For postseason tournaments there are a set number of chairs that are allowed for the bench area. I believe that 17 is the maximum amount of chairs for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. During the regular season teams can put as many chairs on the bench as they would like- I think a typcal number there would be 20.
To get the people on the bench that the coach needs and with the reduction of chairs that the bench can have in postseason some people need to be cut.... sometimes that include walk ons.
Spot on.... Road games its been a numbers thing for transportation believe it or not. When they fly they usually charter a smaller charter plane and with the quantity of Assts and Managers, its purely a numbers thing.
For the Big 12 and NCAA's your numbers are spot on. It is 17 and again with the numbers, that accounts for Staff and Scholarship players plus Jackson - after all he is a senior. If you noticed at the Big 12's, they didnt even have the managers on the bench, thats not by choice by necessity.
Being a part of the team and the requirements that requires for a walk on can be less then gratifying. However, FYI - heard that he did post today at 1pm that he's wheels up so he's traveling with the team but will not make the bench unless someone is injured. Right now, ISU has 4 coaches, 2 GA and 13 players.