<p>Hi guys, just a question.
Do you have to be an athlete recruit to be part of the varsity team??</p>
<p>No, walk-ons sometimes make it onto varsity teams. It very much depends upon the school and sport.</p>
<p>Division I athletic programs have the maximum allowable scholarships; Division II programs have limited scholarship levels; Division III programs are non-scholarship. The prevalence of non-recruited walk-ons making a team and playing goes up as you go down in divisions, and goes up for sports in which a school gives a lower number of scholarships compared to the roster size. For instance, in Division I football and basketball, it’s a long shot (though not unheard of) for a walk-on to get playing time. In Division I cross country, not unusual at all. In Division III football and basketball, many players would be recruited, but many would walk on. I’d guess that most D-III cross country runners are walk-ons.</p>
<p>There is at least one Division I league that does not allow athletic scholarships in some sports.</p>
<p>On the average, a small college probably allows and needs many more walkon players than a large university. </p>
<p>I’ve read of recruited basketball players transferring from a top ranked team to a moderately ranked team so they can get more playing time.</p>