their child’s chances of earning a college roster spot.

Among families targeting major conference football or basketball programs, that number rises significantly:

• 36% say they are considering extending high school
• 64% say they are not

Among families pursuing opportunities outside major conference football or basketball:

• 15% say they are considering extending high school
• 85% say they are not

Priority is Clear Across Different Families

The desire for additional roster opportunities holds true regardless of competitive level:

Families targeting major conference football or basketball:

• NCAA roster expansion for high school athletes: 78%
• Evolution toward student-athlete compensation: 17%
• Classifying athletes as employees: 4%

Families not targeting major conference football or basketball:

• NCAA roster expansion for high school athletes: 85%
• Evolution toward student-athlete compensation: 12%
• Classifying athletes as employees: 3%

A Disconnect Between National Debate and Family Priorities

The survey highlights a growing disconnect between the national conversation about college athletics – which has largely focused on student-athlete compensation models that impact a few select sports and a small portion of schools – and what most families across youth sports are concerned about.

While various stakeholders in college sports are not intending to negatively impact youth families, the result of many groups acting in their own best interest has created downstream impacts on youth families. Through the lens of a youth family with a dream of college sports, recent changes across college sports have included roster caps, near elimination of the JV or developmental pathway, sport program eliminations, coaches prioritizing portal players over high school athletes, and new eligibility dynamics allowing existing college athletes to stay in college longer. In aggregate, this set of circumstances reduces opportunities for youth student-athletes with the goal of playing in college.

It is possible to get the new – and important – models related to NIL and compensation right, while simultaneously expanding roster opportunities in women’s and men’s Olympic sports for incoming high school students. The last five years suggest that one path comes at the expense of the other; that financial realities for a few come at the expense of opportunity for many.

The future of college sports is in the 75 million students and families involved in youth sports right now. Let’s listen to their voice in the evolution of college sports. The main message they are sending right now is “we need more roster opportunities above all else.”

Through its #AddMoreAthletes initiative, IMG Academy has been working with universities, policymakers and leaders across college athletics to prioritize and explore solutions that expand participation opportunities for student-athletes.