The Big XII and NU football: What happened?

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finaltable

Walk-on
I apologize if this has been discussed at length previously but I haven't been able to find a Nebraska fan with an objective answer.

I am trying to figure out what happened with the formation of the Big XII that has radically changed NU football. In 1995, the NU roster was 177 players. That is an 85 scholarship load plus an entire extra team of walk-ons and 7 more extras on top of that. In comparison, in 1995 the Texas roster was 114 players and the 2008 roster is 115. Recently, the NU roster sizes are in the 100-115 range, much more in line with the rosters on other Big XII teams. Through all of this, all teams have been under the same 85/25 scholarship rules but NU's walk-on count is way down.

I don't claim to know much about the rules that Big XII membership places on the schools and even less about what the implications of the rules are, but it is clear that NU pre-Big XII and post Big XII is operating under a very different set of conditions.

Can someone enlighten me on how rule changes specifically impacted the NU program that slashed the roster sizes and how the effects of smaller rosters have manifested themselves in on field performance?

Thanks for your help.

 
Bill Callahan effectively killed the walk-on program. Sure, he had a few, but he didn't want to deal with large numbers (although it isn't like anyone beyond the second team got any practice time anyway...heck, they had water fights they were so bored in practice!)

Bo is bringing it back, although I don't know if it'll ever be what it once was...

 
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It's a good question finaltable. I don't have any idea if there are specific limits to a school's walk-on program. I'd think the school itself would have to find some way to cap it, or every spring at Memorial Stadium would look like the open try-out scene from the movie 'Invincible'. I don't know though.....no need to thank me, I'm always this helpful!

 
I don't know about getting up to 177 players again, but Bo did bring in well over 30 walkons for the '08 class, basically doubling the recruiting class for that year. The total roster has 144 players on it, a big increase already in just one year. Question is will time and effort be placed on developing these players as was done in the past. Cally never did this. Bo has been preaching the best players play no matter where they came from. So far the starting D has multiple walkons starting or getting significant playing time. Indications from practices in Spring and Fall is that all players got reps and an equal chance to make the 2-deep roster. The other is in recruiting. The staff has to spend the resources to scout enough players to bring in a class of 50-60 players vs. the 20-30 a normal college brings in. Can they put enough time in to still land the big time talent needed to mix with the walk ons?

 
One of the biggest "hits" that hurt NU was the Big 8 allowed "partial qualifiers"; players who did not fully qualify academically but could come to school and if they met certain grade requirements, could play, I'm thinking 4 years with no redshirt allowed. The old southwest conference didn't allow this (Texas is chock full of JUCOs) and part of the deal to form the Big 12, partial qualifiers were forbidden. Many of the great Big Red players from the '80s and '90s were partial qualifiers. This was one of TO's great misgivings when forming the Big 12

 
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