Just because an athlete doesn't receive an athletic scholarship doesn't mean that the dream of playing their sport at the next level is over. Athletes who aren't awarded athletic scholarships have an excellent have proven to be successful time and time again. As a result, an athlete shouldn't be discouraged from pursuing their sport at the college level just because they weren't offered financial aid as a result of their athletic abilities. Walking-on to a team is a great option for many incoming college students.

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When an athlete is given a spot on a college roster without an athletic scholarship, they are referred to as a “walk-on.” Just like there are different types of athletic scholarships that can be given to college athletes, there are different categories of walk-ons on college rosters. 

Preferred Walk-ons

The first type of walk-on is known as a preferred walk-on. This means that although an athlete is not being offered any form of athletic scholarship, they are being offered a spot on the team when the season comes around. Because this is the highest level of walk-on, these athletes often have a decent chance to earn playing time based on their performances. These athletes even earn more time in action than players on scholarship. 

Recruited Walk-ons

The next type of walk-on is a recruited walk-on. These athletes have been recruited by coaches, but again, there is no athletic scholarship offer. These athletes are not guaranteed a roster spot, and must compete over the offseason to earn their place. Although a roster spot is not guaranteed, some athletes view the chance to be a recruited walk-on as an opportunity to prove themselves and try to earn playing time. 

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Unrecruited Walk-ons

The third type of walk-on is an unrecruited walk-on. These athletes have not been scouted by a coach. Typically, after these athletes are admitted to a school, they will contact the coach and try to arrange a tryout. This will be their chance to earn a spot on the team. This communication usually happens before the athlete enrolls at a school, but an athlete can attempt to arrange a tryout even if they are already enrolled. 

Things to Remember

One thing for walk-ons to consider is that it is always possible to receive an athletic scholarship even if their career starts without one. There have been plenty of cases where athletes in began their careers as walk-ons and then earned a full or partial athletic scholarship later in their careers. These athletic scholarships are typically awarded to walk-ons if any allotted scholarship money for the program frees up. Scholarships are usually given in the order of preferred, recruited, and then unrecruited walk-ons. A walk-on's performance, though, is the ultimate factor in whether they eventually receive an athletic scholarship. 

Although being a walk-on can lead to playing a sport at the college level, there can be some drawbacks. One drawback is that it may be harder to come by playing time, despite good performances. This is often a result of the coaching staff recognizing that they have placed more of an investment in a scholarship athlete. Coaches are looking to allow that athlete to reach their full potential to make that investment pay off. Other drawbacks include the occasional feeling of unfair treatment from coaches and teammates as well as not always receiving the same benefits on campus as scholarship athletes do, such as preferred enrollment for classes. 

Athletes should not be discouraged from attempting to walk-on to a college team. There are plenty of opportunities for walk-on athletes to earn both playing time and even athletic scholarships in the future. Some of the best athletes in college sports history began their careers as walk-ons. NFL player Clay Matthews, NBA player Andre Drummond and MLB player Ryan Howard were all walk-ons. Once a roster spot is earned, it is up to walk-ons to work hard and do whatever they can to earn playing time. 

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* Originally published on June 6, 2023, by Owen Roche