It appears Miami’s efforts to have a portion of its NCAA sanctions lessened has failed.
As part of the sanctions connected to the Nevin Shapiro scandal, Miami is facing the loss of nine scholarships over the next three years. The university had been seeking “credits” from the NCAA after making what were described as “internal adjustments” to its number of scholarship players, keeping those numbers down in the years leading up to the punitive measures in the hopes of going above their 82-man scholarship limit for at least the 2014 season (the FBS standard is 85).
However, a UM official confirmed to Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com that “the NCAA will not be flexible with Miami’s scholarship penalties” and the current 82-man scholarship will remain in effect. Fowler also makes the distinction that "[t]his was not a formal appeal from Miami, but a request to the NCAA for reconsideration.”
The good news for the Hurricanes is that they played the 2013 season with just 76 scholarship players, so they will see that number increase by six despite the NCAA rebuffing its request.
In addition to the scholarship sanctions levied by the NCAA, Miami self-imposed a two-year bowl ban that ended in 2013.