Erik Biever writes:
>There's a flawed premise here.  Any eligible student, so far as I know, is
>free to try to walk-on.  Coach Woog hasn't offered scholarships (so far as
>we know) to players from out of state, but that has nothing to do with
>potential walk-ons.
 
Did John Blue receive a scholarship from Minnesota when he was
recruited, or did he walk on?  For those who weren't aware, Blue was
from California and became one of the better goalies in Gopher
history.
 
I agree with Erik.  Most schools I know of will open up tryouts to any
student who wants to try out.  Most kids get cut early on or sent to
the JV (if the school has a JV team), but the opportunity is still
there, and occasionally it does result in someone making the team.  I
would seriously doubt that Woog would cut a kid who proved he could
play just because he was not from Minnesota.  The truth is probably
that the competition level is so high that it is unlikely that anyone
not recruited, be they from Minnesota or not, would make the team.
 
You also have to factor in the probability that a lot of kids who
aren't recruited but are from Minnesota and are decent players will
try out anyway.  I doubt many players from out of state who are
legitimate DivI players would pass up scholarship offers from other
schools (which they'd presumably get if they can play) to pay the out
of state tuition at Minnesota in hopes of walking on - in an already
very competitive situation.  I could certainly see a number of good
Minnesota players rejecting scholarship offers elsewhere to pay the
(relatively) low tuition in-state at the University and try to make
the team without a scholarship, especially if they are told that a
scholarship could be forthcoming if they make the team.  It's a chance
some kids may be willing to take if they really want to play for the
Gophers and really think they can make it.
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93