NCAA to give spring sport athletes extra year of eligibility

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By RALPH D. RUSSO

The NCAA will permit Division I spring-sport athletes — such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players — who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus pandemic to have an additional year of eligibility.

The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday to give spring-sport athletes regardless of their year in school a way to get back the season they lost, but it did not guarantee financial aid to the current crop of seniors if they return to play next year.

Winter sports, such as basketball and hockey, were not included in the decision because many athletes in those sports had completed all or most of their regular seasons, the council decided.

The council is made up of college sports administrators representing all 32 D-I conferences, plus two members of the student-athlete advisory committee. Earlier in the day, 60 SAAC members released a letter calling for the council to provide the extra eligibility to all athletes whose seasons were impacted by the COVID-19 related shutdown.



FILE - In this March 12, 2020, file photo, The national office of the NCAA in Indianapolis is viewed. The NCAA will permit spring sport athletes _ such as baseball, softball and lacrosse players _ who had their seasons shortened by the coronavirus outbreak to have an additional year of eligibility. The NCAA Division I Council voted Monday, March 30, 2020, to give spring sport athletes regardless of their year in school a way to get back the season they lost, but did not guarantee financial aid to the current crop of seniors if they return to play next year. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)


Read more: https://apnews.com/12f17528434389bd0bd636aabad8ecbd

[Stallion]

1. The Problem Will Be the Scholarships are Limited

so a baseball team might only have 12 scholarships to give out (minor sports sometimes divide the scholarship for several athletes) each year but have already committed athletes for next year. These schools are also collectively losing billions in cuts from TV, Tournament cuts so will probably have to cut back on last years scholarships offered. NCAA athletics is in a real dilemma and its going to hurt the big schools too who might lose 20-30 million in revenue each that has already been spent

[groundloop]

2. Another issue will be roster limits

Unless roster limits are temporarily increased there's going to be a conflict between athletes who might chose to stay that extra year and new recruits who have already received assurances they will have a spot on the team. College baseball (of which I'm a pretty big fan) is going to have a lot of details to work out in the time before next season.