Summer School Q&A: What’s a walk-on? What’s a head-count vs. equivalency sport?

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.