LEXINGTON, Va. – VMI Athletics announced today Virginia Military Institute will opt in to the House vs. NCAA settlement for the 2026-2027 academic year. The decision comes after declining to opt in for the initial year of the settlement.
 
"Competition is part of who VMI is as an institution. It builds leaders, instills discipline, increases challenges, develops resilience, and provides opportunities for support by the Corps of Cadets," LtGen David Furness '87, VMI superintendent said. "Opting in to the settlement while implementing efforts to build and reinforce the VMI culture throughout athletics gives the Institute the best chance to be successful. Strengthening recruiting and retention efforts by opting in builds experienced teams capable of competing for conference championships."
 
What this means

• Opting in to the House Settlement allows the Institute to provide direct compensation to cadet-athletes for retention and recruitment purposes. Any direct compensation to cadet-athletes would be derived from private contributions for such purposes and not from tuition and fees paid by cadets and their families. Cadet-athletes will be held to the same conduct standards as all cadets.
• Athletic teams will have roster size limits directed by the NCAA for each respective sport, however, teams will no longer be subject to NCAA limits on the number of scholarships awarded. Some sports will be able to increase their rosters, while other rosters will shrink.

 
The House settlement was finalized during Spring 2025 while the Institute was going through a leadership transition. With the support of the Southern Conference, VMI will seek a waiver of the roster limits to allow cadet-athletes who may be subject to roster cuts to continue to compete until their graduation.
 
Eight of the 10 member institutions of the Southern Conference opted in to the settlement for the 2025-2026 academic year. The Citadel has since announced their intention to opt in to the settlement leaving VMI as the last SoCon member to opt in.
 
"Opting in to the House settlement will allow the Institute to recruit talented individuals who first seek the leadership challenge provided by VMI's unique method of education but also wish to continue competing in their sport at the Division I level," said Jamaal Walton '07, VMI athletic director. "Our coaches and Athletics staff are committed to building a culture that adds value to the leadership journey of the entire Corps of Cadets and to each cadet-athlete."
 
The Institute's superintendent made the decision based on a recommendation from a working group made up of staff, coaches, and alumni and after consultation with the VMI Board of Visitors president, Jamie Inman '86, and the board's Athletics Committee chairman, Teddy Gottwald '83.
 
"LtGen Furness and his team have put an enormous amount of work into this, have a solid plan and are well prepared for the implementation of opting in," said Jamie Inman '86, president of the Board of Visitors. "Now that the decision has been made, he and his team have the unequivocal support of the Board of Visitors."