On March 30th the NCAA Division 1, division 2 and division 3 committees voted to grant all spring sport athletes an extra year of eligibility. This extra year of eligibility is at the discretion of individual schools and seniors who return will not count towards the team's scholarship limit.
This extra year is offered to all athletes who have been impacted by the cancellation of their season due to COVID-19, not just seniors. Schools will be allowed to expand their rosters so that coming recruits will not be impacted by seniors staying on.
The waivers will be applied for student-athletes competing in spring sports: baseball, softball, tennis, golf, outdoor track and field, lacrosse, rowing, men's volleyball, beach volleyball and women's water polo. The decision does not include winter sports such as basketball, hockey, swimming and diving, and gymnastics.
With the extension allowing seniors another year eligibility and the arrival of incoming freshman, Colleges will have some decisions to make. Having more athletes at your disposal sounds great but decisions on rosters spots, playing time and scholarship assignments are all things that will need to be considered. The NCAA has given each school the final decision of whether or not to grant seniors less or equal financial aid next year.
The rookie season for recruits who have committed to a college for this upcoming year might be facing a very different rookie season. This depends on if the decision was made to honour the extension of eligibility to their chosen schools current seniors. The NCAA council announced that seniors who return will not count towards the team’s scholarship limit but we advise new recruits to make sure they are in contact with their future coach so they know what to expect their freshman year.
For more information and all COVID-19 updates from the NCAA please follow the link below
www.ncaa.org/sport-science-institute/coronavirus-covid-19
