Scholarships for walk-ons would trip up system

"If I play well, then I should be able to earn a scholarship." That is the sentiment shared by many athletes who walk on to football programs across the country. It was also the expectation of former UW football player Andy Carroll when he came to Seattle to play receiver and special teams for the Huskies from 1996-2000. Even with scholarships offers on the table from other schools, he came to Montlake and earned letters for three straight years from 1997-99. "You do enter it with nothing promised," he told the Associated Press. "But there is the indication that if you get on the field and produce for the program, you have the potential to earn a scholarship. You feel you've earned it and when you go to ask for it, you're told they don't have it." Last month, Carroll filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, claiming that restrictions on the number of scholarships a school can offer causes walk-ons to get lost in the shuffle. Since 1994, rules have been enforced that allow football teams to have 85 players on scholarship each year. While Carroll's argument has some good points, we should not make adjustments to the current system because it will lead to a concentration of talent at powerhouse schools. It is not fair for him to blame the NCAA for an individual school's oversight. Washington coaches depended on Carroll playing for free and gave scholarships that could have been offered to him to incoming freshmen. That is why when he requested a scholarship he had felt he had earned, there was not one available. The system could be altered in a way that would require schools to give scholarships to walk-on players who produce for them. This would help walk-ons earn scholarships without tampering with current scholarship limits. If Carroll wins his lawsuit, it could bring sweeping changes to the way recruiting is done by major college programs. Instead of scholarship numbers based on the same figure for every school, the numbers would become dependent on how much money an athletic program has to offer. This would help powerhouse schools like Miami and Oklahoma, since their programs could offer more money than others due to a tradition of success. If the ruling is decided in Carroll's favor, there could still be a cap on the number of recruits a school can give scholarships to each year; however, the number of walk on at major schools could increase dramatically. Big-time programs could then convince players -- who would otherwise commit to a smaller school -- that they had the chance to walk-on, promising a scholarship later. This tactic would work around any one-year scholarship limitations the NCAA would set. This would leave schools like Boise State and Bowling Green in the dark because the higher-profile programs would be able to stockpile recruits who would otherwise suit up for their teams. With the college football system already slanted in favor of "BCS Conference" schools, eliminating scholarship restrictions would swing the tide even more in that direction. The chances of seeing a title contender out of the WAC or Conference USA would be even less likely than is currently the case. For the smaller conference schools, the changes would have a big effect on the entire athletic program because of the financial presence that football holds. There is major pressure to be able to play competitive football to provide the needed funding for non-revenue-producing sports, such as golf and tennis. Carroll was offered a scholarship to play football at less-successful schools such as Oregon State or UNLV. Instead, he decided that he wanted to be a Husky. When it became evident he was not going to receive a scholarship from the UW, he had options. If financial support was as important to him as he alleges, he could have transferred to a school that would have promised a scholarship up front. Or, if he felt he was being exploited by not receiving a scholarship, he could have easily quit the UW team. Walk-on athletes know what they are getting into when they try out for the team; if they are not satisfied with the conditions, they can walk out.

Scholarships for walk-ons would trip up system

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