Why baseball programs could get more scholarships, football eliminate walk-ons after House v. NCAA settlement

The way that different sports are funded and how many scholarships are awarded could be changing

By Dennis Dodd May 28, 2024 at 7:53 pm ET• 7 min read

DESTIN, Fla. -- Josh Booty could have had it all. 

When former LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman recruited Booty 30 years ago, the offer was not only a scholarship, it was essentially to play shortstop for the defending national champions. 

Ah, but the blue-chip prospect out of Shreveport, Louisiana, was going to play quarterback (on scholarship) and start basically as a walk-on in baseball. Who would pass that up? Heck, playing both sports at a high level worked for Bo Jackson. Why not Booty?

"If you want to play baseball I'll give you a full [baseball] scholarship," Booty recalled the legendary Bertman saying. "But why would I not put you on football [scholarship] and make a better team out of [baseball]?"

Baseball intervened without Booty ever taking a ground ball at Alex Box Stadium. The Florida Marlins came with a then-record $1.6 million offer for him to go pro.