Article: Walk-on players are invaluable to college football, but House v. NCAA settlement provides uncertain future

[ttowncoug]

Curious why this hasn't be more of an issue with WSU and other schools. Going from 120 to 105 and losing 15 walk-ons is something that could have an impact....with the reason for all this of this is the NCAA, and the schools, said athletes can't get paid for NIL and lost. Now they have to pay back pay and kids in the future have to "pick up the tab."

"In football that means a roster cap of 105 players. For the average program, that means cutting about 15 walk-ons. That could mean the loss of 2,000 walk-on opportunities across FBS, perhaps 10,000 across all sports."

“To get the House v. NCAA settlement across the finish line, cuts have had to be made. Drastic cuts, some would say, that includes limiting roster sizes. It is a legal and budgetary maneuver to allow schools to pay athletes out of that monster $20.5 million revenue sharing pot.”

Walk-on players are invaluable to college football, but House v. NCAA settlement provides uncertain future

Limiting roster sizes across the sport will kill the dreams of many overlooked players

www.cbssports.com

 

[425cougfan]

Thanks for sharing this. It's a major issue. It's merely one of dozens of huge issues impacting WSU, many of which are existential, which is a major reason we don't hear more about it.

I also believe, purely based on assumptions and anecdotes -- let me know if anyone has better numbers -- that WSU wasn't rostering 35 walk-ons in addition to 85 scholarship players. Perhaps the average FBS team was, but I doubt WSU has been. From what I have heard and seen, even funding 85 scholarships is going to be challenging going forward, especially with the lack of institutional support relative to peer programs.

The "good" news is that if programs are going to have to drop what had been an average of 15 out of what formerly had been about 35 walk-ons, that means more players available for the WSUs of the world. Giving these other schools 20 more scholarships (from 85 to 105), with them having the resources to fund them, results in these changes being a massive net negative for WSU. It won't just be Ohio State and its ilk, but any serious P4 program, that will have 105 kids on scholie. So no, there's no good way to spin having 60 or more schools now hoarding 20 more guys each on scholarship.

But for now, if WSU can at least fund 85 scholies and get some walk-ons who otherwise would have walked on in a P4 conference, while keeping all of this at least at a level on par with its peers, that allows survival and competence. I'd want to see WSU get up to funding 105 scholarships at some point. I'll be surprised if that isn't Boise State's aspiration very soon.

 

[dgibbons]

Thanks for sharing this. It's a major issue. It's merely one of dozens of huge issues impacting WSU, many of which are existential, which is a major reason we don't hear more about it.

I also believe, purely based on assumptions and anecdotes -- let me know if anyone has better numbers -- that WSU wasn't rostering 35 walk-ons in addition to 85 scholarship players. Perhaps the average FBS team was, but I doubt WSU has been. From what I have heard and seen, even funding 85 scholarships is going to be challenging going forward, especially with the lack of institutional support relative to peer programs.

The "good" news is that if programs are going to have to drop what had been an average of 15 out of what formerly had been about 35 walk-ons, that means more players available for the WSUs of the world. Giving these other schools 20 more scholarships (from 85 to 105), with them having the resources to fund them, results in these changes being a massive net negative for WSU. It won't just be Ohio State and its ilk, but any serious P4 program, that will have 105 kids on scholie. So no, there's no good way to spin having 60 or more schools now hoarding 20 more guys each on scholarship.

But for now, if WSU can at least fund 85 scholies and get some walk-ons who otherwise would have walked on in a P4 conference, while keeping all of this at least at a level on par with its peers, that allows survival and competence. I'd want to see WSU get up to funding 105 scholarships at some point. I'll be surprised if that isn't Boise State's aspiration very soon.

That's my recollection- WSU would roster about 105 for opening day. 85ish scholarship, 20ish walk-ons.