Summer School Q&A: What’s a walk-on? What’s a head-count vs. equivalency sport?
![Summer School Q&A: What’s a walk-on? What’s a head-count vs. equivalency sport?](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/rdxk7lfa/production/1310dc293f50263d831963c2b94c1c7807bf3668-5000x3333.jpg?w=1200&h=800&auto=format)
The GIST: Welcome back to Summer School, the series where we answer your questions about all things NCAA. If there’s a topic you want us to dig into this summer, tell us here.
Q: What’s a walk-on?
A: A walk-on is an NCAA athlete who does not receive an athletic scholarship. Sometimes they make a roster through open tryouts, but some — called “preferred walk-ons” — are recruited and basically guaranteed spots on the squad. All walk-ons can earn scholarship status for outstanding contributions, often finding out they leveled up in sweet surprise locker room moments.
- With 180K Division I (DI) and DII players on at least a partial scholarship, that leaves about 132K DI and DII walk-ons. Meanwhile, every single DIII athlete falls into this category, as no DIII program can offer athletic scholarships.
- While the yet-to-be-finalized House v. NCAA settlement will bring a million changes to college sports, one of the biggest could be the settlement’s effect on roster size — including the possible elimination of walk-ons in some sports.
Q: How many scholarships can a team give out…and why are the rules so complicated?
A: NCAA scholarship rules are different for “head-count” sports (like FBS football and women’s volleyball), which offer a set number of full-rides: Each football team has 85 players on full scholarship, volleyball teams have 12 fully funded athletes, and so on. On the other hand, “equivalency” sports’ coaches break up a set amount of scholarship money across their roster.
- For example, DI baseball teams can dole out the equivalent of 11.7 full scholarships, meaning coaches could grant partial scholarships to all 35 to 40 rostered players or give full-rides to 11 (with another athlete earning a 70% scholarship) — or anything in between.
- Those complicated equivalency rules help schools accommodate massive, all-male football rosters while aiming for Title IX compliance, which requires educational institutions to offer the same scholarship dollars to men and women.
Enjoying this article? Want more?
Sign up for The GIST and receive the latest college news straight to your inbox three times a week