Five things to know about preferred walk-ons
December 18, 2019 at 6:28AM
1. No scholarship. Preferred walk-ons are responsible for paying for their own tuition, room and board.
2. No signing. Since a PWO doesn't receive an athletic scholarship, they aren't required to sign a national letter of intent. They can leave a program at anytime.
3. Invitation from a coach. A PWO is an invited, or recruited, walk-on. The coach wants the player on the team but is unwilling or unable to offer a scholarship.
4. Full access. A football team is limited in the number of players it is allowed to have. A full FBS-level roster consists of 125 players, 85 of whom are scholarship players. PWOs generally get the same access and treatment as scholarship players.
5. Can earn scholarships. PWOs are allowed to accept a scholarship starting with their second year on the team. That scholarship counts against the team's 85 limit.
about the writer
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
