Not lost in this new era of income and perks for star collegiate athletes are the walk-ons — those non-scholarship athletes who pay their own tuition, room, board and books. At least they're not forgotten at the University of Michigan.
As reported by The Associated Press, the Ann Arbor-based, Michigan-endorsed Champions Circle NIL collective announced Wednesday the creation of a Walk-On Fund in the wake of athletic departments scrambling for money before revenue is shared directly with athletes as soon as next year.
While college football teams are limited to 85 scholarships, many more are on the team without athletic-related financial aid, the AP pointed out.
“These student-athletes ask for nothing, and they give our team everything,” Champions Circle wrote in an email to potential supporters. “We think it’s time we give our Walk-Ons something back.
“This fund will give those student-athletes some of the financial help their teammates receive and honor their hard work.”
Athletic departments across the country are bracing for "seismic changes," stemming in part from the NCAA and the nation’s five biggest conferences announcing last month that they have agreed to pay nearly $2.8 billion to settle a host of antitrust claims, the AP reported.
The decision sets the stage for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to athletes as soon as the 2025 fall semester.
In a possible cost-cutting move, the NCAA may potentially limit roster spots on football teams to reduce the number of walk-ons or possibly eliminate them altogether.
